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 Herndon, Virginia studying energy, climate policy, and economic 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 the most 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.
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