Student Fellowship: Previous Cohorts

During her fellowship, Rachel Bindman (she/her) was a senior double majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) and Sociology. She was looking forward to sharpening her research skills and expanding her knowledge on disability policy. Rachel was passionate about health communications and making the messages of the medical field understandable, digestible, and accessible for all audiences. Rachel was also conducting her own original research about the importance of public libraries for her senior Sociology thesis. On campus, Rachel was the president of her a cappella group, Starving Artists, and served as a coordinator of the Waltham Group program Brandeis Buddies. Rachel was looking forward to growing as a researcher and learning from the incredible team at the Lurie Institute.

During Maytal's fellowship, she majored in HSSP (Health: Science, Society and Policy) and in Anthropology. She also pursued a minor in French and Francophone Studies. On campus, Maytal was involved in Brandeis Bridges and Banshee (Brandeis’ Ultimate Frisbee Team). She was interested in learning and thinking about the continued expansion of universal design to the built environment and the possibility of applying the principles of universal design to policy.

During Carmela's fellowship, she was a Brandeis senior studying Health: Science, Society, and Policy, with a minor in African and Afro-American Studies. On campus, she served as a community advisor (CA) under the Department of Community Living and was an undergraduate departmental representative (UDR) for her major. Carmela was passionate about healthcare disparities and accommodating communities through policy and programming. Through the Lurie Fellowship, Carmela was excited to gain an understanding of the issues in access and needs of a specified community to develop policies, which may result in better policy reform. She hoped to further develop her critical thinking and analytical skills, in addition to academic writing skills.

During Julia's fellowship, she was a senior studying HSSP (Health: Science, Society, and Policy) and African and Afro-American Studies. On campus, she served as a community service coordinator in Waltham, organizing programs at the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and Prospect Hill Community Center. Julia was passionate about equitable healthcare and how minority populations experience adverse health outcomes. Though the Lurie Fellowship, Julia was excited to learn more about the policies that uplift and empower individuals with disabilities and how to continue to be an advocate for disability policy.

Alexander Cheetham (he/they) had a double major in Sociology and Anthropology and a minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. On campus, he was the co-president of the Disabled Students’ Network and president of the American Sign Language Club. He also worked as a Student Accessibility Support Fellow and was involved with Brandeis Fencing Club, the Brandeis Latinx Student Organization, and Waltham Group. Off campus, he enjoyed theater, cooking, and creating wood-burning artwork. Alexander is passionate about disability justice and believes research and policy are key components to achieving that goal. He has a particular interest in intersectionality and multiply marginalized individuals and was excited to pursue this further at Lurie during his fellowship year!

During Monica's fellowship, she was a senior majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and minoring in Business and Music. On campus, she worked for the Department of Community Living as a Community Advisor (CA), as well as the Rose Art Museum as a Gallery Attendant. She also participated in Brandeis’ chamber music program as a pianist. Monica was interested in working in public health policy, and she was excited to learn more about the involvement of parents with disabilities in the child welfare system with her mentor, Robyn Powell.

Sarah Davidson was a senior with a double major in Health: Science, Society and Policy and Psychology during her fellowship year, with minors in Anthropology and Social Justice. As a Lurie Fellow, Sarah was excited to research and better understand the intersection between disability policy and the healthcare system. Upon graduation from Brandeis, Sarah plans on pursuing a Master of Public Health Administration and Management degree, focusing on disability policy and advocacy. She hopes to take a leading role in the field of healthcare and hospital systems, working to ensure access to comprehensive, high-quality care for vulnerable populations. Additionally, on campus Sarah was a Waltham Group Coordinator for Brandeis Buddies. Sarah is eager to speak her mind and act to ensure that those who are most vulnerable receive the care and support they deserve.

During her fellowship, Shoshana Finkel was a senior at Brandeis studying Health: Science, Society, and Policy, with a minor in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. She was a passionate disability advocate and activist, and a peer advisor at Yachad, the National Jewish Council on Disabilities. In addition to her Lurie Fellowship, Shoshana was an intern at the Ruderman Family Foundation and served on the Chief Diversity Officer’s task force on accessibility on campus. Shoshana was a Summer 2018 fellow with the American Association of People with Disabilities in Washington, DC, through which she earned a certificate in Disability Advocacy from the George Washington University. Shoshana was excited to be conducting research on reproductive health outcomes among women with developmental disabilities, and hoped to promote healthcare equity for people with disabilities through her research and activism.

