2018 Scholars

Jonah Fish-Gertz ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Mr. Fish-Gertz graduated from Elmira College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy & Religion, summa cum laude, and a minor in Women’s Studies. Raised in small town upstate New York (Avoca, formerly Podunk), his interest in environmental issuesstarted with his opposition to the fracking boom. While in Washington, he will be serving as a legal intern for the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Aviation and Admiralty Section. His policy interests are in environmental law, specifically energy policy.

Nikki Hatza ’20 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she serves as Co-President of the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN), Vice President of Temple Outlaw, a student coordinator of the Name Change Project, and a volunteer for the Expungement Clinic.

Prior to law school, Nikki cultivated her facilitation skills as an educator and community organizer in diverse settings, including the Navajo Nation, Spain, and Philadelphia, PA. After serving as a Spanish and U.S. Government teacher with Teach for America, Nikki spent two years as a Fulbright Grantee in Spain where she developed the University of Cantabria’s first gender and sexuality course and organized charitable productions of The Vagina Monologues to help end violence against women. Thereafter, Nikki developed and facilitated LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion workshops for thousands of professionals across industries as the Professional Development Manager of an LGBTQ non-profit organization in Philadelphia.

Nikki holds B.A. degrees in Women’s Studies, Spanish, and International Studies from the Pennsylvania State University’s Schreyer Honors College, where she graduated as Student Marshal of the College of Liberal Arts. As an undergraduate student, she studied abroad in Ecuador, where she lived and volunteered in a Quechua community near Quito.

While in Washington, Nikki is working as a legal intern with the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, exploring her intersecting policy interests in Civil Rights, LGBTQ Rights, and Racial Justice.

Chris Hirokawa ‘20 is a 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar, Weisman Fellow, and Barrack Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Chris is a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and graduated cum laude from Skidmore College in 2012 with a B.A. in English and French. Before entering law school, Chris worked as Executive Assistant and Research Associate for Garriott Enterprises. There he worked with business development teams at several start up companies, including space launch technology company Escape Dynamics and video game developer Portalarium. Prior to his position at Garriott Enterprises, Chris worked as Executive Assistant at The Explorers Club in New York. At Temple, he serves on the executive board of the Asian and Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) as Fundraising Director.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Chris is interning at Internet2, a non-profit consortium of internet technology companies that operates and maintains the nation’s largest and fastest high-speed fiber optic network. His policy interests include digital privacy, cybersecurity, and telecommunications regulation.

Chanelle Jones ‘20 is a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow, Weisman Fellow, Conwell Scholar, and 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Originally from Elkton, Maryland, Chanelle was a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in Africana Studies.

Chanelle’s interest in juvenile justice developed from working with the youth in The Choice Program referred by the Department of Juvenile and Social Services and learning about their experiences. This interest led her to intern as an undergraduate with Judge Silkworth at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis, Maryland, where she also worked with the truancy court program. At Temple Law School, Chanelle is the President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and volunteers with the School Discipline Advocacy Service (SDAS) and the Name Change Project.

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Chanelle is working as a Law Clerk at the National Juvenile Defender Center. Her policy interests include education policy and banning-the-box initiatives.

Manish Kurien ‘19 is a Law Faculty Scholar and 2018 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Mr. Kurien graduated from Davidson College in 2014 with a B.A. in History, Minor in Religion, and concentration in Political Science. During his undergraduate education, Mr. Kurien also spent nine months in the United Kingdom. While there, he studied at Cambridge University and Queen Mary, University of London, and worked at the North Kensington Law Centre in London where he worked in the fields of immigration and employment discrimination.

After graduation, Mr. Kurien spent two years working at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington D.C. in the Bureaus of Competition, Consumer Protection, and the Office of Commissioner Julie Brill. During his time in law school, he also interned in the chambers of Judge Roth of the Third Circuit and Judge Petrese B. Tucker of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Mr. Kurien is working as a Law Clerk at the Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resources Division, particularly within the Environmental Enforcement Section. Mr. Kurien’s policy interests include international, environmental, and refugee law. His personal interests include playing and watching soccer.

