U.S. Master's Degree Fellows

Nick Bowman received a BA in archaeology and classical civilizations from Wesleyan University. During his studies, he conducted international archaeological and marine science field-based projects in Israel, Scotland, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. This summer he will return to Israel as a geographic information systems (GIS) specialist at the archaeological excavation at Tel Shimron. His undergraduate thesis explored maritime connectivity and mobility in the southeastern Aegean and eastern Mediterranean during the Neopalatial period of the late Bronze Age. Using modern wind speed and direction data in conjunction with sailing performance metrics of Neopalatial vessels, he approximated sailing times and likely routes of travel between coastal settlements using GIS, which he compared to extant ceramic assemblages from those sites. Nick has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue an MA in maritime civilizations at the University of Haifa, where he plans to expand on his undergraduate research by exploring interregional maritime connectivity between sites on the Israeli coast and other coastal settlements across the eastern Mediterranean during the late Bronze Age.

Noam Gal graduated from the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies at Baruch College with a BS in mathematics and urban economics. He also received a dual diploma from Macaulay Honors College. Noam has a background in conducting interdisciplinary research that blends mathematics, urban planning, and economics to better understand transportation equity problems in urban areas. During his undergraduate studies, Noam published his thesis, titled “Transit Equity in Southeast Brooklyn,” and completed two internships at the New York City Mayor’s Office. Noam was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to complete an MA in smart cities and urban informatics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his graduate studies, Noam plans to research how data science tools are used by Israeli planning authorities to predict the socioeconomic impact of new transportation infrastructure, such as the Jerusalem Light Rail, on different neighborhoods and communities.

Emma Hantgan graduated from the University of Miami with a BA in international studies and Chinese studies, minoring in Judaic studies and Latin American studies. During her undergraduate years, she interned at the US Department of State, SIGNAL (Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership), and Global Ties Miami. As an intern at the Israel Economic Mission to the East Coast, she gained experience conducting market research on Israeli industry and developed an interest in the connections between public diplomacy, economics, and power politics. Emma was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue an MA in security and diplomacy at Tel Aviv University. As a Fulbright fellow, she will continue to develop her research project, “Power Balancing in the Middle East: A Case Study of the Belt and Road Initiative.”

Zachary Newman graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in electrical engineering. He served five years on active duty as a US Army officer with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas. After completing the Post-Baccalaureate Premedicine Program at Goucher College, Zach entered medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue an MA in conflict resolution and mediation at Tel Aviv University. Zach plans to apply this coursework to his future clinical practice so as to better serve victims of violence, as well as to study, implement, and lead violence intervention programs in hospital settings.

Colette Smith graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in international relations, a BS in psychology, and a minor in global terrorism studies. While at the University of Maryland, she worked as a research assistant at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), where she conducted open-source research on the demographics and radicalization process of Islamist extremists in the United States. During the summer of 2021, she interned at the Embassy of Jordan in Washington, DC, where she monitored the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan and escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She also worked in the public sector as an intern at the National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs. Upon graduation, Colette will study Arabic in Morocco for two months, on a Critical Language Scholarship. She has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue an MA in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. There, she will study Arabic and explore the cultural and historical context of political violence in the Levant.  

Bridget Toomey graduated from Harvard College with a BA in government and a minor in modern Middle Eastern studies. Throughout her time as an undergraduate, Bridget interned in foreign policy positions in Congress and in think tanks. She culminated her studies with a senior thesis investigating multilateral influences on state support of armed non-state actors. Bridget has been awarded a Fulbright master’s degree Fellowship to pursue an MA degree in security and diplomacy at Tel Aviv University. At TAU she will continue to research security threats in the Middle East and expand upon her work on armed non-state groups and their state sponsors.

Michael Amrami graduated summa cum laude from Macaulay Honors College at Queens College with a BA in Neuroscience and Psychology. As an undergraduate, Michael was an NIH MARC U-STAR biomedical research fellow in Dr. Maral Tajerian's neurobiology laboratory, serving as the surgical technician and investigating neurophysiological changes in chronic pain conditions. Inspired by his multicultural community service experiences at home and research in neurobiology that has established the strong link between pain conditions and comorbid mental illness, his vision is to address comorbid mental health as a tremendous public health concern. Michael has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master's in Public Health (MPH) at the University of Haifa. His project, titled "Addressing Mental Comorbidities of Illness with an MPH Degree from the University of Haifa," will utilize evidence-based knowledge endorsed by the MPH program and his prospective interactions with Israeli communities suffering tragedy to develop practical methods of treating mental disorders in underprivileged communities. He plans to build a mental health platform that focuses on serving Jewish-Israeli towns surrounding Gaza, an area suffering from a severe combat atmosphere. By investigating the outcome of his interventions, Michael hopes to expand the platform to those suffering tragedy at large.

