Sneha Kumar
Editor-in-Chief, Media
Sneha Kumar is a second-year MAIR student from Houston, Texas concentrating in Development, Climate, and Sustainability in Asia and the US. She received her bachelor's in History and Global Studies from Swarthmore College, where her honors thesis studied South Asian diasporic political movements in the early 1900s. Her passion for climate stems from all the hurricanes she's experienced! In her free time, she likes to draw, explore DC, and keep up with learning Japanese.
Thai-Binh Elston
Editor-in-Chief, Internal Marketing
Thai-Binh Elston is a second-year MAIA student from Virginia studying energy, economics, and sustainable development. She previously interned with a polling organization in Mongolia and studied Mandarin Chinese in Shanghai. After graduating with her BA in Public Policy from the College of William & Mary, Thai worked for AidData where she helped compile a comprehensive dataset on Chinese official financing to 165 countries along the Belt & Road. She also tracked economic and security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region while working for the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). In her down time, Thai enjoys stand-up comedy, triathlons, and cheering on Bologna FC.
Ellie Zern
Editor-in-Chief, External Communications
Ellie Zern is a second-year MAIR student from Chicago, IL concentrating in Development, Climate, and Sustainability and Technology and Innovation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish from Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where she was a Division I competitor on the Women’s Soccer team and served as the Treasurer of the Alexander Hamilton Society. Her interest in international development emerged from her experience in the non-profit sector and she hopes to build on this foundation in the multilateral space or private sector following SAIS.
Fatima Masood
Editor
Fatima Masood is a first-year MAIR student from Lahore, Pakistan focusing on conflict resolution, migration, and human rights. Before joining SAIS, she worked as a journalist at The Express Tribune in partnership with The New York Times, where she covered socio-political issues including Afghan deportations, the Kashmir unrest, and insurgencies along the Afghan border. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), where she also presented research at the Film Studies Research Symposium. In her free time, she enjoys writing short films, exploring new cuisines, and visiting art exhibitions.
Lucie Kneip
Editor
Lucie Kneip is a first-year MAIR student from Cincinnati, Ohio studying sustainable development, migration, and resilience building. She serves on the board of The Vines Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes food security and community development in Mendoza, Argentina. She previously covered Latin America policy at the Atlantic Council and urban innovation at the National League of Cities. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Global Affairs from the University of Notre Dame, where she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the political science journal, Beyond Politics. She enjoys hiking, reading, and volunteering at animal shelters.
Past Editors and Themes
2025, “Escalating Consequences”: Massimo Guglietta (Co-Editor-in-Chief), Catherine Stallsmith (Co-Editor-in-Chief)
2024, “Towards a ‘Just Transition’”
2023, “Sustainable Development in Crisis”: Zach Cohen (Editor-in-Chief), Han Hong Cao
2022, “Disparity in Development”: Adam Guarneri (Editor-in-Chief), Yulia Buynova, Sheran Munasinghe
2021, “Resilience in Development”: Markus Specht (Editor-in-Chief), Camille Sachs, Hayden Hubbard
2020, “Climate Change and Development”: Sarah Sassoon (Editor-in-Chief), Yifan Powers, Saksham Khosla
2019, “Work in a Changing World”: Maya Gainer (Editor-in-Chief), Alison Decker, Deboleena Rakshit
2018, "Inclusive Development": Ammar Khalid (Editor-in-Chief), Grace Cramer, Adam Weber
2017, "Technology and Development": Maria Lopez Conde (Editor-in-Chief), Krishnan Raghavan, Brittany Grabel
2016, "Migration and Displacement": Gabor Debreczeni (Editor-in-Chief), Ashley Augsburger, Deea Ariana
2015, "Urbanization": Jacob Morrin (Editor-in-Chief), Gregor Schueler