Meet the Fellows

Misael Azcona is a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, pursuing a Master of Science in Emergency Management. Misael cares deeply about public safety, community resilience, and sustainability. Misael served six years as a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsmen, ensuring medical and safety standards for his unit. Misael recently became a member of NYC CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) striving to learn from and help his community. As a John D. Solomon Fellow at New York Police Department’s Auxiliary Unit, Misael is eager to learn from and contribute to the department. A Bronx native, Misael is passionate about understanding the unique needs of local communities and connecting them with resources that strengthen safety, resilience, and sustainability. He looks forward to working with NYPD and continuing his service to New York City neighborhoods.

Madison Bollart is an MPA candidate at New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University with a degree in International Relations. She is currently an Access Health Policy Fellow with the New York Immigration Coalition, supporting health policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement to expand healthcare access for immigrant communities in New York. She has also worked with the New York State Division of Human Rights, contributing to legal research and civil rights investigations supporting case determinations. Prior to her policy work, she served with Teach For America and the Peace Corps, advancing educational equity in underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad. As a John D. Solomon Fellow with the NYC Fire Department, she aims to strengthen public safety communication, interagency coordination, and community resilience in emergency response across New York City.

Lucy Buckman is entering her second year towards completion of a Master of Development Practice at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Lucy’s previous work is in humanitarian assistance, having begun her career with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supporting the Syria team from Washington, D.C. and Amman, Jordan. Prior to Columbia, Lucy worked with the international NGO, Concern Worldwide, managing U.S.-funded programs, drafting proposals and reports, and acting as a donor liaison. 

This past summer, Lucy supported the Bangalore based emergency response and resilience building NGO-orchestration platform, Community Action Collaboration (CAC) to develop a member value assessment report. This experience deepened her understanding of the importance of locally-led emergency response coordination that contributes to community and household resilience, allowing communities to withstand shocks and crises. As a fellow with the NYC Emergency Management - EOC Unit, Lucy looks forward to supporting partner agency readiness and preparedness and learning more about intragovernmental coordination.

Laila Durrani is in her second year at Columbia University’s School of Public & International Affairs (SIPA). She is pursuing a Master of International Affairs, specializing in conflict resolution and peacemaking efforts in South Asia. Laila has worked within the public and non-profit sectors in the US and abroad and most recently served as a Senior Policy Associate at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), acting as a key liaison between elected officials, community stakeholders, and the Authority’s leadership to advocate for resident needs. As a John D. Solomon Fellow with the New York City Department of Correction, Laila hopes to apply her extensive international experience and knowledge of government processes to support emergency management protocols at DOC, with a focus on security as it pertains to preparedness. In the future, Laila hopes to continue working within the apparatus of city government to shape public policies which are attuned to the particular needs of New Yorkers, and most importantly, have solicited their input.

Liam Heng is a Master of Urban Planning student at New York University, focusing on transportation and land use policy. Growing up in Washington, he was first exposed to emergency preparedness through earthquake drills and wildfire awareness. Before graduate school, he worked in environmental consulting, supporting transportation safety and outreach projects in Seattle. Most recently, he interned with the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) in Tokyo, where he gained insight into emergency management practices for high-speed rail systems. Liam is excited to build on these experiences as a John D. Solomon Fellow at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Headquarters, where he hopes to expand his understanding of emergency preparedness with an emphasis on safety and continuity of service. 

Nathalie Kazzi is a student at Columbia University’s School of Public & International Affairs (SIPA), pursuing a Master of International Affairs, with a concentration in International Security and Diplomacy. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, Nathalie studied in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy program and served in the U.S. Army National Guard, experiences that have shaped her strong commitment to public service. As a John D. Solomon Fellow with the NYC Emergency Management - Strategic Partnerships Unit, she will gain firsthand experience in strengthening collaboration across sectors to enhance community resilience. Through the fellowship, Nathalie hopes to deepen her understanding of emergency management and strengthen her skills in interagency coordination as she prepares for a career in public service.

