Current Fellows

Rothschild Toussaint was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti on October 22nd, 2000. After an earthquake struck his country in 2010, he and his family emigrated to the United States. Picking up English quickly through watching cartoons, Rothschild finished high school and began his college experience at The Honors College at Miami Dade. After earning his Associate of Arts, he then transferred to Dartmouth in the Fall 2020 term where he is planning to pursue a Geography modified with Economics major, with a minor in International Studies. Drawing from his experiences of living in Haiti and in the United States, Rothschild's interest in Human Development grew as he noticed the stark difference in the quality of life in two countries that are less than 700 miles apart. Rothschild is also a Great Issue Scholar, a member of World Outlook, and part of The Shabazz Center for Intellectual Inquiry. He has three quotes that he lives by: " Strive for greatness," "To whom much is given, much is required," and "One day or day one, you decide." 

In Winter and Spring 2021, Rothschild  was supported by the Human Development program in a research assistantship with Professor Chelsey Kivland.

In his free time, Rothschild enjoys listening to music, playing and watching Basketball, Soccer, and Football, reading, researching on topics that he finds interesting, and hanging out with family and friends.

Rothschild's specific interests in Human Development are finding solutions to global poverty and environmental degradation. He wants to ensure that those living in poverty have enough resources to flourish, but not compromise the ability of future generations to share in abundance. Through this Fellowship, he hopes to deepen his understanding of the political and socio-economic complexities behind the world's critical issues while finding statistically concrete and human-centered solutions to rectify them. He also hopes to continue enhancing his cultural sensitivity and critical thinking skills, which are important when tackling pressing world issues.

Mia Russo '22

Mia is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina but now lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She is majoring in Geography with minors in Quantitative Social Science and Global Health. Since volunteering as a healthcare service provider in rural Belize her freshman year of high school, Mia has been passionate about public health and healthcare equity. Mia spent this past summer working in healthcare consulting where she was able to directly influence health plans in self-insured companies across the country. She hopes to bring this passion for public health to her studies as she explores the intersection of developmental health and urban geographies. 

In Spring 2021, Mia was supported by the Human Development program in a research assistantship with Geisel Professor Nicholas Jacobson.

At Dartmouth, Mia does research in the linguistics department, is an associate editor for the arts section of The Dartmouth, and serves as an Educational Access Advisor for SEAD through the Center for Social Impact. Mia was a Great Issues Scholar throughout her first year at Dartmouth and is excited to continue working with the Dickey Center as a Human Development Fellow.

Mia is interested in studying the intersection of developmental health and urban geographies. As different communities around the world begin or continue the process of urbanization, she thinks it is incredibly important to consider how proper urban planning and city development can aid population health and alleviate health disparities. She hopes to gain a more in depth knowledge of both urbanization and the development of cities as well as global health and healthcare around the world through the Human Development Fellowship. During the year, she is excited to explore the connections and disparities between these disciplines through in-depth conversations with peers and professors who share my passion for development, allowing for growth and learning in a more niche, personal capacity.

Marissa Natarajan '22

Marisa Natarajan is from Portland, Oregon. She plans to study Economics and Geography, with a focus on international development. She is specifically interested in issues of education for girls around the world. 

At Dartmouth, she is in the Dartmouth Decibelles, Dartmouth's oldest female a capella group, as well as the Dartmouth Glee Club. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, and dancing! 

Marisa's specific interest in human development is to learn more about the field as a whole. In her coursework, she has mainly focused on development in Asia, but is interested in learning more about other regions. Additionally, Marisa is interested in international development in its specific relation to environmental issues and education as it relates to gender equality. 

Joann Liu '22

Joanne Liu, is a '23 and a prospective Economics and Middle Eastern Studies double major. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Joanne came to realize the extent of pervasive urban inequality, which led her to start a program for local refugee children through educational and mentorship support. 

At Dartmouth, she has bridged her interest in social justice with a newfound interest in international affairs and development. During her freshman year, she was a Great Issues Scholar, participated in the Tucker Center's Faith, Race and Justice ASB Program, and worked with the Climate Modeling and Impacts Group (CMIG) under Prof. Justin Mankin. 

Joanne is spending her sophomore year remotely, works as an Admissions Tour Guide and conducts research with the Political Violence FieldLab under Prof. Jason Lyall. This fall, she is taking a gap term to intern at an asset management firm, where she will research ESG incorporation and responsible investment practices. Passionate about sustainable development, she hopes to explore opportunities for advancing the UN SDGs through public-private sector partnerships. 

As a Human Development Fellow, Joanne is interested in issues such as microfinance and women's empowerment in South/Southeast Asia, and the economics of sustainable development initiatives and how to best achieve poverty alleviation and social mobility, within South/Southeast Asia and the MENA regions. 

