PODS Program 2019

2019 Program

The PODS Summer Program, presented in partnership between McGill’s Centre for Social and Cultural Data Science and the Max Bell School of Public Policy, is a cutting-edge program that gives students the technical skills to tackle Canada’s biggest policy problem, training a new generation of data-driven policy analysts.

 



2019 Cohort

This year, eleven promising students were selected to become the 2019 PODS Fellows.

Tamara Jacod

Bachelor of Education 

The contrast between Tamara's experience as a head teacher in a private Cambodian school with considerable means and teaching in Quebec public schools with limited resources, opened her eyes to structural issues that can only be addressed outside of the classroom. She has also taught in an indigenous community where she witnessed the efforts to reclaim culture and indigenize education. She is interested in using data science to take part in evidence-based educational policies in the Quebec context.

Read About Tamara's Experience at PODS


Garima Karia

Bachelor of Arts, Joint Honours, Political Science and History 

Garima specializes in the study of international political economy and has researched the intersection of trade policy and women’s welfare. She has engaged in similar work abroad, most recently as an analyst at a London-based impact investment firm specializing in frontier market entrepreneurs. Garima plans to pursue a career in economic policy making, and hopes that the quantitative skills she will hone through the PODS program will allow her to champion gender-based policy reform efforts.

Read about Garima's Experience at PODS


Martin Law

Bachelor of Arts, Urban Systems Geography, double minor in Environmental Studies and Geographic Information Systems.

Martin has experience in both theoretical and empirical urban geography, with published academic writing on the topic of new cities and GIS analyses in Field Notes, the McGill Undergraduate Geography Society journal. His interests lie in the ongoing transition to sustainable city living and he hopes to gain further insight into such urban research with the help of data science.

Read About Martin's Experience at PODS 


Beatrice Libchaber

Bachelor of Arts, Joint Honours, International Development Studies and Geography

Beatrice's research experience with Dr. Sarah Moser and her work with Equitas International Center for Human Rights has led her to focus on the field of migration, specifically as it relates to human rights. Beatrice hopes to pursue a career in the field of global affairs in the future, and use the skills she will learn in PODS to partake in innovative research projects and visualizations.

Read about Beatrice's Experience at PODS 


Saeesh Mangwani

Bachelor of Arts, Environment and Development and Urban Geography 

Saeesh is passionate about environmental design and sustainable policy development. As a research assistant at the New Cities Lab, Saeesh focuses on dissecting the colonial legacies in legal and political institutions that are enabling the construction of new cities in India. Saeesh is looking forward to using the skills he learns from PODS to apply a quantitative lens toward further explorations into policy development.

Read about Saeesh's experience at PODS


Kate Marr-Laing

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies 

Inspired by her work in community development and her academic focus on anti-oppressive research practices, she is excited to learn about data science and its potential to bolster harm reduction initiatives and inform effective and responsible policy. Kate plans to pursue a career in social policy, hoping to work with non-governmental organizations within Canada.

Read about Kate's experience at PODS

 


Sara Mohammadi

Bachelor of Arts, Economics and Political Science 

Sara has previously interned with the Climate Reality Project Canada and the public administration of her hometown in Switzerland and has co-founded a non-profit organization that combats food waste. Given her interest in energy policy and economic development, Sara aims to eventually work as a policy analyst at a think tank or in a government office.

Read about Sara's experience at PODS


Madeleine Nicoloff

Bachelor of Arts, Honours International Development Studies

Madeleine's interests lie at the intersection of migration and forced displacement, ethno-national conflict and peacebuilding, and social justice. Through her work with refugees, migrants, and women in community-based initiatives in different areas of the world, Madeleine recognizes policy-oriented data analysis to be a critical tool in creating change. Madeleine plans to apply the quantitative analysis skills she learns at PODS to pursue a career advancing human rights and conflict resolution policy advocacy.

Read about Madeleine's experience at PODS


Camille Preel Dumas

Bachelor of Arts, Honours Political Science

Camille is pursuing a career in social policy, with a particular interest in immigration and welfare policy. Through her work at Accueil Liaison Pour Arrivants (ALPA) in Montreal and The Inter-American Dialogue in Washington D.C., she has gained insight on how to better equip cities for the integration of immigrants, and looks forward to building on this knowledge through quantitative analysis.

Read about Camille's experience at PODS


Koji Shiromoto

Bachelor of Arts, Joint Honours Political Science and Economics

Over the past three years, Koji has written and edited for the McGill International Review, with a particular emphasis on elections and party politics in Japan and the European Union. Koji hopes to pursue a career either in policy journalism or urban planning.

Read about Koji's experience at PODS


Tamara Yang

Bachelor of Arts, Joint Honours Political Science and International Development Studies

Tamara is passionate about human rights and the intersection with Canadian policies on immigration and citizenship, forced displacement, and migrant workers. Tamara is especially passionate about working towards cross-cultural solutions, having interned in places ranging from rural Uganda to east Vancouver. She also holds a Certificate in the Studies of Social Sciences and the Humanities from Sciences Po Paris.  

Read about Tamara's experience at PODS

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