Fellows

Kylor earned her BSc. in Environmental Science at the University of Virginia. Since beginning graduate school, she’s received her Ph.D candidacy and led as president of the largest UVA graduate school (GSAS) and currently serves as chair of all 12 UVA graduate schools. Her research and professional policy-driven interests intersect, asking questions about climate change in coastal ecosystems, blue carbon, and economic valuation (carbon markets). Since collaborating on projects with the Blue carbon lab in Australia, The Nature Conservancy, and Terra Carbon, she pursues policy and stakeholder solutions to incentivize long-term investment in coastal habitats.

Julia is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Information Technology with a concentration in Information Sciences and Technology at George Mason University. She received her B.S. in Computer Science from University of Taipei, Taiwan and her M.S. in Computer Science from George Mason University.

Her research interests include AI for social good, community informatics, local information inequality, civic technology, and health information technology. Julia has actively participated as a Graduate Research Assistant, collaborating on various research projects under the guidance of Dr. Myeong Lee. Through these endeavors, she has consistently emphasized the crucial role of informed, data-driven policy-making in ensuring equitable and efficient service delivery. She hopes to contribute substantively to shaping policies that are not only informed by data-driven insights but also sensitive to the diverse needs of different communities within Virginia during the COVES fellowship.

Luke is a Ph.D. student in Planning, Governance, and Globalization at Virginia Tech, specializing in policy solutions for pressing global challenges, including the renewable energy transition and antimicrobial resistance. With an M.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Ecology and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University, his research background and scientific expertise span a diverse array of environmental and energy-related topics ranging from watershed-scale stream restoration and water quality modeling using machine learning techniques, to more recently studying renewable energy development and national strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance.

In 2022, Luke decided to pursue a policy-oriented Ph.D. program to become adept in public policy and governance so he can pursue a career as a scientific advisor to federal or international agencies. He aspires to leverage scientific information and expertise in policy design and political decision-making processes to inform effective policymaking for addressing urgent global challenges such as climate change.

Synphane Gibbs-Shelton is a Ph.D. candidate in the Pharmacology Department at the University of Virginia, holding a Biology degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a master’s in Biological and Physical Sciences from the University of Virginia. Her research centers on microglia’s role in experimental seizure models, working closely with her advisor, Dr. Ukpong Eyo. As a co-founder of the Society of Black Biomedical Scientists & Engineers and a member of multiple professional societies, Synphane is deeply committed to diversity and staying at the forefront of her field.

Carreen de Cárdenas received a B.S. in Mathematical Economics from the University of Richmond in 2018 and is currently a Ph.D. student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Virginia. She further explored her interest in transportation and the built environment while working locally at Charlottesville planning organizations and internationally in Germany, New Zealand, and Ireland. As a member of the Omni-Reality and Cognition Lab (ORCL), her research relates to sustainable transportation, vulnerable road user safety, and travel behavior and perception. Carreen is a UVA SEAS Dean’s Scholar Fellow and a GAANN fellow. She serves on the executive boards of the Institute of Transportation Engineers UVA student chapter and the Graduate Society of Women Engineers, and is involved with multiple local planning committees. She is excited to serve as a COVES Fellow to experience first hand how state-level policies, based on strong scientific evidence, can translate scientific advancements into tangible benefits for our communities and ensure more sustainable and equitable cities.

“This fellowship introduced me to science policy, and the tremendous support I received from the COVES director and my mentor helped me better leverage my skillsets.”

Summer Responsibilities: To ensure that Virginia accurately anticipates fluctuations in its General Funds revenues, Mohammed examined four decades of economic records and took initial steps to correlate decreases in Virginia’s General Fund with the national economy and cataloged eight options for balancing the state’s budget during economic downturns.

Background: Mohammed’s current research focuses on understanding the success of continuous improvement methodologies in public sector organizations, working closely with his advisor, Dr. Eileen Van Aken. He has also conducted research in other areas, including data science/analytics and simulation modeling and has published several conference proceedings and a peer-reviewed journal article. Besides his academic work, Mohammed is a team member of the transformational office on campus to conduct continuous improvement initiatives across university enterprises to improve processes and system outcomes.

Zach Dawson is a Ph.D. student studying interventional therapeutic strategies in apoptotic & necrotic cell death. His project utilizes a probiotic to deliver a naturally occurring protein to the intestine for alleviating Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). Zach has over 5 years of research experience at Washington University in St. Louis where he studied orphan diseases such as Alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency, and has been able to contribute to multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts and research talks. He has been involved in the United Nations Association (UNA-USA) for 4 years and currently sits on the National Council as an East Coast Representative. Zach considers himself a servant of the people and hopes to continue to contribute meaningfully to the policy dialogue of our State and Nation’s scientific advancements.

Pavan Chaitanya holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering from Osmania University in India and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. Pavan is a technology enthusiast whose goal is to adapt himself in different fields and to continually learn and grow. I am eager to engage with fellow professionals and policymakers to address pressing issues at the intersection of science, engineering, and policy.

Kiara obtained her B.S. in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in May of 2022. During her time as an undergraduate student, she was an active member in research and a McNair scholar. Kiara is currently a PhD student at Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing a degree in Developmental Psychology. Her research interest is tailored towards understanding the experiences of those who are systematically disenfranchised based on their race and/or ethnicity and its connection to physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health implications. As Kiara continues to develop her skills at the graduate level, she works on community participatory action research projects to address positive youth development. As a first year, she applied and was awarded a diversity supplement grant through the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC). Kiara aims to use her studies to understand how policy influences systemic challenges for underrepresented groups intending to reform science policies to address challenges experienced by these populations.

Elizabeth Beyer is a master’s student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech in the lab of Dr. Landon Marston. Her research interests focus on the intersection of human and water systems. She aims to understand our relationship with water resources in order to help address issues of water scarcity and degradation in her career. Currently, Elizabeth is researching the nature of water transfers between drainage basins. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 2022 with a B.S. in biological engineering and a B.A. in Spanish. Before coming to Virginia Tech, Elizabeth spent a year in Spain teaching English and leading STEM activities for students through the Fulbright Program. She hopes to pair her interest in cultures and languages with her technical skills so that she may better serve those diversely impacted by water resources issues in her career.