Meet the Staff
Editorial Board
Grace Adcox, Editor-in-Chief
Grace is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a double major in Political Science and Asian Studies. As a Nashville native, she can most often be found in local coffeeshops writing about and researching refugees and immigration. Outside of VPR, she conducts research for the Latin American Public Opinion Project and the Research on Conflict and Collective Action Lab. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Vanderbilt Political Review, and she is grateful for the opportunity to work with her talented staff and dedicated editorial board.
Catherine Kvam, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Catherine Kvam is a senior and Deputy Editor in Chief for VPR. Previously, Kvam served as a Senior Editor after joining the staff as a contributor in 2016. She is interested in social justice topics and international affairs.
Alejandro Monzon, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Jamie Jacobson, Managing Director
Jamie Jacobson is a senior from Denver, Colorado majoring in Public Policy Studies. Jamie developed her love for politics as a high school speech and debate nerd. She is most interested in domestic policy and politics, especially health care policy and public health advocacy. Jamie also serves as a member of Speaker’s Committee at Vanderbilt. In her free time, Jamie enjoys reading The Atlantic and baking cakes, cookies, and other pastries (always from scratch).
Drew Perez, Online Director & Senior Editor
Drew is a sophomore from Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, majoring in Public Policy Studies. On campus, he is a member of Delta Sigma Pi and a contributor to the Vanderbilt Hustler sports section. Drew enjoys reading Nate Silver and playing with his bernedoodle puppy, Tess.
Eric Asen, Senior Editor
Naveen Krishnan, Senior Editor
Roshan Natarajan, Senior Editor
Contributors
Ben Lackner is a senior from Buffalo, New York who is studying Political Science and History. When he is not studying or writing for VPR, he enjoys watching Buffalo sports and reading. Additionally, he plays for Vanderbilt’s club hockey team, is a member of Vanderbilt Student Government, and is involved in Greek Life.
JJoe is a senior from Purchase, New York double majoring in English and Political Science. Outside of VPR, Joe is the founder and chairman of the Vanderbilt Student Library Committee and a member of the prose staff for the Vanderbilt Review. He is particularly interested in the interaction between American politics, popular culture, and media.
Palmer Montalbano is a junior from New Orleans, Louisiana planning on double majoring in Political Science and Communications. He was inspired to write after witnessing the chaotic presidential election filled with false news stories and hopes to bring quality news stories to the Vanderbilt community. He is Vice President of a local New Orleans non-profit, Hams For Fams. He also writes poetry in his free time.
Gavin is a senior Political Science/Medicine Health and Society double major from Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He is interested in how international occurrences affect local communities and is currently on the Pre-med track. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and meeting new people.
Rebecca is a senior from Armonk, New York majoring in Medicine, Health, and Society, and minoring in Biology. She is on the pre-veterinary track, and is very passionate about her love for animals. Her political interests include social justice topics and environmentalism. Outside of VPR, she is a member of TAP, where she tutors children from North Nashville. She enjoys the outdoors, hiking, swimming, and scuba diving.
Jacques is a senior history major and political science minor from Dallas, Texas. He is interested in Middle Eastern politics, stemming from having family in the region. Jacques enjoys traveling to politically relevant countries, including Cuba, Tunisia, Israel, and Russia.
Donald, or D.J., is a sophomore from Lake City, Florida planing on majoring in Political Science along with minors in History and Russian Studies. When not watching college football, UFC, or YouTube movie reviews, he can be found hosting prospective students with Dore for a Day, working at the Pub, or attending a political convention. His interests include questioning the role of government in our lives, the evolution of party politics, and political theory.
Kyle is a senior majoring in Economics and HOD. He is very active in the social impact sector, currently working at the Nashville Wine Auction non-profit. Kyle has been in VPR for 4 years and specializes in writing economics-centered articles.
Jessica Barker is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She is particularly interested in women’s issues and local politics, and has written for independent feminist publications for the past several years voicing her opinion about these issues. In her free time, she likes to garden and bake.
Ronnie is an exchange student from Paris, France completing his senior year in Nashville. He is majoring in Politics and Government, with a focus on Euro-American relations. Outside the Vanderbilt Political Review, he is involved in European Politics and in Dutch Politics. His country of origin is the Netherlands.
Ali is a sophomore from Memphis, TN majoring in neuroscience and hoping to research autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She is also passionate about creating a more inclusive environment for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Outside of VPR, she works on the exec board for Autism Speaks, dances for VUDM as part of the moral committee, and teaches kids about science through VSVS.