Natalie attended the National Catholic School of Social Service at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where she recently graduated with her Bachelors of Social Work Degree. During her studies, Natalie focused her research on the health disparities that result from unmitigated language barriers in healthcare for both immigrant populations and the deaf population. Natalie has been awarded a Fulbright Master's Degree Fellowship to study for her Masters of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Haifa. While at the university, she will continue in her studies and research of how health disparities are mitigated at the intersection of public health and social work. 

Becky Choi graduated magna cum laude, from Georgetown University with a BS (with honors) in International Politics from the School of Foreign Service, in May 2022. During her studies, she interned with various nonprofits, such as San Francisco’s Coalition on Homelessness, and local policymakers within the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, California State Assembly, and the California State Treasurer. During her internship with the Coalition, she drafted a report criticizing the shortfalls in how the City measures its success in combating homelessness. These experiences inspired her senior thesis, where she explored whether policing or service-based approaches are more effective in addressing homelessness. Becky was awarded a Fulbright Master’s Degree Fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Smart Cities and Urban Informatics at the Hebrew University. She will be examining how smart city technologies can address issues such as homelessness. 

Cassandra Cordie received a BA in Anthropology and Human Rights from Barnard College, Columbia University in 2022. Her undergraduate thesis examined U.S. counterinsurgency strategy, tactical imaging technology, and the moral positionality of combatants. While at Barnard, Cassandra was an editor for the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review and interned for the political science and economics divisions at Columbia University Press. She also worked in the non-profit and public sectors, as a policy intern for the Governor of Delaware and with an international organization for gender equality in education. Cassandra has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue an MA in Security and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University. At TAU, she will complete a project titled, “Israeli Counterterrorism and Military Ethics in the International Landscape.”

Zachary Sneed graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Linguistics, minoring in Arabic and Economics. His thesis, titled “Investigating Learnability in Semantic Universals Through Artificial Means”, utilized neural networks to examine the cognitive purpose of linguistic universals. Zachary has been involved with local housing cooperatives, serving on the board of directors for one organization while also working as an independent contractor to connect low-income communities to affordable housing resources. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master's in Business Administration at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Through this degree, Zack will continue his work with affordable housing while also gaining firsthand experience with local kibbutzim.

Adam DeSchriver graduated magna cum laude from the University of Rochester with a BA (with Honors) in Religion from the College of Arts and Sciences, and a BM in Applied Music (Clarinet Performance) with distinction from the Eastman School of Music. He has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research focuses on musical intersections of Islam and Judaism, as well as theory and method in the study of religion. In his undergraduate honors thesis, he combined these interests by analyzing historic field recordings from the Ben Amara synagogue in Meknes, Morocco, and focusing on how religious communities construct their identities through music. Following the completion of his Fulbright Fellowship, Adam will attend the University of Chicago Divinity School to pursue an MA in Religious Studies. While in Jerusalem, Adam plans to supplement his classroom education by exploring the music of diverse local communities.

Emma Finn was awarded a Fulbright Master’s Degree Fellowship to pursue a degree in Public Health (MPH) at the University of Haifa. She completed one year at Colorado College between 2016-2017. She received her bachelor’s degree in Science Management from Claremont McKenna College, which she attended from 2018-2021. Her current research focuses on studying the intramolecular hydroamination of alkenes in an organic chemistry laboratory at the school.

