2024-2025 Student Representatives
President
Aysia Gilbert, MPP 2025
aysia.gilbert@duke.edu
Aysia Gilbert is a second-year Master of Public Policy Candidate at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.
Aysia was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She attended the University of Florida (UF), where she majored in History and minored in African American Studies. At UF, Aysia served on the Presidential Task Force for Honorary Namings, supporting the university’s racial equity initiatives encompassing the honorary naming process of campus buildings. After graduation, she moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where she became a 5th-grade English Language Arts teacher and community activist. Aysia served as Co-Chair of the Jacksonville Community Remembrance Project’s Research Committee in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative. As Co-Chair, she worked diligently to uncover her community’s history of racial terror and led a public awareness campaign to educate civilians. Aysia also serves as a board member for a non-profit called 904Ward, which aims to create social justice and foster racial reconciliation within Northeast Florida. At 904Ward, she influences programs such as Little Free Diverse Libraries, Race Cards, and research that aims to combat exclusionary and racist policymaking in Florida.
Aysia is passionate about creating equitable policies that are effective in decreasing the barriers marginalized communities face to success. This summer she worked with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania on criminal legal reform and education equity programming nationwide. She plans to use her Master of Public Policy to fulfill her life purpose of community advocacy and social justice. As a community advocate, civic leader, and educator, she plans to become a policymaker who tackles challenges through an equity lens that centers on the lived experiences of individuals and communities.
Vice President
Cassidie Carmen (CC) Bates, MPP 2026
cassidie.bates@duke.edu
Cassidie Carmen Bates is a public policy professional coming to Sanford after five years in non-profit leadership. Beginning in 2019, Cassidie led the Advocacy & Government Affairs team at a Feeding America-network Food Bank that serves over 18 California counties. She is passionate about ensuring that effective public policy is informed by those who are impacted by the policies themselves, and in her previous role, designed community-based programs to incorporate this “lived expertise” model into each phase of the legislative advocacy process. Cassidie is an alumna of the University of California, Berkeley in Legal Studies and a former Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Fellow at the Goldman School of Public Policy. Originally from Reno, Nevada, Cassidie grew up competing in downhill ski racing and loves to travel. Cassidie is working towards her goal of visiting all 50 states, each National Park, and each continent – she’s more than halfway there for all three travel goals!
Second-Year Representative
Reylan Cook, MPP 2025
reylan.cook@duke.edu
Reylan Cook, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health with a Minor in African American Studies with Leadership and Distinction in Diversity and Social Advocacy. During her time at the University of South Carolina, Cook researched the Black maternal mortality crisis and focused her overall work on Black feminist theory in hopes of streamlining a care economy. Before her admission to Duke, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member and community advocate, focusing on combating food insecurity and expanding access to basic needs resources for vulnerable communities. The basic needs hub framework and programming she created are now being platformed by the White House Healthy Futures Initiative to be recreated at higher education institutions across the country. This hands-on experience further solidified her commitment to addressing agricultural sovereignty and environmental security challenges she recognized in her childhood and academic studies through policy and legal frameworks.
Reylan is a rising second-year Master of Public Policy student at Duke University pursuing work in the agricultural and food systems industry. With a deep passion for social and health policy, Reylan is dedicated to making a positive interdisciplinary impact in Agricultural Policy. She holds leadership positions at Sanford as Second Year Representative and Vice President of Policy In Living Color. During the 2023-2024 academic year, Reylan was recognized with the Sanford Women in Policy Emerging Leader award. In her free time, Reylan is an avid reader with a taste for culinary and outdoor adventures.
Second-Year Representative
Christopher Starr, MPP 2025
christopher.starr@duke.edu
Christopher Starr is a second-year Master of Public Policy Candidate at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, specializing in International Development Policy and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Born in Minnesota, he gained exposure to diverse perspectives through his upbringing in various locations. Christopher earned a Bachelor of Accounting from Central College in Pella, Iowa.
Christopher’s journey of service includes working as an Economic Development Specialist with the United States Peace Corps in Costa Rica and leading students on global explorations with Envoys. From 2013 to 2023, he held various roles at Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners in New York City, most recently as the Senior Director of Innovation, where he led research initiatives and executed projects using creative approaches.
With a strong background in financial inclusion and economic development, Christopher aims to leverage his skills and experiences to contribute to international economic development initiatives, particularly working with refugee and displaced populations. His proficiency in multiple languages and ability to thrive in cross-cultural environments position him to make a meaningful impact in this field.
Dual-Degree Representative
Lola James, MPP/MBA 2026
lola.james@duke.edu
Lola is currently in the second year of her dual-degree Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Business Administration (MBA) program at Duke University, North Carolina.
Until August 2023, Lola was the programs manager of The Young African Bookworms Initiative, an education nonprofit and the impact strategy of a top marketing communications firm, in Nigeria. She designed 3 sustainable programs that directly give 1,364 low-income children in western and northern Nigeria access to computer skills, educational resources, and socio-emotional learning skills. Notable highlights of Lola’s work include a scalable computer literacy program funded by an international grant, that helps 89 out-of-school children across Northern Nigeria access computer literacy annually. The social-emotional learning program Lola and her team designed currently runs in 5 low-income primary schools in Lagos State under the auspices of the Lagos State Ministry of Education.
