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Student Profiles

Our school is internationally recognized for its excellence, and a key reason for our growing distinction is our ability to attract the best graduate students from across the globe. Here is a sampling of our student scholars. 

Dean's Fellows

We are proud to introduce the students who have been selected as Dean's Fellows. This special distinction serves to signal the professional qualities of excellence that the school cultivates and honors, to reward outstanding performance by students and to create a prestigious group of high-quality students and alumni to showcase to the world. They are selected based on academic excellence, leadership, civic engagement and regional involvement. 

Sylff Fellows

Created in 1987, the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) program is designed to support graduate students studying in the humanities and social sciences fields at 69 universities in 44 countries. In 1991, a $1 million endowment was received to create the Sylff program at UC San Diego to support the education of outstanding students pursuing their graduate studies with high potential for global leadership.

2024–25 Dean's Fellows

  • Rodrigo Barra, MPP

    Rodrigo Barra, MPP

    Career Track: Environmental Policy, Program Design and Evaluation
  • Matthew Burditt, MIA

    Matthew Burditt, MIA

    Specialization: International Environmental Governance International Politics
    Region: Latin America
  • Benjamin Castro-Martinez, MIA

    Benjamin Castro-Martinez, MIA

    Career Track: International Management, International Economics
    Region: Latin America
  • Yuchen Chen, MPP

    Yuchen Chen, MPP

    Career Track: Environmental Policy, Program Design and Evaluation
  • Karen Dam, BA-MIA

    Karen Dam, BA-MIA

    Specialization: International Economics
    Region: China
  • Stephen Deyo, MIA

    Stephen Deyo, MIA

    Career Track: International Management
    Region: Japan
  • Skyler Fesagaiga, MPP

    Skyler Fesagaiga, MPP

    Career Track: Health Policy, Inequality and Social Policy
  • Yingcheng Guo, MCEPA

    Yingcheng Guo, MCEPA

    Specialization: Chinese Foreign Policy and Security
  • Roberto Hernandez-Rodriguez, MIA

    Roberto Hernandez-Rodriguez, MIA

    Specialization: International Economics, International Development and Nonprofit Management
    Region: Latin America
  • Daniel Hershfield, MIA

    Daniel Hershfield, MIA

    Specialization: International Development and Nonprofit Management
    Region: Southeast Asia
  • McKenna Maxwell, MPP

    McKenna Maxwell, MPP

    Specialization: Environmental Policy
  • Yuhe Mu, MCEPA

    Yuhe Mu, MCEPA

    Specialization: Chinese Foreign Policy and Security, Chinese Politics and Public Policy
  • Jade Nettrour, MIA

    Jade Nettrour, MIA

    Specialization: International Management, International Economics
    Region: China, Southeast Asia
  • Sarah Pouladdej, MIA

    Sarah Pouladdej, MIA

    Career Track: International Politics
    Region: Korea
  • Briana Scott, MPP

    Briana Scott, MPP

    Career Track: Inequality and Social Policy
  • Matthew Tillyer, BA-MIA

    Matthew Tillyer, BA-MIA

    Career Track: International Development and Nonprofit Management
    Region: Latin America
  • Jessica Villatoro, MPP

    Jessica Villatoro, MPP

    Specialization: Peace and Security
  • Yuxuan Wu, MIA

    Yuxuan Wu, MIA

    Career Track: International Economics
    Region: China, Latin America
  • Maria Teresa Yacaman-Mendez, MIA

    Maria Teresa Yacaman-Mendez, MIA

    Specialization: International Economics, International Development and Nonprofit Management
    Region: Latin America
  • Ling (Lingzhi) Zhou, MIA

    Ling (Lingzhi) Zhou, MIA

    Career Track: International Management, International Environmental Governance
    Region: Southeast Asia, China

2024–25 Robertson Fellows

  • Anna Misenti, MIA '25

    Anna Misenti, MIA '25

    Career Track: International Politics

    Anna Misenti graduated from Occidental College in 2017 with a B.A. in diplomacy and world affairs. As an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Nepal, where she conducted an independent research project on community-based finance systems in Lower Mustang. She also completed an internship at the United Nations Foundation and conducted research on human trafficking to support Occidental professor Laura Hebert's publication of "Gender and Human Rights in a Global, Mobile Era." After graduation, she received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant and spent 10 months teaching and leading community engagement projects in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Since 2019, Misenti has worked at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, supporting democracy and governance programs across Southeast Asia.
  • Eugene Parrish, MPP '25

    Eugene Parrish, MPP '25

    Career Track: Inequality and Social Policy, Peace and Security

    Born and raised in Stockton, California, Eugene Parrish is a 2023 alumnus of Virginia State University, graduating with a bachelor’s in political science. While at Virginia State, Parrish canvassed the greater Richmond area for numerous Virginia politicians — such as the late Congressman Donald McEachin, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan and former delegate Lashresce Aird — and was instrumental in planning several campus voter registration and advocacy events. Volunteering with AmeriCorps, he discovered his life journey was to be of service to others. After interning with the Library of Congress as a Junior Fellow, Parrish found that he could combine his passions with his career interests, and he plans to continue that lifelong commitment by working in the public sector.
  • Jackson Rice, MIA ‘25

    Jackson Rice, MIA ‘25

    Career Track: International Economics

    After growing up in San Diego, Jackson Rice attended UC Berkeley and graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Society and Environment with the highest distinction. During his time at UC Berkeley, he worked as a writing tutor at the university's Student Learning Center. After graduating, he received a scholarship to study Mandarin in Taiwan from 2021-22. His background working in education and love for his time studying abroad solidified his desire to pursue an international career in public service. Jackson comes to GPS with a plan to specialize in China and, upon graduation, utilize his Mandarin skills and training to work in diplomacy and policy analysis on U.S.-China relations.

2023–25 Sylff Fellow

  • Daniel Hershfield, MIA '25

    Daniel Hershfield, MIA '25

    Career Track: International Politics
    Region: Southeast Asia

    Daniel Hershfield graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a B.A. in political science and a minor in global poverty and practice, following his transfer from Glendale Community College. At UC Berkeley, he served as a research assistant with the Program on Security Institutions and Violent Instability. Hershfield also researched communal violence in India while interning abroad at the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism in Mumbai. Post-graduation, he contributed to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the Jewish community as a member of the nonprofit UpStart's inaugural Jews of Color Career Development Program. As a senior research assistant at ACLED, Hershfield led the analysis of political violence, civil unrest and domestic extremism in regions such as North America and Oceania. After graduation, Hershfield aims to help build a more peaceful and democratic world by shedding light on critical issues relating to good governance and security through a career in research.
Read more student stories → GPS News