Victoria Hill received her MA in Middle East Studies & International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, in May 2021. During her studies, she led international policy delegations to Israel and the West Bank, and researched diplomacy at the Foreign Policy Institute. She also interned with the U.S. State Department's Near East Affairs Bureau and INGO, Mercy Corps, authoring Middle East policy along with recommendations for the U.S. government, UN, and implementing organizations to inform humanitarian and development planning, COVID-19 pandemic response, and vaccine rollout to vulnerable populations worldwide. Since graduating from the University of Central Florida with her BA in History and Law, Hill has worked on award-winning advocacy campaigns and humanitarian responses in various countries, including medical responses in conflict areas. Hill was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship for an International Master’s in Disaster Management from Tel Aviv University, focusing on public health. Hill’s project involves researching resilience in global health emergencies, including exploring innovative ways to respond to future events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Victoria's recent publications include:

Overcoming the Trust Deficit: Engaging Communities to Succeed in Vaccinating the World Against COVID-19, Tori Hill, Ryan Sheely, Kari Reid, et. Al (Mercy Corps, March 2021)

Kate Yeager received a BA in History with Honors in International Security from Stanford University in 2021. While at Stanford, Kate was the deputy lead research assistant to former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, and pursued opportunities for public service through an internship at the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. A passionate linguist, Kate has achieved advanced proficiency in Arabic, Spanish, and French, and is currently studying Russian and Hebrew. She recently completed an honors thesis, which combined her interests in cyber policy and Middle Eastern politics by exploring the emergence of cyber conflict in the Middle East. Kate has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Conflict Research, Resolution and Management at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. While at the Hebrew University, she will complete a project titled, “An Examination of the Role of Cyber Warfare in the Israel-Palestine Conflict”.

Hunter Coolican received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Central Florida in May 2020. While a student at UCF, he was an active member of the university’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps where he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Space Force. As a cadet, he had the opportunity to go to the United Kingdom as part of the International Air Cadet Exchange to help foster international understanding and goodwill. He has been awarded a Fulbright fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Security and Diplomacy from Tel Aviv University. His research interests include: strategy, foreign affairs and international space law.

Rachael Costello received a B.A. in International Affairs and a B.S. in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. Her research focused on feminist international relations, violence against women and the German language. During her studies, she held an internship at Victim Witness, a legal non-profit for survivors of assault, and another at the German Marshall Fund of the United States as a Leadership Initiatives intern. After graduating, Rachael worked for two years as a Language and Culture Ambassador for the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport in Granada, Spain, where she taught bilingual education. Rachael is fluent in English and German and has conversational fluency in Spanish. She has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Mediation from Tel Aviv University. The Fulbright Fellowship will allow her to research women’s roles in mediation, as well as pre- and post-conflict. She also looks forward to continuing her Krav Maga training in its country of origin during her free time.

Kyle Desrosiers was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Mediation at Tel Aviv University. Kyle holds a BA in University Scholars with a concentration in fine arts, journalism, and German from Baylor University. He is studying in Tel Aviv in order to further his competency for a career in religion journalism. In particular, Kyle is interested in religious conflict, the ethics of pluralism and dissent, and the relationship among religious institutions and constructs of human identity. He recently submitted an undergraduate thesis entitled, “Things Broken and Things Made New: an oral history of HIV/AIDS and Spirituality,” and is editing an iteration of this project for publication this summer.

Daniel Hila graduated from the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York with a B.A. in political science. As a first-generation American born to Albanian immigrants, Daniel has sought to maintain close ties with the Albanian-American community. He interned with the Consulate of Kosovo in the consular and diplomatic sectors, where he began to develop an interest in foreign affairs and diplomacy. The status of Kosovo inspired his interest in the Balkans, and his studies at City College concurrently inspired an interest in the Middle East. Daniel has been involved with three United Nations General Assemblies and had the unique opportunity to see most world leaders give their remarks to the UN in 2019. He will be pursuing an M.A. in security and diplomacy at Tel Aviv University, where he aspires to gain a personal perspective of the Middle East while continuing his Arabic studies. Daniel hopes to work for the U.S. government in a diplomatic capacity toward the Balkans and the Middle East.

Jade Kosché received her J.D. in Law, magna cum laude, from Trinity Law School. During her studies, Kosché served as Executive Editor of  the Trinity Law Review and a graduate teaching assistant for Criminal Law. She also interned with the anti-human trafficking coalition, Chab Dai International, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. While in Cambodia, she authored a manual on understanding human trafficking, which is used to train NGO workers and inform NGO project planning worldwide. Since graduation and admission to the California Bar, Kosché has worked in labor, employment, and insurance law, litigating a variety of cases, including complex litigation matters. She actively volunteers with the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and Sojourn Legal Clinic, a legal clinic for domestic abuse survivors. Kosché has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study for an LL.M in international business law from Tel Aviv University, Buchmann Faculty of Law. Kosché’s proposed project involves researching the desirability and implementation of an international convention on standardizing and codifying corporate responsibility with respect to abuse in supply chains.