Nathan Larkin ’20 is a Weisman Fellow, Beasley Scholar, and 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Larkin graduated cum laude from the Penn State University Schreyer Honors College with a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in Communication Arts & Sciences. As an undergraduate, Mr. Larkin was recognized for his work as a community organizer, focusing on environmental and social justice issues. Before coming to law school, Mr. Larkin worked in and around state government in Pennsylvania, including on Governor Tom Wolf’s campaign, in the Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor’s office, at NextGen Climate PAC, and at a Harrisburg-based government relations and lobbying firm.

While in Washington, D.C., Mr. Larkin is working as a Law Clerk at the Department of Justice, Environmental Torts Litigation section.  His policy interests range from climate change policy and campaign finance reform to media and mass communication policy.

Travis Leatham ‘19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law.  A native of the Salt Lake City, Utah area, Travis earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and in Asian Studies from the University of Utah, with a focus on modern Chinese history.  During his undergraduate degree, Travis took a two-year leave of absence to perform religious and humanitarian service in Taiwan, during which he learned to speak Mandarin Chinese.  In law school, Travis spent his 1L summer working at a non-profit in Philadelphia, assisting low-income individuals with Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings. As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Travis is working at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, Legislation and Regulations Division.  His policy interests include economic and urban development, anti-poverty, and employee ownership.

Priya Mehta ’19 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she is pursuing a dual JD/MPH. Ms. Mehta earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University, where she studied Chemistry. Ms. Mehta worked for several years in clinical ophthalmology, where she saw the positive effects of the Affordable Care Act on her patients, as well as the Act’s flaws. While at Temple, Ms. Mehta has served as Co-Chair of Auction for the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN). Ms. Mehta was also a member of the Moot Court Team. In her previous summers, Ms. Mehta has worked at the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania and Community Legal Services of Philadelphia in the Aging and Disabilities Unit.

While in Washington, Ms. Mehta is working at the Public Policy Center at the American Foundation for the Blind. Ms. Mehta’s policy interests are in access to health care, including Medicaid and Medicare, and concerns that affect public health, such as the opioid epidemic.

Emma Pajer ’20 is a 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Ms. Pajer graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in History and Psychology. After graduating, she worked at an alternative high school for students with behavioral disorders and the ACLU-PA before deciding to attend law school.

At Temple, Ms. Pajer serves on the Executive Board of If/When/How: Temple Lawyering for Reproductive Justice. In Washington, Ms. Pajer is a legal fellow at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), a nonprofit organization focused on international reproductive health. Her policy interests include women’s issues and access to abortion. She is interested in researching the tension between religious freedom, access to healthcare, and freedom of speech during the Law & Public Policy Program.

Alexander (Sasha) Rojavin ’20 is a Beasley Scholar and a 2018 Law and Public Policy Scholar. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 2014 with a B.A. in Theater and in Film & Media Studies, after which he received an M.S. from Temple University in Communication Management. His studies have focused on the intersection of the arts, media, policy, and politics. His master’s thesis dealt with media ownership and the television broadcasting landscape in Ukraine. Sasha is a published translator, a native speaker of Russian and English, and knows four other languages to varying degrees. His research has centered on Eastern Europe, especially post-Soviet countries.

While in D.C., Sasha is working as a research intern at the American Foreign Policy Council. His policy interests include fostering a free and open global media and implementing an effective and constitutionally sound global government.

Angeli Romano ‘20 is a 2018 Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law and recipient of the Law Faculty Scholarship. She graduated summa cum laude from the Rutgers University – Camden Honors College with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science. Prior to law school, Angeli worked as a ballet and modern dance teacher and performer in the Philadelphia area.

While in Washington, Angeli is working at AEquitas, which is a non-profit organization that serves as a prosecutor’s resource on sexual violence and violence against women. Her areas of interest include criminal justice reform and prison reform.

Brian Shim ’19 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Originally from Ambler, Pennsylvania, Mr. Shim first attended Montgomery County Community College, and then graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in English. During his 1L summer, Mr. Shim was a Summer Associate at AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, the nation’s only independent public-interest law firm dedicated to people living with HIV and AIDS. At Temple Law School, Mr. Shim was the Fundraising Chair and Dean’s Cup Chair for the school’s Student Public Interest Network (SPIN), and also the Co-Vice President for Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA).

As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Mr. Shim is interning with the Institute for e-Health Policy, a nonprofit organization that provides research and educational opportunities on federal legislative activities that affect health IT. His policy interest is in healthcare— specifically, how technology can improve patients’ access to health services.

