Undergraduate Fellows in Disability Policy - Lurie Institute for Disability Policy

Carmela Belizaire

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

Julia Brown

Julia Brown is a Fellow in the Undergraduate Fellowship in Disability Policy. She is a senior studying Health: Science, Society, and Policy, and African and Afro-American Studies. On campus she serves as a community service coordinator in Waltham organizing programs at the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and Prospect Hill Community Center. Julia is passionate about equitable healthcare and how minority populations experience adverse health outcomes. Though the Starr Fellowship, Julia is 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!

Monica Chen

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

Anna Davidge

Anna Davidge is an Undergraduate Fellow in Disability Policy. She is a Brandeis senior majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP). She is a community advisor (CA) in the Department of Community Living and a teaching assistant for epidemiology. She is also involved in the Brandeis Jewish community. Anna is passionate about accessibility and health equity. Anna looks forward to her research experience looking into shared living opportunities for young adults.

Shoshana Finkel

Shoshana Finkel is a senior at Brandeis studying Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) with a minor in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. She is a passionate disability advocate and activist, and a peer advisor at Yachad, the National Jewish Council on Disabilities. In addition to her Starr fellowship, Shoshana is an intern at the Ruderman Family Foundation, and serves 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 is excited to be conducting research on reproductive health outcomes among women with developmental disabilities, and hopes to promote healthcare equity for people with disabilities through her research and activism.

Shira Levie

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

Alanna Levy

Alanna Levy is a Fellow in the Undergraduate Fellowship in Disability Policy. She is a senior double majoring in Sociology and Health: Science, Society, and Policy and double minoring in Legal Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. On campus she works as a Student Interviewer in the Undergraduate Admissions office, as well as a coordinator for the Student Admissions Program. She also serves on the student union executive board as the Director of the Office of Student Rights and Advocacy. Alanna is interested in looking at access to health care among people with disabilities, especially among pregnant women.

Maddy Pliskin

Maddy Pliskin is an Undergraduate Fellow in Disability Policy. She is a sophomore majoring in Biology and Health: Science, Society and Policy (HSSP). Outside of the Starr Fellowship, Maddy is a member of Chabad Club and volunteers with elderly patients in hospice. Maddy is researching opioid misuse among people with disabilities under her mentor Rachel Sayko Adams.

Jack Rubinstein

Jack Rubinstein is a Health: Science, Society, and Policy major, with a minor in Anthropology. He is thrilled to be part of the Lurie Undergraduate Fellowship this year. Alongside the fellowship, Jack is 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 climbs and writes poetry in the free time that he does not have. Managing his time is seemingly also a hobby!

Norma Stobbe

Norma Stobbe is a fellow in the Nathan and Toby Starr Fellowship in Disability Policy. She is a junior double-majoring in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and Education Studies with a minor in Theater Arts. On campus, she works in the Brandeis Library, is a member of Waltham Group, and participates in various theatrical productions each year. Through the Starr Fellowship, Norma is excited to learn more about disability policy as she hopes to one day work to bring disability education and conversations into school curriculums and theater performance spaces.

Max Tang

Max Tang is a 2019 Undergraduate Fellow who works with researcher Sandy Ho to explore how people with disabilities can become involved in civic engagement and leadership. She is a senior finishing a dual degree in Psychology and Sociology. On campus, she is 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 is excited to gain hands-on experience in designing and doing research that centers the experiences and voices of people with disabilities so that she can bring those skills to her own communities.

Regina Tham

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

Undergraduate Fellows: Previous Cohorts