Summer Fellowship

Huda Abdelnur recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Community and Regional Development from UC Davis. She has chosen to continue her education and will pursue a Master’s degree in City Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. Through her academic pursuits and community service, she has recognized the value of a city planning approach that combines quantitative methods with community engagement.

Ella is graduating from Occidental College in the Spring of 2025 with a B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice and Gender and Sexuality Studies. They firmly believe in the power of collective action and are involved in community organizing for Palestinian liberation. Their commitment to empathy and communication in the face of violence draws them to the intersection of theory and praxis, where critique meets movement, and solidarity reveals itself as the most radical form of love!

Anjali Pajjuri (she/her) is a rising senior at UC Berkeley studying English and Economics. Her research interest in narrative power as a tool for social justice is grounded by her lifelong passion for storytelling, and she applies her belief in the transformative capabilities of language to everything she does.

Inshira Bediako is from Knoxville, Tennessee, and recently graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor's in Global Studies and a minor in Africana Studies. Growing up in the heavily segregated area of East Tennessee, Inshira saw first-hand how poverty and hunger were manufactured conditions to maintain racial and class subjugation. She is excited to learn from experts in the field of social housing policy research in this fellowship and use this knowledge to organize for safe and accessible housing for all.

elia delphi is a researcher and practitioner whose work focuses on childhood, social philosophy, and participatory action. Currently, they are a graduate student at UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare and a recent alum of San Diego State University, where they studied History, Sociology, and Social Work. elia works in the Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) Lab at Berkeley and looks forward to joining OBI on the Enlightenment Research Project.

Maylin Lainez is a recent graduate from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN where she majored in Health Equity on the Pre-Medical track. She is a proud Honduran raised in Houston, TX. Maylin’s career interests overlap in public health and medicine. Maylin’s senior thesis was highlighted in the annual Research Symposium at Rhodes College with the title, The Undocumented Narrative: Health Experiences of Undocumented Immigrants in Memphis, TN and Houston, TX. She is a strong and passionate advocate for the Latino and undocumented communities.

Chand is a social researcher and development sector professional with experience working as a Guest Faculty at a state government university in New Delhi, India, in the area of life skills. They have also been part of queer, trans, and anti-caste advocacy efforts over the years. They graduated with an MA in Development Studies and an MPhil in Women's Studies. Their MPhil dissertation sought to bring together anti-caste worldviews and trans liberation by outlining a theory of transgender justice based on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s idea of ‘Prabuddha Bharat’.

Ali Allam is a second-year student at the University of Michigan studying Political Science and Information Analysis. His experience in organizing started in high school, where he helped organize the effort to pressure BHSD to recognize Eid as a holiday. He is passionate about healthcare policy and has conducted research on Islamic Thought. He was recently elected Vice-President of the University of Michigan's LSA Student Government. During the summer, Ali will be working on the Austerity and Public Health project.

Aliyah Armstrong, a low-income individual herself, born and raised in the heart of the Bay Area, Richmond, California. Aliyah is a UC Davis Graduate who majored in Pre-Law with an emphasis in Philosophy and Sociology. Her ultimate goal to become a Criminal Defense Attorney has been put on pause to do communal work and research on bridging and belonging in low-income areas. Her passion for inclusivity, fairness, communication, and understanding pushes her to want to do the work for the change she wants to see.

Anja Jolin (she/her) is an Economics and Environmental Studies major at Swarthmore College focusing on the intersection between environmental justice and economic policy. She has a passion for quantitative research and analysis related to environmental and housing equity. Her previous applied research experience includes projects on the criminalization of homelessness and the impacts of redistricting on Native American communities. During the summer, Anja will be working on the Transportation Opportunity project.
 

Precious P. Fasakin is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, San Diego. Her current research interests lie at the intersection of political economy, spatial economics, applied game theory and the socioeconomic consequences of climate-induced migration and displacement. Precious is committed to developing economic and political applications that address issues concerning human rights, global disarmament, border studies and global indigeneity through her scholarship. During the summer, Precious will be working on the Climate Crisis, Displacement, and the Right to Stay project.

Hartwell (they/them) is a Sociology major at Occidental College, graduating in Spring of 2024. For their senior comprehensive thesis, Hartwell conducted research on genderqueer stigma management. Currently, they are collecting qualitative data in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Los Angeles, California for a transnational study on sense of belonging in queer spaces. During the summer, Hartwell will be working on the Gender & Authoritarianism project.
 

Lisa (she/her) is an undergraduate student at the University of Irvine, majoring in Social Policy and Public Service and African American Studies. Before transferring, she studied at the College of San Mateo, an experience that shaped her deeply humanistic and community-driven approach to advocacy. Her strong student activism background informs her academic research interests in Black feminists' role within social movements and anti-colonial resistance.