Jade’s recent publications include:

Kosché, Jade. “Understanding Human Trafficking: Levels of Familiarity for Non-Governmental Organization Purposes.” Global Learning Community (July 2017).

Anchor Losch received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies from West Point. She has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University. From serving as an English teacher during her semester in Morocco, to volunteering in Uganda, Mongolia, Vietnam and Ecuador, Anchor focused her time on serving communities to give her engineering research context. As a Joseph J. Malone Fellow with the National Council on U.S.- Arab Relations, she spoke at the 2017 Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference and served as a delegate on two separate trips to the Middle East. Anchor also attended the joint Yale-West Point Peace and Dialogue Leadership Initiative in Israel. Anchor serves as the President of both the West Point American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Model Arab League. She is also the head conductor of the Cadet Spirit Band. Anchor will commission as an Engineer officer in May of 2020.

Anchor’s recent publications include:

F. J. Burpo et al., “A Salt-Templated Synthesis Method for Porous Platinum-based Macrobeams and Macrotubes,” JoVE. (159), e61395, 2020. F. J. Burpo et al., “Salt-Templated Platinum-Copper Porous Macrobeams for Ethanol Oxidation,” Catalysts, 9(8), 662, 2019.

Hannah McDaniel graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Montana with a B.A. in Communication Studies and a minor in International Development Studies. Her focus was primarily communication as a mechanism for social change in the context of non-profit organizations, and she completed an internship with Habitat for Humanity of Missoula. In 2018, Hannah’s studies led her abroad to analyze the effects of wartime propaganda on Western Europe, and then to engage with statewide civic leaders as a 2018 Montana New Leadership Fellow. Since graduating in 2019, Hannah has been working as Communications Director for Habitat for Humanity of Missoula in addition to volunteering with another non-profit, Soft Landing Missoula, which supports refugees in the region. Hannah has been awarded a Fulbright grant to pursue a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Management at the University of Haifa. The Fulbright Fellowship will enable her to further examine the role of communication in social justice work, particularly across social, political and cultural divides. Hannah looks forward to building relationships within the Israeli non-profit sector, as well as the University of Haifa’s uniquely diverse student and faculty bases.

Joe Blumberg received his B.A. in History from Yale University in May 2019. He focused primarily on the development of religious identities in the United States, and he wrote his senior thesis on Jewish American public oratory in the 18th century. He was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to pursue a a Master's of Arts in Jewish Studies at the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University. In addition to completing the coursework for the degree, Joe will conduct an independent research project that explores the history of American Jews in Jerusalem. After completing his Fulbright fellowship, he will pursue rabbinical ordination and a PhD in History.

Rosalie Daniels is a graduate of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where she majored in International Politics with a concentration in Foreign Policy and Policy Processes. She also received a certificate in Justice and Peace Studies and minored in French, spending a semester in France studying at L’Institut D’Études Politiques de Lyon. While a student at Georgetown, Rosalie completed internships with the U.S. State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs, the Embassy of France in the United States, U.S. Senator Bob Casey Jr., and Pittsburgh City Council President Bruce Kraus. After graduating, Rosalie spent two years working with various U.S. government agencies as a federal consultant for IBM. This included work as a legislative affairs consultant for the Department of Defense and work on a pilot program testing Blockchain applications for improved pharmaceutical traceability in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rosalie has been awarded a Fulbright grant to pursue a Master's of Arts in Security and Diplomacy Studies at Tel Aviv University, where she hopes to research refugee policy and governance.

Anna Joyce received her B.A. in Psychology and Theology from Loyola Marymount University in 2017. Her research focused on religious studies, while her praxis consisted of engaging with marginalized communities. She held two internships with different federal law enforcement agencies (ICE and US Marshals Service) and examined the role of the federal government in peace and security. She has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master's of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Mediation (Public Policy) from Tel Aviv University. The Fulbright Fellowship will enable her to continue her research with respect to religion, government, and the marginalized in the international arena.

