Dean's Scholars 2026 Cohort

Bianca Agata is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and Finance. Her Dean’s Scholars project examines migration patterns within Latin America, with a particular focus on intra-regional migration to countries like Uruguay, and the political, economic, and social factors driving these movements. Outside of the classroom, Bianca is an active member of the Eta Society of Global Affairs and is currently interning on Capitol Hill. She recently returned from studying abroad during the fall semester. Bianca is a first-generation Latina student with a strong interest in migration, policy, and regional development. In her free time, she enjoys film photography, reading, and exploring new coffee shops around Washington, DC.

Alayna Coleates is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Information Systems, with a concentration in Conflict Resolution. Her Dean’s Scholars research examines the social impacts of foreign investment and tourism-driven development in the Balkans, focusing on displacement and cultural preservation. Her interest in the region began during her YES Abroad exchange year in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she became fluent in Serbian. Alayna has interned with the Embassy of Albania and conducted Women, Peace, and Security research with the Jahjaga Foundation in Kosovo. Outside the classroom, she serves as the YES and FLEX Abroad Alumni Coordinator with American Councils and is the Co-Founder and Co-President of the GW Balkan Students’ Association. She is also studying Albanian.

Eve Danishevsky is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and Finance. Her Dean's Scholars project will examine senior divisions of ancient tribal systems in Central Asia, leadership legitimacy, and current members in power today, who have strong regional and ancestral ties to those tribes. Outside of Dean's, Eve is an Obama-Chesky Voyager and recent Gilman Scholarship alumna to Latvia. She is the Program Coordinator of GW's Central Asia Program and an Elliott School Peer Advisor, and she has previously worked at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies. On campus, she is involved in Model UN, WPS, and First Gen United, where she is a First Gen mentor. With various proficiencies in Russian, Kazakh, and Uyghur, Eve aspires to pursue a career in Central Asian affairs.

Jordan is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Economics and is deeply interested in the fields of development economics, Middle East studies, and policymaking in technology and trade. For her Dean’s Scholars project, she hopes to research the long term political and developmental effects of United States sanctions on Iraq. Around campus, she is active in OPUS Africa, the Alexander Hamilton Society, and JStreet and several others. She has interned with the House Ways and Means Committee and several organizations including the American Jewish Committee, GlobalJax, and the Center for Emerging Economies.

Bryson Handy is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Economics with a concentration in International Economics. His Dean’s Scholars research explores how political institutions impact the cost of sovereign borrowing in developing and emerging economies. On campus he serves as President of Young Black Professionals in International Affairs, Vice President of Sigma Iota Rho, and on the Cabinet of the Dean of Students. He has interned in the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and in the Executive Office of the Brookings Institution. He currently interns at the Council on Foreign Relations in the Geoconomics Program. 

Amie Huang is pursuing a double major in International Affairs and Economics with a concentration in Security Policy. Her Dean’s Scholars research focuses on how national security arguments and partisan politics shape U.S. policy toward acquisitions of American firms by foreign entities from allied countries such as Japan. Amie previously interned at the American Enterprise Institute, where she conducted research on Indo-Pacific defense issues. Amie has also served as a researcher for the GWU’s Undergraduate Economics Society, analyzing the U.S.–Japan alliance and its influence on yen trading volumes, as well as an analyst for the 2025 National College Federal Reserve Challenge.

Julia M. Minassian is pursuing a B.A. in International Affairs concentrating in Security Policy in addition to a minor in Geography. Julia studied abroad in Amman, Jordan in Fall 2025 where she gained proficiency in the Arabic language and interned at the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development. Combining her academic interests, her research focuses on the relationship between environmental degradation, internal mobility, and security outcomes in Jordan. Outside of Dean’s Scholars, Julia participates in GW Club Running, where she served as Fundraising Director, as well as the Humanitarian Mapping Society and RAGE. Formerly, Julia worked as Research Project Manager at EMA Foundation, a start-up in the intermediary funding space, and she hopes to pursue a career in international law.  

Diya Nookala is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and Environmental & Sustainability Science, with a concentration in International Development and a minor in Geographic Information Systems. She is interested in sustainable development, focusing on traditional knowledge systems and decolonization. Diya spent a year abroad in Germany through the State Department and later studied in Singapore and Tanzania. In Tanzania, she conducted research on the use and preservation of traditional knowledge within the Burunge Wildlife Management Area . She has also interned at an international sustainability non-profit, gaining experience in global environmental education policy and is an active member of the Eta Society for Global Affairs and GW South Asian Society.

Gracie Sagar is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in International Politics. Her research interests lie in South Asia and the role of domestic political narratives in shaping security and defense policy decision-making. Outside of the Dean’s Scholars Program, Gracie has held various positions in the Delta Phi Epsilon Foreign Service Society and serves as the South Asian Society’s Alumni Relations Chair. Professionally, she has worked for the House of Representatives as a healthcare fellow as well as a public policy and regulatory firm.

Elisa is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and Economics. Her Dean’s Scholars research examines forced disappearances in Mexico through the lens of governance and democratic accountability, with particular focus on recent scrutiny by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances and MORENA’s institutional change. Originally from Mexico City, Elisa studied abroad in Paris during her freshman year and has conducted research in the GW Political Science Department. She has also interned in consulting, focusing on the Venezuelan crisis. Elisa is actively involved in MXGW, has served as a Peer Advisor in Elliott, worked in GW Undergraduate Admissions, and held leadership positions in Delta Sigma Pi. She hopes to pursue a career in geopolitical consulting, international economics, and development.

Arielle Shabat is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs with a concentration in International Economics. She is also completing a second major in Economics and a minor in Law and Society. As a Dean’s Scholar, her research focuses on the role of economic development in the Arab–Israeli conflict. She is fluent in English and Hebrew. Her previous experience includes interning at Defense of Democracy and volunteering with the Washington English Center. She is currently participating in the full-time internship program with the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism and intends to pursue a career in international human rights law. In Spring 2027, she plans to study abroad in Chile.

Leland Stayton is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Economics with a concentration in Asia and a minor in Chinese. His research focuses on Chinese political economy, particularly local government finance, hidden debt, and Local Government Financing Vehicles (LGFVs).  Outside the classroom, Leland works as a Library Assistant at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, has worked with Burmese and Afghan refugee communities in Colorado, and participated in grassroots development initiatives in Kenya. He has studied Chinese political economy and language in Shanghai and speaks English and high-intermediate Mandarin.

Matthew Volfson is pursuing a B.A. in International Affairs with concentrations in African Studies and International Development. After visiting Ghana, he developed Ecomunity, a social enterprise which seeks to purchase, process and sell plastics in Kokrobite. His Dean's Scholars research will investigate ways to facilitate microfinance for mainly informal entrepreneurs who use plastic for their line of work. Through Ecomunity and presidency at Operation US Africa, he seeks to support investment in Africa. With OPUS Africa, he engages diplomats from African countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia, State Department diplomats, and business leaders