Joanne hopes to find a group of like-minded peers who are interested in sustainable development, and hopes to start a chapter of the SDG network on-campus. Furthermore, she also would like to have the opportunity to conduct field-based research and to have an internship experience abroad through the HDF and the Dickey Center Network. 

Claire Betzer '22

Claire Betzer '23 is originally from Houston, Texas. Claire found a passion for foreign languages and global cultures at a young age, studying Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and German early in her academic career. These interests have informed her decision to pursue a major in Government with minors in Public Policy and Mandarin Chinese. 

On campus, Claire has worked as a research assistant with the Government Department under Professor Jeffrey Friedman studying Vietnam War era foreign policy. She is also involved with the Dartmouth College Fencing Club, Tutor Clearinghouse, Model United Nations. During her freshman year, Claire was selected to be a Great Issue Scholar, exposing her to the field of human development. As a Fellow, Claire hopes to deepen her interests surrounding issues of equity, citizen engagement, and security. 

Marco Allen '22

Marco Allen is a potential Government and Quantitative Social Science double major from North Carolina. He is particularly interested in studying the factors that lead to stable democracies in developing countries. 

In Winter 2021, Marco was supported by the Human Development program in a remote internship with USAID, Legislative Affairs.

On campus, Marco is a news reporter for The Dartmouth college newspaper where he specializes in investigative stories regarding student representation and Greek Life. Marco is also involved with the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact where he was involved in non-profit consulting and planning an immersive, social impact trip to Jamaica for the upcoming year. Marco spent the summer after his freshman year interning with the International Finance Corporation. His experience there as well as several travel opportunities has prompted an interest in International Development that he is excited to pursue further with the Human Development Fellowship

Nandini Prasad '22

Nandini Prasad '22 hails from Hyderabad, India and plans to graduate with a double major in Biology and Mathematical Data Science and a Global Health Certificate. She has been involved with the Dickey Center since her freshman year and has been a Great Issues Scholar and Mentor as well a Global Health Fellow. As part of a three-member team of the Global Health Policy Lab, Nandini interned at One Heart Worldwide in Nepal during her sophomore winter where she identified and analyzed key barriers to maternal health care in the Terai region of the country. 

On campus, Nandini is the founder president of the Dartmouth India Association, an Undergraduate Advisor, and has conducted research in the Biology department under Prof. Guerinot as a Women in Science Project (WISP) Intern and Sophomore Research Scholar. She is also involved with the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact and has been a Foundations in Social Impact Fellow during her freshman year. Nandini is very passionate about inequalities in health and human development and hopes to pursue a career that will allow her to be involved in alleviating healthcare and economic conditions of the less fortunate, especially in developing countries.

Janel Perez '22

Janel Perez is a Government Modified with Economics Major and King Scholar from Metro Manila, Philippines. Driven by her family's low-income background and value for education, Janel led her high school's flagship service program and co-founded Project BEST, an education nonprofit that has helped 20+ students receive high school scholarships during her time. She has since expanded her efforts by co-founding CAUSE Philippines, a nonprofit that helps students gain college admission and scholarships to the US. 

In Winter and Spring 2021, Janel was supported by the Human Development program in a research assistantship with Professor Bruce Sacerdote.  

Aside from her work in education, Janel is interested in impact investing and social entrepreneurship, and has spent her past off-terms interning for the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship and Endeavor. On campus, Janel sits in the Executive Board of Women in Business, is involved with Smart Women Securities and FYSEP and has been a Great Issues Scholar in Residence in her first year. She has also served as a Teaching Assistant for Gov 6 and a research assistant for the Economics and Religion departments. 

As a fellow, Janel is keen to study the increasing inequality and economic alienation under a system of modern financial capitalism, while also building the skills to leverage the very same tools, particularly through social entrepreneurship and impact investing, as a means to bring sustainable development directly to underserved populations.

Ashwini Narayanan '22

Ashwini Narayanan is a '22 from Bangalore, India, and on track to triple majoring in Economics, Geography, and Quantitative Social Science. On campus, she is in the Dartmouth Dodecaphonics, and is also a tour guide, Sexual Assault Peer Ally (SAPA), and the co-President of the South Asian Students' Association. 

Ashwini is passionate about the impact of the changing climate on women in the developing world and wants to further environmental justice goals in her research and studies. She worked at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, South Asia (J-PAL SA) as a policy intern her sophomore summer, where she landscaped the Energy, Environment, and Climate Change sector. During her sophomore winter, she worked as a Research Assistant in the Economics department and studied development in India. Ashwini is also an Ashoka Youth Venturer owing to her extensive work in India's non-profit sector.

