Nine Jackson students named Kerry Fellows

Elen Aghekyan is graduating with an MA in global affairs from the Jackson Institute, where she focused on the intersection of disinformation and democracy. During her two years at Yale, Elen served as a Kerry Fellow (2021–22), volunteered as a tutor with Bridges ESL, and was among the students leading Tsai CITY’s innovation workshops. While pursuing her MA, Elen served as a junior fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, and consulted for research centers and multilateral organizations focusing on democracy and technology. She began her career at Freedom House, where she was a research analyst for the organization’s flagship reports on political rights and civil liberties, and also led special research on modern authoritarianism. Immediately prior to Yale, Elen managed public programs at Columbia University’s Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy. Elen grew up between Armenia and the United States and earned a BA in history and government, summa cum laude, from Cornell University.

Drew D’Alelio is a joint MA/MBA passionate about economic development, clean energy, and impact investing. He has experience working on these issues in government, multilateral institutions, and the financial sector. After graduation he will be joining Connecticut Innovations, the state’s venture capital arm, where he will be standing up a state-backed investment fund to invest in green technology companies to drive improved economic development outcomes for the state.

Jackson du Pont is a senior at Yale College studying Global Affairs. He is interested in how diplomacy can be used to address transnational threats such as climate change, nuclear proliferation, and the impact of emerging technologies. Previously, he researched Iranian-American relations with the National Security Archive on their Iran Documentation Project. In 2020, Jackson interned with the Brookings Institute and their Center for Middle Eastern Policy, examining democratic promotion and disinformation campaigns. Recently, he served as a research associate at the Council on Strategic Risks where he researched bioweapon proliferation and the impact of emerging technologies on nuclear decision making. For his senior Capstone, Jackson is working on a project with the U.N. to explore policy options for the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan.

Tristan Irwin is a third-year joint degree candidate in the Master in Public Policy and Master of Forestry programs at Yale University. She is interested in forest management, forest policy, and climate resilience. Tristan is a nine-year veteran of the Army, where she served as a transportation officer and later as a special operations civil affairs offficer. As a Civil Affairs Team chief, she led a four-person team in Moldova. Her work there focused on assessing civil conditions in under-engaged Moldovan regions and conducting community-level development assistance to strengthen Moldova’s resilience and support its partnership with the U.S. Tristan graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2012 with a bachelor's in international relations and German.

Shaezmina  Khan is a junior at Yale College studying Global Affairs with a certificate in Human Rights from Yale Law School. She is interested in foreign policy, international security, and human rights, with a special focus on the Middle East and North Africa region.  Shaezmina has served as a legislative intern for Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, where she worked closely with the D.C. foreign policy team to conduct policy research. She has also worked as a Project Assistant at the UN Democracy Fund, Policy Fellow at the Muslim  Public Affairs Council, and an Intern at Worldpay Inc. focusing on financial markets and quantitative research. On campus, Shaezmina is the Executive Director of Yale International Relations Association, Yale’s largest undergraduate student organization with  a $600,000 annual budget and 300+ members. She also serves as President of the Muslim Students Association and is a Research Assistant at Yale Law School. Shaezmina is from Princeton, New Jersey, and is originally Pakistani-Kashmiri. Upon graduation, she hopes  to attend law school and pursue a career in public service. 

Claudia Meng is a senior at Yale College studying Ethics, Politics and Economics with a certificate in Statistics and Data Science. She is interested in economic development and data governance, with a focus on financial inclusion and protecting data rights of vulnerable groups. Claudia has conducted policy research for the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UNHCR. She has also worked at the Middle East Investment Initiative in Tunisia to increase SMB capital access, at Covid Act Now advising government partners on data interpretation, and interned at Eurasia Group and the Economist Intelligence Unit. On campus, Claudia co-chairs the Student Advisory Board at the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking, where she focuses on promoting interdisciplinary entrepreneurship and innovation. Claudia grew up between China, the US, and France, and speaks all three languages. Upon graduation, she hopes to work at the intersection of technology, policy and business to advance inclusive development.

Emanuel Ritschard is a second-year MPP/MBA joint degree candidate studying business models and public policies to finance global climate action and the clean energy transition. After his first year at the Jackson School, he worked as a Finance Associate at the Connecticut Greenbank, deepening his understanding of clean energy finance and quasi-public financing of climate policies. Before coming to Yale, Emanuel worked as a counsellor to the Director of Trade and Agriculture at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, synthesizing the organization’s analytical work and contextualizing it with current developments. Previously, he supported diplomatic efforts to strengthen Sino-Swiss cooperation in science and education as an officer at the Swiss Embassy in Beijing. Emanuel graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Economics and a secondary degree in East Asian Studies. His studies of the economic and political relations of East Asia included academic and professional experiences in China, Hong Kong and Viet Nam. He is a Swiss national and also speaks German and French fluently.