Avishai Melamed is a PhD Student at Cornell University’s Department of Government in the International Relations subfield. He has published in the Journal of Space Safety Engineering and is a graduate fellow at Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute. Avishai's research focuses on the long-term evolution of foreign policy strategies. He explores how emerging technologies interact with shifting domestic and international conditions to influence patterns of international cooperation and competition. 

Yousuf's research agenda focuses broadly on climate change adaptation, forest resource management, conservation, and institutional mechanisms for climate policy formulation. His work investigates the synergies between ecosystem-based adaptation and sustainable development solutions for climate-vulnerable communities, particularly in South Asia. Before joining the program, he worked as a Program Coordinator in the International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) based in Bangladesh.

Shree Saha is a PhD student in the field of applied economics and management. Her research interests include women’s empowerment, maternal and child nutrition, financial inclusion, and development. Prior to joining Cornell, she worked as a research associate at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) on topics such as rural financial literacy and young farmers’ aspirations. Shree holds a Master of Philosophy and a master’s degree in economics from IGIDR, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Jadavpur University.

Ayesha Matthan is a PhD student in the department of History of Art and Visual Studies. She is interested in photojournalistic practices, popular visual culture and politics in the Indian subcontinent from the 19th century to the present day. 

She holds a Bachelors in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and a degree in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She was subsequently an arts journalist with the national daily The Hindu in Bangalore.

Praveen is a PhD student at the Department of Comparative Literature. His work focuses on modern South Asian literary and intellectual history (with an emphasis on 20th century Sri Lanka), psychoanalytic theory, Buddhist modernist thought, and postcolonial studies.

Degree Pursued: PhD

Anticipated Degree Year: 2025-2026

Committee chair/advisor: Jeremy Wallace

Discipline: Development, Government

Primary Language: Mandarin Chinese

Research Countries: China, Vietnam

Research Interests: Political economy, climate policy, clean energy transition in the Global South.

Degree Pursued: PhD

Anticipated Degree Year: 2026

Committee Chair/Advisor: Shorna Allred

Discipline: Global Development

Primary Language: Indonesian

Research Countries: Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia

Nicole T. Venker is a human-environment geographer whose work explores how conflict-driven migration shapes rural livelihoods, environmental access, and food sovereignty. 

She is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. Her dissertation investigates the impacts of Myanmar’s protracted civil war on refugees’ experiences of displacement, temporary relocation, and resettlement in the U.S. and Thailand.