Joelle Galatan majored in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and was very excited to work at the Lurie Institute as an undergraduate research fellow. Outside of her academics, she was community service chair of her sorority SAEP. In this role, she organized community service initiatives and connected sisters to various service opportunities within the Boston area. She also liked to bake challah and ride her electric bicycle. Joelle worked with her mentor to research maternal health outcomes among deaf women.

Josh Gladstone was a senior at Brandeis majoring in Sociology during his fellowship year, with minors in Legal Studies and Social Justice and Social Policy (SJSP). He was extremely excited to be working with the Lurie Institute as a fellow, and looked forward to learning more about disability studies and strengthening his research skills. Over the prior summer, Josh worked as an Investigative Intern for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, working to support and advise those experiencing discrimination in employment and housing. On campus and in his free time at Brandeis, Josh was involved in the peer counseling support group STAR and an Undergraduate Representative for the SJSP department; he also played for the Men's Ultimate Frisbee Team. Josh looked forward to his work at the Lurie Institute and hoped to apply some of these skills to his senior thesis on the intersectionality of race and disability in the Massachusetts legal system.

Roe Keshet was a senior at Brandeis University majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and minoring in Legal Studies and Philosophy. Disability advocacy and policy were her personal, professional, and academic passion, so she was thrilled to have the honor of being a Lurie Fellow. Roe was very involved in disability work outside of the Lurie Fellowship and had spent the last few years prior to the fellowship working for a disability nonprofit in the Boston area. Roe had also spent her time at Brandeis working with students to improve their English language proficiency and working as a teacher's assistant for a healthcare-related sociology course. Roe was particularly interested in the impact of stigma and labeling on the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities (particularly psychiatric disabilities) and on the treatment they receive from society. Roe planned to enroll in law school after graduation and pursue disability law as an interest.

During her fellowship, Aishwarya Khanna was a senior double majoring in Neuroscience and Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP). Aishwarya was thrilled to be an undergraduate fellow at the Lurie Institute. Outside of academics, Aishwarya was a Community Advisor (CA), a Girl Scout leader, and an intern for the Veterans Health Administration (VA). She was also involved in Alzheimer’s advocacy. Aishwarya was passionate about combating health disparities among underrepresented groups and hoped her year spent at Lurie would help her learn more about disability advocacy and effective policy strategies to support those in need.

While a Lurie fellow, Max Lerner was a senior majoring in Politics, with minors in Legal Studies; Climate Justice, Science, and Policy; and Social Justice and Social Policy. Disability, healthcare policy, and human rights were among his career interests, so he was thrilled to be working as an undergraduate fellow at the Lurie Institute. On campus, he was a member of the judiciary board of the student union. Outside of academics, he enjoyed cooking, baking, and exploring niche esoteric indie music. Max plans to pursue a master's degree in public policy so he can work to advocate for civil rights and social development.

Shira Levie was a junior majoring in Biology and Health, Science, Society, and Policy during her fellowship. On campus she was a leader in the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, a Teaching Assistant in the Biology Department, and a tutor through the Waltham Group. Shira was passionate about the intersection between disability policy and healthcare. Through the Lurie fellowship, Shira was excited to gain important skills to help best work toward a more equitable and inclusive society.

During Alanna's fellowship, she was a senior double-majoring in Sociology and in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and double-minoring in Legal Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. On campus, she worked as a Student Interviewer in the Undergraduate Admissions office as well as a coordinator for the Student Admissions Program. She also served on the student union executive board as the Director of the Office of Student Rights and Advocacy. During her fellowship, Alanna was interested in looking at access to healthcare among people with disabilities, especially among pregnant women.

Allie Mundis was a senior majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP), Sociology, and minoring in Social Justice and Social Policy. She was passionate about public health and health policy, and was excited to conduct disability research as a Lurie Fellow! In her spare time, Allie worked at the on-campus preschool, and captained the Ultimate Frisbee team. In addition to being a Lurie Fellow, she was also a legal intern at MLPB (the Medical Legal Partnership of Boston) where she conducted research on unmet social-related health needs for marginalized individuals and communities in the Boston area. Allie looked forward to continuing her commitment to working toward disability justice through an intersectional lens.

During Maddy's fellowship, she was a sophomore majoring in Biology and in Health: Science, Society and Policy. Outside of the Lurie Fellowship, Maddy was a member of Chabad Club and volunteered with elderly patients in hospice. Under her mentor Rachel Sayko Adams, Maddy researched opioid misuse among people with disabilities.

