Student Leaders and Members

Ian Boldiston (’22)

Discussion Lead

Ian Boldiston is a senior from Albany, New York majoring in International Relations with a concentration in Globalization and minors in Spanish and Political Science. He is particularly interested in the nexus of diplomacy and development as well as rule of law and human rights issues. In the past, Ian has completed internships in international development and legal research. On-campus, he was also a Tufts with Rwanda Fellow, is a Tufts Wilderness Orientation Leader, has been involved with the Prison Initiative student group, and plays for the Cricket Club. This is Ian's second year being a part of MERG, and he is also currently participating in the IGL's EPIIC Colloquium 2021-22: "Problems Without Passports".

Zachary Burpee (’23)

Co-President

Zack is a junior from Seattle, WA majoring in Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations with a concentration in Security. He is particularly interested in diplomacy and the cultural history of the MENA region. He has worked multiple internships connected to international relations and video production, most recently with Carpe Global, an international education website. Outside of MERG, Zack competes with the men’s ultimate frisbee team and works with the Boston Red Sox Fan Services Office.

Alexandra Dingle (’24)

IGL Liaison

Alex is a sophomore majoring in International Relations and minoring in Arabic and Child Study and Human Development. She was raised in New York City but spent every summer visiting her family in Greece, which helped form her global worldview. Prior to Tufts, she participated in the Tisch 1+4 Bridge Year through Tufts and lived in India for seven months, and she spent the summer after volunteering at a refugee camp in Athens. Apart from MERG, she is also an intern for the Fletcher Initiative on Religion Law and Diplomacy and a Laidlaw Scholar, where she focuses her research on recreational programs for children growing up in refugee camps.

Connolly Ferraro (’23)

Treasurer

Connolly is a junior originally hailing from Chicago. At Tufts, Connolly is pursuing a double major in International Relations and Economics. A lover of history, he is always looking to connect current events to the past. Outside of MERG Connolly is a member of an MIT research group and enjoys hiking wherever a trail can be found.

Meg Grieve (’24)

Trip Coordinator

Meg is a sophomore from Washington D.C. studying Arabic and International Relations with a concentration in Globalization. She has studied Arabic since the beginning of high school and before Tufts she participated in a gap year program in Rabat, Morocco with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). In Morocco, she lived with a host family, took Arabic classes, and taught English at a local youth center. In addition to serving on the e-board of MERG as Trip Coordinator, she plays for the women’s club soccer team and is involved with JumboVote and Tufts Mountain Club.

Carolina Hidalgo-McCabe (’23)

Co-President

Carolina is a junior studying Civic Studies and International Relations. She grew up living in the D.C. area, Dominican Republic, and Panama. After taking a gap year in Morocco, studying Arabic with NSLI-Y, Carolina is now co-President of MERG and a Tisch Scholar at Tufts. Carolina is passionate about gender justice and social movements both domestically and in the MENA region. She has previously held internships with Counterpart International, the D.C. Office of Senator Elizabeth Warren, and several community mobilizing and political organizations. Outside of MERG, Carolina loves to cook (and blog about food), stay active, and enjoy time outside with friends and family.

Ravi Patel (’23)

Outreach Coordinator

Ravi is a junior International Relations major and Economics minor from Foxborough, Massachusetts. He has been involved with the IGL as the ROTC Representative for ALLIES his freshman and sophomore year, IGL Liaison/Marketing Lead for MERG his sophomore year, and as one of the Outreach Coordinators for MERG currently. He is also an International Relations intern for The Trebuchet, through which he serves as a TA for Sai University’s Global Challenges course, conducts MENA research, and aids in facilitating webinars.