Dela Kpo is a 5th year PhD Candidate in the Politics Department at Princeton University. Her research interests sit at the intersection of Human Geography and African Comparative Politics. Her dissertation examines the effect of migration and return on political accountability and public service delivery in Ghana. Prior to Princeton, Dela received a B.A in Human Geography (International Development concentration) from Dartmouth College with a minor in Government. She was previously the manager of the multi-million dollar books division of MBI Inc. and is a founding partner of E-Connect Global Africa Limited (EGAL), a Ghanaian social-enterprise that develops service-delivery solutions for state institutions and private sector clients. EGAL owns a suite of platforms that improve domestic commerce and allow small and medium-sized businesses (both formal and informal) to extend the geographical reach of their products and services.
Dawn Chinagorom-Abiakalam is a sophomore at Clark University hoping to major in economics and math. On campus, she serves as the Deputy Editor of Peer Review for the Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal and Liaison Chair for the Caribbean and African Students’ Association. Her interests lie in the financial inclusion of rural women as a means of narrowing gender income gaps in Africa. She drives SkillLink as a means to empower the Nigerian girl and produce a positive impact in our society. In future, Dawn hopes to pursue a career in development and urban economics.
Adityamohan (Adi) Tantravahi is a research specialist at the Empirical Studies of Conflict project at Princeton University where he works on development finance in fragile states. Adi holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his primary research interests are in international security, conflict, development, and finance.
Rachel Bervell is a physician, creator, mentor, advocate, dreamer, and doer. She is focused on serving those who are most vulnerable and tackling disparities in medicine. Through her experiences at Harvard, Georgetown, and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, where she received her undergraduate, graduate, and medical degrees respectively, she cultivated her passions in community engagement and population health. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, she founded the non-profit organization Hugs for Ghana which supports youth philanthropic global endeavors, was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society for her dedication to patients, and has been humbled to receive numerous honors including the 2021 National Medical Association’s Top Physician’s Under 40 Award. She is dedicated to health equity, reproductive health & justice, and wellness for all, and she brings those interests together on Instagram at The Black ObGyn Project. Her insights on topics in healthcare have been featured on Health Affairs, NPR, and more. She is thrilled to bring her love of creativity to RIC as the Graphics and Design Strategist.
Hanjatiana Nirina Randrianarisoa (Nirina) is a Predoctoral Research Specialist at the Empirical Studies of Conflict group of the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He is part of the first cohort of the Fellowship for Data-driven Research (FDR). Currently, he is working on different projects on climate change and African economic history, under SPIA faculty members: Leonard Wantchekon, Kristopher Ramsay. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Economics from Trinity College in Hartford CT in 2016. His undergraduate economics thesis focused on tariff reductions or eliminations and their impact on informal markets, with an empirical focus on Egypt and Kenya. His research interests include topics in political economy, international trade and development economics.
Patrick Edwards is a first year Master student and Bridge Fellow in Economics at the University of Virginia. Patrick was previously a RIC mentee under the mentorship of Dr. Edward Norton, where he examined the relationship between health and recessions and how these fluctuations varied by race. His research interests include topics in health, labor, and urban economics. Patrick holds a Bachelor’s in Economics and Mathematics from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Sarah Bainn is a 2nd year PhD student in the Economics program at North Carolina State University. Currently, she works as a Teaching Assistant and conducts research in Labor, Health and Development Economics. Her long-term goal is to pursue research that seeks to understand the macroeconomic and healthcare delivery challenges that beset Ghana and Africa as a whole.
Aro Rajaonah is a senior at Northern Kentucky University majoring in Economics and Statistics. With the Center for Economic Education at NKU, Aro has researched on immigration and self-employment in the U.S. His long term goal is to pursue a PhD and embrace a career in development economics and public policy for Madagascar and African countries.