Catherine Twigg ’19 is a Rubin Presser Social Justice Fellow, Beasley Merit Scholar, and 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. After graduating from NYU with her BA and MA in European Studies, Catherine worked at the European Roma Rights Centre, a public interest strategic litigation organization in Budapest, Hungary. Catherine then worked as an investigator of police misconduct in New York City and Washington, D.C.

During her 1L summer, Catherine was a legal intern for a federal district court judge. As a Law & Public Policy Scholar, Catherine is working at the Department of Justice, in the Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section. Catherine is interested in civil rights, racial justice, and constitutional policing.

Andrew Verdone ’19 is a Law and Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Prior to law school, Mr. Verdone earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Clemson University, in Clemson, South Carolina. Mr. Verdone is an active member of student organizations at Temple, serving as a member of the executive board of the Temple Environmental Law Society and Brehon Law Society. He is also a Student Contributor to the Third Circuit Media Alert Project and a Research Assistant for Professor Amy Sinden, researching cost-benefit analysis for federal environmental statutes.

As a Law and Public Policy Scholar, Mr. Verdone is interning as an Honors Student Intern for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Corporation Finance. His policy interests are primarily data privacy and consumer protection in the context of targeted marketing.

Yuhanna Whye ‘19 is a 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University. Yuhanna is a native of Wilmington, Delaware. Prior to law school, Yuhanna graduated from the University of Delaware in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, concentrating in American government along with a Minor in Legal Studies. Yuhanna is a member of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), Student Public Interest Network (SPIN), and the National Lawyers Guild. During his first year in law school, Yuhanna, along with several other BLSA representatives, co-founded The Adopt-A-School-Initiative. Last summer, Yuhanna served as a law clerk at the Delaware River & Bay Authority directly under the general counsel.

While in Washington, Yuhanna is working for the Torts Branch Aviation and Admiralty Section in the Department of Justice. Yuhanna’s policy interests include taxation and its ability to mold behavior in society.

Sarah Winston ’20 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law where she is pursuing a dual JD/MPH. Ms. Winston earned Bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology and Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh. During her time at the University of Pittsburgh, she held various leadership roles as a Board Member on Student Government, a Resident Assistant, and as President of Challah for Hunger. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, Ms. Winston served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Federated States of Micronesia, working as a co-teacher on the island of Pohnpei. Upon returning, Ms. Winston served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer conducting qualitative health research in the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. At Temple, she is the community service chair for the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN).

In Washington, Ms. Winston is working at the Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective services in the Administration for Community Living through the Department of Health and Human Services. There, she is supporting programs that promote policies and services designed to assist older Americans. Ms. Winston is passionate about the intersection of law and public health, especially as it relates to access to medicines and medical treatment in rural communities domestically and abroad.

Catherine Butchy ’20 is a 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Originally from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Catherine graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013 with a B.S. in Economics, a B.A. in Spanish, and a Certificate in Portuguese. While in school, she studied abroad in Spain and Brazil and worked for four years at Pitt’s daily student-run newspaper, The Pitt News, eventually serving as the paper’s Managing Editor. After graduating, Catherine worked briefly at the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority before returning to Pittsburgh to work as a contractor at Google. There, she served as a bilingual product classification analyst before being recruited to the product taxonomy team, where she worked with library scientists and other language professionals in developing a resilient product taxonomy for Google Shopping. In 2017, she left that position to pursue a J.D. at Temple.

Catherine will spend her summer in D.C. with the Law & Public Policy Program as an intern at Microsoft’s Government Affairs office. Her policy interests include immigration, education, and the regulation of emerging technologies.

Emily Berg ’20 is a Beasley Scholar and a 2018 Law & Public Policy Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Emily earned a B.S. in International Economics with a concentration in finance and commerce from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 2015. During her time at Georgetown, Emily also earned her proficiency in Spanish and was a member of the triathlon team. Prior to entering law school, Emily worked at BlackRock in the Portfolio Compliance Group for two years, focusing on fixed income and multi-asset mutual funds and the funds’ compliance with the 1940 Act and other regulations. While working, Emily also passed CFA Levels I and II.

At Temple, Emily is a member of the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN), the International Law Society, and the Latin American Law Students Association. Next year, Emily will be on the Moot Court team and will serve as the Treasurer of SPIN. This summer, Emily is working at Schwartz & Ballen, a financial services firm in Washington, DC. Her policy interests include international trade and tax policy.