Peer Advisors
Undergraduate Peer Advisors are senior Public Policy students who are experienced in course planning, research, and juggling the many opportunities available at Stanford. Many have also been involved in Bing Overseas Studies Programs, Stanford in Washington, Summer Research College, and honors programs. As such, they are able to answer questions not only about the Public Policy major and coursework but also about how these many Stanford opportunities can enhance a student's experience of the Public Policy major. Undergraduate Peer Advisors are happy to answer questions by email and to meet with prospective majors one-on-one.
Aden Beyene
adenb [at] stanford.edu (adenb[at]stanford[dot]edu)
Cohort: 2024
Concentration: Law and the Legal System
Aden [she/her] is a senior double majoring in Public Policy and Data Science with concentrations in Law and Legal System and Law and Justice, respectively. Aden is interested in electoral politics, especially how voting behavior interacts with elements of identity and race. She served as a research assistant under Professor Prillaman studying identity politics in India’s elections, worked as an associate with the Center for Election Science advocating for approval voting, and is currently obtaining congressional experience as an intern with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. In the spring of her junior year, Aden studied abroad at Oxford, completing a tutorial in Public Policy, Law, and Governance on the topic of voting reform. She loves participating in Stanford’s VSO communities, serving as the former Co-Chair of the Undergraduate Senate, the current Co-President of Stanford Women’s Cap and Gown, and President of the Stanford Political Union. In her free time, Aden enjoys attending dance workshops and binge-watching Suits as an aspiring law student herself. Aden changed her intended major multiple times before deciding on Public Policy, so please feel free to reach out with questions about course planning or deciding what area of study is best for you!
José Luis Gandara
gandara [at] stanford.edu (gandara[at]stanford[dot]edu)
Cohort: 2024
Concentration: Urban and Regional Policy
José (he/him) is a senior majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Urban and Regional Policy. He is also beginning the MPP program, where he is concentrating in Urban Policy. José is passionate about finding practical solutions to California’s housing crisis and hopes to increase the supply of housing affordable to low- and middle-income residents in San Francisco and across the state. While on a leave of absence during the 2020-21 academic year, José worked as a policy intern for First Community Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer based in San José, where he completed Low Income Housing Tax Credit applications and reviewed recently-passed legislation on streamlining, density bonuses, transit-oriented development, and other pro-housing reforms. He currently works on the communications team for California Senator Scott Wiener (San Francisco) and recently interned in the Capitol Office of Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez as part of the Stanford in Washington program. He researches multiracial democracy alongside Prof. Hakeem Jefferson and has worked in the Polarization and Social Change Lab to investigate the political effects of racial identity. Outside of his studies, José has served as Vice Chair of Civic Engagement and Director of Community Service for Stanford in Government, assisted in projects with the Stanford Decarceration Collective, and recently led a SPOT camping trip for the third consecutive year.
DeAndre Johnson
deandre [at] stanford.edu (deandre[at]stanford[dot]edu)
Cohort: 2024
Concentration: Discrimination, Crime, and Poverty Policy
DeAndre (he/they) is a senior majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Discrimination, Crime, and Poverty. He is interested in using economics research to help policy-makers and everyday people from marginalized backgrounds make better informed decisions. DeAndre was named by former President Marc Tessier-Lavigne as Stanford’s 2023 Newman Civic Fellow, primarily for his work as an EdP Fellow at the Haas Center supporting education equity efforts in East Palo Alto. He has also worked to uplift marginalized communities through research opportunities at Stanford and MIT, where he analyzed various data sets to better understand the experiences of low-income workers in the labor market. He's also interned at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and San Jose Parks and Rec. DeAndre served as a Resident Assistant in EVGR (Duan Family Hall) and Otero, the Public Service theme Dorm. He also serves as a student representative on the Haas Center’s National Advisory Board. DeAndre is excited to be working on a senior honors thesis focused on understanding whether relaxing strict school discipline improves student achievement in California elementary schools. Outside of the classroom and service, DeAndre has been heavily involved in acapella on-campus, serving as Financial Officer for The Stanford Fleet Street Singers.
Zac Nguyen
%20zvnguyen [at] stanford.edu (zvnguyen[at]stanford[dot]edu)
Cohort: 2024
Concentration: Health Care Policy
Zac Nguyen (he/him) is a senior studying Public Policy with a concentration in Health Policy. He is interested in learning more about the mechanics of our healthcare system and how to design a better system that is affordable and accessible to all. He hopes to make an impact in the healthcare space as a physician and in policymaking entities. Born and raised in Texas, he is interested in Texas politics, and he worked on a few local campaigns during 2020-2021 election cycle. He has interned at the Office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, funded by a SIG Stipend, where he gained an appreciation for the high impact of local government on its community and the potential for local governments to be engines for policy innovation and change. On campus, he is an officer for Stanford SPLASH, a Lead Tutor at the Center for Teaching and Learning, and an undergraduate researcher in the Du Bois Lab.
Megan Olomu
megolomu [at] stanford.edu (megolomu[at]stanford[dot]edu)
Cohort: 2024
Concentration: Law and the Legal System
Megan is a senior from Dallas, Texas majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Law and the Legal System. She has a deep passion for law, economics, and healthcare, and explores the intersection of these fields on and off campus. She has previously interned for a Texas State Senate campaign, the 101st Civil District Court in Dallas County, various law firms, and the Office of Economic Analytics at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington D.C. She has also worked as Research Assistant for Professor Mark Duggan, the director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), looking at the economic implications of privatizing the hospital sector. On campus, Megan is also a member of the Track and Field team, Co-President of the Stanford Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and a Stanford Law School Undergraduate Fellow. Megan is excited to answer any questions and talk about all things Public Policy and more!