During her fellowship, Zoë was a junior double majoring in Health: Science, Society and Policy and in Sociology. On campus, Zoë was a member of Brandeis Climate Justice, advocating for the divestment of fossil fuels. Over the prior summer, she had worked at the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab as a research assistant. In her spare time she enjoyed adaptive rock climbing and taking photos. She was excited to be a Lurie Fellow and to continue to explore her passion for disability justice.

During his fellowship, Micah was a junior double majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and in Philosophy, with a minor in Legal Studies. Over the summer prior to becoming a fellow, Micah interned at the Arc of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, working to pass key legislation aimed at supporting people with disabilities at the state and federal level. On campus, Micah was also a member of Brandeis Buddies, a Community Advisor for the Department of Community Living, and a captain of the Men's Ultimate Frisbee Team. Micah was passionate about disability justice, and he was eager to explore research's role in formulating policies that champion and protect the rights of people with disabilities.

During his fellowship, Jack was a Health: Science, Society, and Policy major, with a minor in Anthropology. He was thrilled to be part of the Lurie Undergraduate Fellowship. Alongside the fellowship, Jack was a Bridge to Wellness peer educator, an organizer for Deisability, and a member of TRON, the Brandeis Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team. He also rock climbed and wrote poetry in the free time that he did not have. Managing his time was seemingly also a hobby!

During her fellowship year, Samantha Shortall was a senior majoring in Health: Science, Society and Policy, and Politics, with a minor in Social Justice and Social Policy. On campus, Samantha was a captain on the Brandeis Varsity Fencing Team and recently served as a Senator-at-Large at the Brandeis Student Union. She is passionate about public health and health policy, and their intersections with the legislative process. The prior summer, Samantha interned in Washington, D.C., at the House of Representatives. She has experience in political campaigning and nonprofit work. Samantha looked forward to researching parents with disabilities through an intersectional lens.

Ruby Siegel was a senior double-majoring in Education Studies and Sociology, with a minor in psychology, during her fellowship year. On campus, Ruby was a member of the Brandeis Women’s Varsity Soccer team and a volunteer with Teaching Assistants in Public Schools. She had also been a facilitator with Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative. Ruby is passionate about disability justice and the intersection of K-12 education, race, and disability. She was honored to work as a Lurie Fellow and looked forward to working with and learning from her mentor.

During her fellowship, Norma was a junior double-majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and in Education Studies, with a minor in Theater Arts. On campus, she worked in the Brandeis Library, was a member of Waltham Group, and participated in various theatrical productions each year. Through the Lurie Fellowship, Norma was excited to learn more about disability policy as she hoped to one day work to bring disability education and conversations into school curriculums and theater performance spaces.

During his fellowship, Luca Swinford was a junior majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and Education Studies. He was an Undergraduate Department Representative (UDR) for the Education Department. He held a certificate for completing the Arc of Massachusetts’ advocacy curriculum. He was also a legal intern at Greater Boston Legal Services in the Elder, Health, and Disability Unit where he assisted people with disabilities with their disability benefits. Luca was very passionate about disability rights and policy, and he was very excited to have the opportunity to be involved in disability research.

During her fellowhsip, Max worked with researcher Sandy Ho to explore how people with disabilities can become involved in civic engagement and leadership. During her fellowship, she was a senior finishing a dual degree in Psychology and Sociology. On campus, she was President of the Brandeis Asian American Task Force, the student group that organizes to advocate for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and to build the upcoming AAPI Studies at Brandeis. Max was excited to gain hands-on experience in designing and doing research that centers the experiences and voices of people with disabilities so that she might bring those skills to her own communities.

During her fellowship, Regina Tham was a Brandeis senior majoring in Biology and in Health: Science, Society, and Policy, with a minor in East Asian Studies. On campus, she was the vice-president of Brandeis Asian American Students Association and a Roosevelt Fellow Peer Advisor. She also worked as a lab technician and Chemistry Department teaching assistant. Regina was passionate about working with marginalized communities to eliminate disparities in health. She was excited to be a Lurie Fellow to explore how research can empower and uplift different voices.

Zach Williams was a senior majoring in Politics and in Health: Science, Society, and Policy. Upon graduation from Brandeis, he planned to pursue a graduate education in speech pathology. On campus, he was a peer advocate and violence prevention educator at the Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Center and a member of Brandeis Pro-Choice. The summer prior to his fellowship, Zach worked as a community health intern at the Health Equity Alliance in Bangor, where he provided direct services to people living with HIV, people who use drugs, and unhoused people. During his time at Lurie, Zach was excited to connect his interest in disability policy with his work in anti-sexual-violence spaces.