Emma MacCallum is a PhD student in Comparative Politics in the Department of Government. Her research interests include civil society organizations, political violence, and weak states. She is especially interested in studying the behavior and composition of civil society organizations amidst violence and state weakness in Central America. More broadly, she interrogates how service and goods provision by civil society organizations originates and impacts political identities. 

Sofía (they/she) is a PhD student in Africana Studies. Their research looks at the political discourses and practices of black Puerto Ricans as they participated in anti-colonial movements and struggles for Pan-Africanism during the 20th century. By focusing on the political activities of black people in the Spanish Caribbean, she utilizes literary and archival sources to frame how Puerto Rican thinkers conceptualize a black transnational future that is inspired by the legacies of 19th century revolutions.  

Dayra Lascano is a PhD student in the Department of Government at Cornell University, specializing in International Relations with a minor focus on Comparative Politics. Her research focuses on understanding the conditions that promote successful cooperation among political leaders within Regional International Organizations (RIOs). 

Natalia Correa Sánchez is a PhD student in Development Studies at Cornell University. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, she holds a law degree and master’s degrees in Public Policy and Sociology from Universidad de Los Andes. Her research examines the spatial and temporal dimensions of shifting access to forest land and natural resources in Colombia, with a focus on the interactions between legal frameworks, conservation initiatives, and rural livelihoods.

Aisha Fuenzalida Butt is a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology and a CIAMS affiliate. Her research examines marine waste and plastic, conservation, tourism and heritage in the Canary Islands.