Lola is also a Project Management Professional (PMP), an alumnus of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the Carrington Youth Fellowship (CYFI), and the American Cancer Society Global Scholarship program. She received her civic leadership & management training at the Lagos Business School and Tulane University, Louisiana.
First-Year Representative
First-Year Representative
International Student Representative
GPSG President
Keanu Valibia, MPP/MEM 2025
keanu.valibia@duke.edu
Keanu Valibia is an MPP/MEM dual Master’s student, pursuing an emphasis in Energy & Environment. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from the University of California, Riverside in 2017, Keanu worked across a span of roles in technology, media, and nonprofits. His most recent work was with the International Organization for Migration and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, where he provided program consulting services to create and implement an international disaster relief coordination program for the Philippines. Outside of work and school, Keanu is a huge film buff and is constantly looking for new hobbies and crafts to learn about (his current obsessions are writing, Formula One racing, and 3D modeling).
Pauline Wakudumo, MPP 2026
pauline.wakudumo@duke.edu
TBD
TBD
Nilab Ahmadi MPP 2025
nilab.ahmadi@duke.edu
Nilab Ahmadi is a second-year MPP student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, specializing in economic and education policy. She was born in Afghanistan and traveled to the United States to pursue her graduate degree. Nilab holds a bachelor’s degree in law and political sciences from Kabul University, Afghanistan. Before starting her graduate studies, she gained professional work experience at the United Nations World Food Programme and Lex–Ferghana Attorneys and Legal Advisers Law-Firm in Afghanistan. In addition to her professional roles, she has volunteered in various organizations, contributing to multiple initiatives and programs.
Nilab aspires to become a professional policy analyst, aiming to create and implement impactful policies for Afghanistan’s economic sector. She is also passionate about working on education policy to improve educational opportunities for Afghan children and establish schools across the country.
Honor Board Representative
Selma Newbill, MPP 2025
selma.newbill@duke.edu
Selma Newbill is a second-year Master of Public Policy student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy with a concentration in Social Policy. At Duke, Selma has worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and a Research Assistant at Duke Law’s Wilson Center for Science and Justice. She also served as the President of Sanford Women in Policy in 2023-24 and spearheaded the first annual Women in Policy Gala alongside her peers.
Selma also works remotely part-time at Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC) as an Advocacy Support Specialist to continue her lifelong mission to support survivors of crime and abuse while in school. Her internship over the summer is with Deloitte Government and Public Services as a Strategy and Communications Summer Associate in Rosslyn, Virginia.
Selma is a 2021 graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi where she double majored in Political Science and English and completed the Honors College program. After graduation, she began working at NVRDC as a Survivor Advocate in Washington DC where she provided advocacy and long-term case management support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and human trafficking as well as on-scene crisis responses at crime scenes and hospitals. Since starting her professional career, she has interned for both the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and NVRDC and has been an academic scholar at The University of Chicago’s Data and Policy Summer Scholar Program, Dartmouth’s Tuck Business Bridge Program, and Harvard Kennedy’s Public Policy Leadership Conference.
Council Liaison
Gary Alvarez Mejia, MPP 2025
gary.alvarezmejia@duke.edu
Gary Alvarez Mejia is a second-year Master of Public Policy student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, concentrating in Energy and Environmental Policy. Originally from Bolivia, Gary holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Nur University (Santa Cruz, Bolivia). In 2022, Gary was awarded the Fulbright scholarship by the US Department of State to pursue graduate studies in the US from 2023 to 2025.
As a professional, Gary is committed to promoting economic development through a rapid and equitable energy transition, especially in the Global South. He’s also interested in the economics of the energy transition, and natural resource governance. In his free time, Gary enjoys exploring new restaurants and reading.
Secretary
De’Omini Daniely, MPP 2025
deomini.daniely@duke.edu
De’Omini Daniely is a second-year graduate student at the Sanford School of Public Policy. She focuses on international development and environmental policy while focusing on human rights and climate-based migration. Last year, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia.
During that time, she interned with the Congressional Office of Congressman David Scott. She oversaw office operations, prepared memos, attended policy briefings, and conducted tours throughout the U.S. Capitol. This past year, De’Omini worked with World Relief as a Resettlement Case Aid and helped provide resources for individuals seeking asylum in the research triangle. She hopes to continue working to create a safer transition for victims of war and immigration through her commitment to public service and passion for finding pathways to peace.
Her passion for research has grown through her participation in numerous projects with the Duke World Food Policy Center. As a research assistant, she focused mainly on consumer behavior in the online grocery market and the impact of free lunch on the performance of K-12 students. She has also volunteered as a Pipeline fellow with the Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS), where she developed publications on Black Maternal Health & Reproductive Legislation and Femicide against women in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overall, these experiences have allowed her to expand her research skills and network with minority women across the globe.