Christina King is a second-year Master of Science candidate at CUNY's Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, concentrating in Environmental and Occupational Health Science. Her research interests center on the unequal burden of environmental toxicant exposure in marginalized communities, emergency resource allocation, and equitable access to clean air and water across New York City. As the Solomon Fellow with the NYC Department of Emergency Management's Resiliency, Recovery and Planning Unit, she is excited to apply data analysis methods to examine resource distribution at the intersection of environmental justice and disaster preparedness. Prior work as an Emergency Medical Technician in New York's 911 system and as an emergency medicine research coordinator gave Christina direct clinical and analytical perspective on how emergencies unfold at the street level. Christina has lived in Panama, Brazil, India, and Australia, all of which have sharpened her understanding of how place, infrastructure, and institutional capacity shape health outcomes. A New Yorker for eleven years, she is originally from Madison, Wisconsin.

Alexandra Kouptsova is pursuing a Master of Science in Emergency Management at John Jay College. She graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, focusing on social determinants of health and the socioeconomic factors that shape communities' well-being. Afterward, she moved into direct community work specializing in homelessness prevention and housing retention, gaining firsthand insight into how these same forces shape New Yorkers' resilience to catastrophic events and how the effects ripple through every part of a person's life. Alexandra is joining the American Red Cross in Greater New York for her fellowship placement. At ARC, she hopes to build practical disaster response experience serving the greater New York community, while gaining hands-on skills in the management and logistics of the disaster management cycle.

Alya Ruiz is a Master of International Affairs candidate at Columbia University, concentrating in International Security and Diplomacy and minoring in Political Development and Governance. She has supported refugee populations in West Asia and Eastern Europe, contributed to disaster relief efforts in the Caribbean, and has experience in lobbying, advocacy, and campaign strategy. Alya also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, focusing on youth development and gender equity in rural communities. This summer, she worked with the U.S. Department of State on a multilateral security mission in coordination with the United Nations. As a State Department Fellow, she will join the U.S. Foreign Service upon graduation. Alya looks forward to supporting the NYC Emergency Management Government Relations Unit and providing legislative and research assistance to the team, while combining her passion for public service with effective, evidence-based policy.

Aida Saeed is pursuing a Master of International Affairs at Baruch College, specializing in International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs). She earned her law degree in Yemen, where she practiced law and conducted legal research while providing pro bono legal assistance to vulnerable communities. She further expanded her legal education through coursework at Cardozo School of Law. Aida supported community outreach initiatives for justice-impacted individuals through the New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) and currently volunteers with the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID), assisting low-income residents with tax preparation. As a John D. Solomon Fellow with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, she hopes to deepen her understanding of how emergency preparedness and public health planning can build stronger, more resilient communities and improve outcomes during times of crisis.

Anakaren Santana is pursuing a Master of Public Administration at NYU Wagner with a specialization in Public Policy Analysis. Her interest in public service grew from studying Sociology at York College and examining how public systems, environmental conditions, and health disparities shape communities across New York City. Through research and community-engaged work focused on climate, environmental, and public health issues, she has developed a strong interest in using research to better understand community experiences and inform policy solutions. As a John D. Solomon Fellow placed with NYCHA's Emergency Management and Services Department, Anakaren hopes to deepen her understanding of emergency preparedness, community resilience, and determine how public agencies can better support vulnerable populations before, during, and after emergencies.

Isabel Tadmiri is a graduate student at the NYU School of Global Public Health pursuing a Master of Science in Epidemiology with an Infectious Disease Concentration to explore the impact potential of epidemiologic toolkits for her communities' readiness and resilience. Isabel is originally from New York, NY and an alum of Oberlin College (2021), where she majored in Neuroscience with a double minor in Environmental Studies and Political Science. Prior to joining NYU, on a post-graduate fellowship with Oberlin Shansi, Isabel worked in the forests of South India supporting Indigenous producer cooperatives in sustainable development and climate resilience interventions. Isabel is drawn towards work at the critical intersections of global health, immunology, and climate resilience. As a first-year graduate student, Isabel has served as team lead for NYU’s Neglected Tropical Disease surveillance, research, and global advocacy team and during Summer 2026, Isabel worked to advance New York City’s real-time fatal and non-fatal overdose surveillance systems an Epi Scholar with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).  After her first year of graduate school, Isabel is left with a keen interest in how creative, proactive epidemiologic surveillance systems can be used as a resilience and repair tool in NYC and beyond. As NYCEM’s 2026-2027 John. D Solomon Fellow at  NYC Health + Hospitals, Isabel is honored and excited to serve her city with a team on the frontlines of health preparedness for New Yorkers through special pathogen surveillance, bio-preparedness, and proactive climate resilience.