Sophia Yan is a freshman from Shenzhen, China majoring in Human & Organizational Development (HOD) with a concentration in international leadership and minoring in art. She is particularly interested in the impact of education policy on economic development and social mobility in different countries. In her free time, she likes to scout locations for photography, pat cats at local cat cafes, and watch thriller movies.
Samuel Frank is a junior majoring in mathematics who has been published in several think-tanks and newsletters. He mostly enjoys writing about the economy as well as applied economics. He transferred from the University of Rochester after his sophomore year, and he plans on working in finance after graduation.
Jin is a junior from Lafayette, California majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Social Policy. He transferred from University of California, San Diego where he was a sociology major and political science minor. Jin is particularly interested in criminal justice and education reform. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis for Vanderbilt’s club tennis team and listening to music.
Chloe Hall is a freshman from Louisville, KY who is majoring in Public Policy Studies. She is primarily interested in researching comprehensive policy solutions to structural issues such as affordable housing and predatory lending, as well as better understanding international affairs. Outside of VPR, she enjoys reading the news, movie reviews, and the occasional Clickhole article.
Alex Stoneman is a freshman from Boardman, Ohio majoring in Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and minoring in Chemistry. He is interested in all kinds of domestic policy and foreign affairs. In his free time, he likes music, trivia, and riding the roller coaster of Cleveland sports.
Amanda is a freshman from Scarsdale, NY majoring in Political Science with a possible minor in Business. She is very interested in social justice, law, and public policy. Outside of VPR, she is a writer for the Vanderbilt Hustler, a member of the Vanderbilt Women’s Club Soccer team, and a member of the Community Engagement committee for Women in Government. She also enjoys skiing, running, reading, and hiking.
Isabella is a sophomore from Tomball, Texas, double-majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. She has lived in Indonesia, Nigeria, and Vietnam, and loves to learn and write about countries and cultures outside the US. Isabella is also passionate about women’s rights, the environment, and systematic inequality. In her free time she loves to cook, hike, paint, and try new things.
Dominique Greene is a freshman from Birmingham, AL majoring in computer engineering. She is most interested in computer science and photography. Her political interests include social justice topics and liberalism, and she is also a committee member for Vanderbilt’s NAACP chapter and WIC (women in computing).
Xinyi (Holly) is a sophomore from China, pursuing a double major in Political Science and Economics. She is most interested in international relations and is a research assistant at the Research on Conflict and Collective Action Lab. She enjoys outdoors, hiking, and rock climbing.
Musa is a junior majoring in Economics and History with a minor in Political Science. His interests include social movements, geopolitics, and political theory. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and watching movies.
Amy is a freshman from Beijing, China, planning to major in Political Science and Economics. As an international student who has lived abroad in various different countries, she takes particular interest in foreign affairs. In her spare time, she enjoys trying out new restaurants in Nashville, reading, and listening to music.
Udit is a first-year international student from New Delhi, India, pursuing a major in Computer Science and minors in Russian and Philosophy. He is primarily focused on studying modern imperialism, critical theory, workers’ rights, and the effect of corporate interests on the media. On campus, Udit is the Public Relations Chair of Gillette House and a passionate proponent of free, open source software and in his free time, he can be found jamming to The Strokes or cheering for Manchester United.
Warren is a Freshman from San Antonio, Texas studying Political Science and Economics. Warren is most interested in domestic policy, especially surrounding social justice issues and labor. In his spare time, Warren enjoys playing lacrosse, scrolling through Twitter, and listening to music.
Daniel Gulotta is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences majoring in Political Science and minoring in Communication Studies. A lifelong New Yorker with a passion for public policy, Daniel has always been interested in the expression of political news and opinions.
Netra is a sophomore from Louisville, KY, studying Medicine, Health, and Society with minors in Spanish and Arabic. She is most interested in foreign policy, with a particular focus on issues of immigration and foreign intervention. Outside of VPR, Netra enjoys dancing with VIDA and talking about her four dogs.
Brogan is a sophomore from Mount Sterling, Kentucky majoring in Political Science. Brogan has particular interest in environmental studies, international human rights, and classic film.
Sael is a junior from Madison, Wisconsin majoring in Chemistry and Economics with a minor in Latin American Studies. Outside VPR, he is active with Vanderbilt Debate Team, Vanderbilt Projectx: Bridges, ALFPA, and working as an undergraduate research assistant at LAPOP.
