Colloquium | Members

Xiaoyu Shi

Xiaoyu is a sophomore at Tufts University. Originally from Nanjing, China, a city with a profound historical and cultural heritage, Xiaoyu was educated under a typical Chinese curriculum until she set foot in Tufts University. She is studying both International Relations and Computer Science in the hope that she could effectively utilize both skills in researching and analyzing data in a global context. Ever since high school, Xiaoyu has been on the academics team of the U-Model United Nations Conference (UMUNC) in China, which established partnership with UN My World Campaign in China earlier in 2015. Xiaoyu has been devoted to setting up a joint conference, modeling the policy-making of the European Union in UMUNC. By participating in this year's EPIIC, she is looking forward to enhancing her understanding of Europe's history and culture, as well as the dynamics behind current disputes in the European Union. Additionally, Xiaoyu has been playing the violin for 14 years, and she is a science fiction aficionado as she has a great interest in how political entities and humanity will evolve given the great enhancement in productivity.

Benjamin Shipley

Benjamin Shipley is a sophomore with plans to major in international relations and political science, while also studying Russian and French. Born and raised in New York, Ben was introduced to politics at an early age and became interested in the international sphere soon after, when he went on his first trip to Europe. Ben has previously worked for U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, gaining valuable experience and learning about government work. Next summer, he hopes to work for the U.S. Department of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian affairs in either the Office of Policy and Global Issues, or the Office of Russian Affairs. He looks forward to learning about Russia and the experience he will gain from EPIIC.

Thorunn Sigurdardottir

Thorunn is a junior at Tufts, majoring in Political Science and English. She's originally from Reykjavik, Iceland but lived in London for ten years prior to coming to Tufts. She has a profound interest in history, great storytelling, and travel. After traveling in much of Europe, South Africa and China, she has also developed an interest in comparative politics. She finds it truly fascinating how the historical and cultural memories of people can dramatically change the political paths of states. As both an Icelandic and British citizen, she has experienced and seen a lot of change in both the European countries she calls home. She hopes that EPIIC: The Future of Europe will provide her with a deeper understanding of how Europe got to where it is today and how the continent needs to reflect on and reinvent its identity to emerge out of its many current crises.

Alon Slutzky

Alon is currently enrolled in the BA/MPH program at the Tufts Medical School and is a pre-med senior majoring in International Relations, concentrating in global health. Ever since Alon participated in the 2009-10 EPIIC colloquium on South Asia during his freshman year, he has been dedicated to the Institute’s mantra of thinking beyond boundaries and acting across borders. Outside of classes, Alon is a volunteer at the free clinic run by the Tufts Medical School and is on the executive board of the Tufts’ GlobeMed chapter. After spending time volunteering on a boat clinic on the Brahmaputra River and interning at the Centers for Disease Control, Alon solidified his passion and commitment to forging a medical career that will have a lasting global impact. After a two-year hiatus, Alon is excited to be a part of the EPIIC colloquium again, especially given the topic.

Jenna Smith

Jenna Smith is a freshman in Tufts’ class of 2017. She is potentially majoring in International Relations and Economics. Born and raised in the Midwest and Chicago area, Jenna moved to DC-area Virginia halfway through high school. Her interest in the Middle East and North Africa stems from her intensive high school Model UN career. She takes a special interest in urban development, environmental sustainability, and global health. In the past she served as a fellow at Organizing for America, where she registered many new voters. Besides political activism and global affairs, Jenna pursues art and travel in her free time. Jenna plans on using her time spent in EPIIC as a foundation for critical global thinking and activism.

Mahpari Sotoudeh

Mahpari Sotoudeh is a senior majoring in International Relations with a focus on the Middle East. She has spent her last two summers working at the Middle East Institute and the Department of State. At Tufts, she has been involved with Hemispheres, the Tufts Daily, and the Advisory Committee for Endowment Responsibility. She spent her junior year studying abroad in Jordan and France.

Ben Spevack

Ben is a senior at Tufts, majoring in International Relations.  He began studying Russian in high school and, since coming to Tufts, has expanded his studies to include the geopolitics and cultures of the post-Soviet states, concentrating in the Caucasus and Central Asia.  This summer, Ben traveled to Kazakhstan, where he was hosted by the Eurasian National University to conduct research for his senior thesis on the New Silk Road in Central Asia.  He also studies Chinese and studied at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou in the fall of 2013.  At Tufts, Ben is also involved in the Russian and Slavic Students Association, China-US Symposium, ALLIES and Tufts Emergency Medical Services.  

Elayne Stecher

 

Elayne Stecher is a senior majoring in Arabic and International Relations with a concentration in the Middle East. After studying abroad in Amman, Jordan in the fall of 2012 and volunteering at an orphanage there, she became even more passionate about her fields of study and hopes to spend more time working on the ground with communities in this region of the world. Her academic interests include Arabic language, Middle Eastern, Indian, and North African culture, laws and diplomacy, post-conflict psychology, translation, education, and Spanish language. This summer she received an Empower Fellowship to intern with a local organization in Jinotega, Nicaragua, which focuses on sustainable development and community empowerment. At Tufts, Elayne is the executive editor of the opinion section of the Tufts Daily, a member of the group BUILD: Nicaragua, a club soccer player, an Arabic tutor, and an employee of the Edwin Ginn Library.

Jennifer Straitz

Jennifer Straitz is a member of the Class of 2015 planning to major in International Relations and minor in Arabic.  She grew up in the town of Sykesville, MD where she developed a love of photography and travel.  In addition to EPIIC, Jennifer is involved in the FOCUS community service pre-orientation program, serves on the Directional Staff of The Leonard Carmichael Society, plays bass clarinet in the University Wind Ensemble, and can be seen giving tours of campus on Friday afternoons.  She is also a fellow with the Compass Fellowship, an all-freshman social entrepreneurship society.  Her interest in global health stems from her experience interning at an NGO that provides medicines to treat neglected tropical diseases in developing countries and works to rebuild health care infrastructure in nations affected by natural disaster, such as Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake.  Now, primarily focused on International Security, through EPIIC Jennifer is hoping to learn about non-traditional aspects of this realm, such as bioterrorism.  In her spare time, she enjoys learning about the education system of the United States, reading poetry, and exploring the many great places Boston has to offer with friends.

Safiya Subegdjo

Safiya Subegdjo is a sophomore at Tufts University, studying International Relations with a concentration in Global Health, Nutrition, and Environment. At the age of four, Safiya lived in the largest archipelagic state in the world, Indonesia. She credits this experience as nurturing her desire for understanding the world around her, especially in relation to environmental issues, health, and religion. During the summer of 2012, Safiya returned to Indonesia and volunteered with the Foundation for Mother and Child Health, where she learned how community organization and public health efforts could reduce childhood malnourishment. At Tufts, Safiya is the Vice-President of Cultural Affairs for the Muslim Students Association and a Co-Leader for the Tufts Refugee Assistance Program in conjunction with The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She is also a regular volunteer at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Safiya is enthused about being a part of EPIIC this year and hopes this experience to be another stop on her lifelong journey for inspiration and knowledge.