Alessandra Cassiano-Salinas '22

Alessandra Cassiano-Salinas is a first-generation Brazilian-American born and raised in South Florida. She is pursuing a major in Geography modified with Environmental Studies and a minor in Human-Centered Design (HCD). Her professional interests are a culmination of the three disciplines, informed by generational learning, grassroots activism, and post-developmental theory.

This summer, Alessandra interned at Team4Tech in partnership with NGOs and schools such as The Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology (GGAST) in Rwanda. Through GGAST, she mentored and co-designed with four teams of Rwandan secondary school students through tech-based capstone projects, one of which was a website allowing community members to enroll in SMS text alerts regarding incoming floods in the area. 

On campus (and remotely), Alessandra is involved in the LALACS House LLC, Brazilian Student Association, QuestBridge, and the FYSEP community. These organizations have allowed her to express her identity freely and have made this campus feel like home. She is also a TA for ENGS 12 (Design Thinking) to empower students to build creative confidence, apply HCD methodology across mediums, and challenge its limits. Alessandra collaborates with a team of fellow TAs to cultivate a stronger focus on equitable design and design justice throughout the course - with the mission of amplifying the voices and experiences of BIPOC designers and users.

During her last two years at Dartmouth, Alessandra hopes to engage more directly with research on the role of local and Indigenous knowledge in human development - particularly concerning the intersectional fights against environmental exploitation and systemic injustice.

Juliana Arevalos-Bordao '22

Juliana Bordao was born and raised in Ponta Pora, a city located on the open border between Brazil and Paraguay. Fascinated by the multicultural context of her surroundings but also intrigued by the socio-historical disparities that characterized it, she started her own research project on the effects of the Brazilian and Paraguayan military dictatorships on her community at age 14. She has not stopped since then, expanding her research interests to areas such as sociolinguistics and women's, gender, and sexuality studies. 

Juliana is passionate about languages, being fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and French. At Dartmouth, she combines this passion with her interest in the spatial distribution of social phenomena by double majoring in Romance Languages and Geography. Outside of the classroom, Juliana has served as a research assistant at the Department of Sociology, as an Apprentice Teacher for the Department of French and Italian, and as an executive board member of the Dartmouth Brazilian Society. Her current research interests include the intersections of indigenous rights with land use and conflict in rural Brazil, as well as the detrimental effects of neoliberalism on democracy and transnational poverty alleviation programs.

Jessica Yin '22

Jessica Yin is studying Geography with a minor in Quantitative Social Science. She is from Southborough, MA, and passionate about international development and impact evaluation using approaches that are long-term sustainable, culturally appropriate, and community-powered.

In Winter 2021, Jessica was supported by the Human Development program in a remote internship with the US Department of State in the Mission to the UN, Social & Economic Affairs division. Off campus, she has also interned for a small non-profit named the Karat School Project, providing education and COVID-19 relief initiatives in East Africa. At Dartmouth, she serves as Curriculum Chair for Sexual Assault Peer Alliance, the Director of Diversity & Inclusivity for Alpha Phi, and Educational Access Advisor for the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact's SEAD program.

She is excited to engage with her peers and faculty studying human development and learn from their perspectives about how we can best achieve development outcomes. She hopes to challenge herself through research and internships to delve into race and gender equity in a specific regional contexts. She also hopes to build her data analysis skills and understand effective development practices.

Gregor Mattedi-Sarmento

Gregor Mattedi-Sarmento is an international student from Vitoria, Brazil. He is a Geography major and is pursuing a minor in Asian Societies Cultural Languages (ASCL). He enjoys studying geopolitics and foreign languages and is eager to understand more about the world we live in and the power of geopolitics and freedom. 

He believes the times we live in are extremely challenging for Brazil and for the entire planet, hoping to focus his studies and time at Dartmouth on studies of human development, political rights, and freedom. These issues, he argues, will develop the knowledge and skills he needs to better understand the future of society and contribute to positive human development paths and systems. He has special interests in studying the democracies of Latin America and the processes for liberation and freedoms in Asia. 

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Ana Furtado is from Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, Brazil. A first-generation student, she grew up in a low-income neighborhood where she witnessed first-hand the pervasive social and economic disparities within her community. Driven by the desire to contribute to her country's development, she left her hometown to pursue an education at Dartmouth College. She is now pursuing a degree in Latin American Studies modified with Geography, all the while exploring her interest in languages and environmental studies.

During her freshman year at Dartmouth College, she was an OPAL Education Fellow, a drill instructor for the Portuguese Department, a member of the Dartmouth Brazilian Society, and a member of the International Development Forum. She was also selected to be part of the Great Issues Scholar Program, which allowed her to explore her interest in poverty alleviation and global sustainability.

A human rights and environmental activist, she hopes to develop her own research on current Brazilian environmental law enforcement and its effects on indigenous populations, as well as analyze the Amazon rainforests' biodiversity loss caused by open mining and sustained alliance with the beef lobby.