Jovan Ruvalcaba received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and his Juris Doctor (in law) from the University of Arizona. Prior to becoming a licensed attorney, Jovan worked as a legislative intern in the United States Senate, taught English and American culture at the Federal University of Paraná in Brazil, and served as an AmeriCorps member in Tucson Arizona. The Fulbright Fellowship will allow Jovan to pursue a Master’s in International law (LL.M) at Tel Aviv University. His research interests include: International economic law, International humanitarian law, and disability rights. In his free time, Jovan hopes to learn more about Israel’s national service regime and how it empowers members of the disability community to serve in it. After his Fulbright fellowship, Jovan wants to pursue a career in foreign affairs and diplomacy. Jovan’s recent publications include: Ruvalcaba, Jovan. What We Have Lost with the TPP: Value-Driven Trade, A Trigger For WTO\Reform, Arizona Journal of International & Comparative Law, 349-376 Vol. 35, No. 2 (May 2018). Ruvalcaba, Jovan. “Lincoln’s Promise” American Assoc. of People with Disabilities (blog) (Dec. 2016).

Andrew Sobelsohn is a senior at Columbia University in the City of New York. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master's of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University. He is a double major in History and English at Columbia University, specializing in the history of the modern Middle East. His senior thesis explores the reestablishment of the judicial system in Palestine under the British military and civil administrations. The summer before his senior year, Andrew received several grants to conduct archival research in England and he interned at the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. His research interests include the origins of the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, and the intersection of law and identity in the British Mandate for Palestine. Outside of his studies, Andrew is the president of Columbia University Film Productions, a member of Aryeh: Columbia Students Association for Israel, and lead guitarist and vocalist for Patches, a student-led folk-rock band. Andrew looks forward to forging strong academic and social connections with the Israeli people to enhance mutual understanding between the U.S. and Israel.

Matthew Wheeler received a B.A. in Arabic Studies with a minor in French from the University of Maryland. He has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a a Master's of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University. Matthew spent a year in Meknes, Morocco studying Arabic with the Language Flagship as a recipient of a Boren Scholarship. In addition to academics, he interned at the US Department of State and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. As an Army ROTC cadet at Maryland, he participated in an exchange at Morocco’s Royal Military Academy through the ROTC Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency program and served as cadet commander of Maryland Army ROTC during his senior year. Matthew will commission as a Military Intelligence officer in May of 2019. He looks forward to immersing himself in Israeli culture and deepening his knowledge of the Middle East in order to better serve the United States in the future.

Miranda Bass is a senior at the United States Military Academy – West Point. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master of Arts in Security and Diplomacy Studies at Tel Aviv University. She is a double major in International Relations and Chinese at West Point. Miranda is writing a senior thesis on the Russian anti-Jewish pogroms, which she has been selected to present at multiple conferences. In addition to studying in the United Kingdom and Israel, Miranda attended National Taiwan University for a semester and has served as language support in the annual Army-Army Dialogue Mechanism between the United States and China, representing West Point and the US Army in Chinese. Beyond academics, Miranda serves as the Cadet-in-Charge of the Glee Club and Jewish Hillel. She looks forward to deepening her knowledge of Israel and the Israeli people to serve the US Army and her country. Miranda will commission as a Military Intelligence officer in May of 2018.

Valerie Brukhis received her BA in International Studies and Political Science at the University of St. Thomas. She spent a semester with the School for International Training in Geneva, Switzerland in the program “International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy.” During her undergraduate career, she published and presented several peer-reviewed articles, conducted international field work, interned at UNICEF Ukraine as well as a think tank in DC. The Fulbright Fellowship will enable her to receive her MA in Security and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University. Building on her functional international experience, Valerie will pursue a thesis titled, “The Power of Inclusivity: Israeli Recruitment as a Good Lesson to U.S. Intelligence.” The goal of her research and overall time in Israel is to promote exchange both on societal as well as governmental levels.

Daimiris Garcia received her BA in Political Science with a minor in French at the University of Florida. She undertook an exchange year abroad in L’Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po Paris) where she focused on Middle Eastern politics and counterinsurgency strategy. Since then Daimiris has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Mediation (Public Policy) from Tel Aviv University. She will be studying the interdisciplinary nature of conflict and the role of policy in international resolutions. She hopes to specialize in the areas of conflict resolution related to international law and security.