Peer Advising
The Political Science peer advisors are current majors who are passionate about the program and available to advise prospective and current students. They have all taken very different paths within the major and each can talk about courses, the declaration process, picking a major advisor, and other opportunities within the department and the University. Peer advisors are available via email, and they hold frequent office hours and events throughout the year. They are very willing to help!
2022-2023 Peer Advisors
Ethan Lee
elee23 [at] stanford.edu
Ethan (he/him) is a senior studying Political Science (with tracks in International Relations and Political Economy/Development) and a minor in history. Ethan is interested in US foreign policy and coercive diplomacy, with his International Security Studies thesis examining when and why Americans believe that policymakers should follow through on threats. He is the President of the Society for International Affairs at Stanford and served as Secretary-General of Stanford's Model United Nations Conference. Ethan works as a research assistant to Dr. Amy Zegart and Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, and he has previously interned for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, James Marin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, and the District Office of Congressman Ted W. Lieu. He is originally from Calabasas, CA, and enjoys backpacking, golfing, and the performing arts. Ethan is looking forward to talking about the political/social sciences at Stanford and anything else that is related!
Amira Dehmani
Amira (she/her) is a junior studying Political Science with a primary track in Justice and Law and a secondary track in Data Science. She also plans to co-term in Sociology. She is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and worked in the Library of Congress' Educational Outreach team in Washington, D.C. this past summer. At Stanford, she is the Chair of the ASSU Undergraduate Senate, a Resident Assistant, and a T.A. for ENGR 103 (Public Speaking)! Outside of school, she loves reality television, with Dancing With The Stars and The Bachelorette being among her favorites. You can also catch her at Coupa getting an iced vanilla latte and a chocolate scone or at CoHo for their Ube donuts!
Ashwin Pillai
Ashwin (he/him) is a senior double majoring in Political Science and Philosophy, minoring in Music, and pursuing a coterminal master’s degree in Philosophy. His political science tracks are Justice and Law and Elections, Representation, and Governance. He is interested in political theory and the role of the judiciary in democratic societies, and his honors thesis with the McCoy Center for Ethics in Society will touch on both of these topics. Ashwin has worked at multiple different public interest law and civil liberties organizations, engaging with issues such as fair housing, surveillance policy, and education law. On campus, he is an undergraduate fellow at the Stanford Constitutional Law Center, a Structured Liberal Education tutor and community connection, an intern at the Stanford Center for Racial Justice, and an avid member of Stanford Mixed Company A Cappella. In the future, he hopes to attend law school and eventually work in public interest law or academia. Outside of his academic work, Ashwin loves going on long bike rides, listening to Supreme Court podcasts, and singing with his friends. Come talk to him about political theory, working law or policy jobs during the school year, and tailoring the Political Science major or minor to your personal interests!
Jessica Lee
jlee2024 [at] stanford.edu
Jessica (she/her) is a junior majoring in Political Science with tracks in Justice and Law and International Relations who is also pursuing minors in Spanish and Music. She is interested, broadly speaking, in political theory, violence and human rights, and in issues relating to climate change. On campus, Jessica is involved in Stanford Housing Justice, Stanford Society for Latin American Politics, and Habla. Through the support of Stanford in Government, she spent her last summer working as an intern for the International Crisis Group’s Latin America and Future of Conflict programs, and continues to conduct research under the latter. The summer before that, she ran a youth-led campaign to push climate change on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s agenda. In the past, she has worked as a research assistant for the Political Psychology Research Group. Outside of academics, Jessica is very passionate about classical music (she plays the cello!) and literature. Jessica is eager to chat and answer any questions you may have about anything related to Political Science, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Avi Gupta
avigupta [at] stanford.edu
Sumayo Hassan
sahassan [at] stanford.edu
Sumayo (she/her) is a senior studying Political Science pursuing the tracks Justice & the Law and International Relations along with a minor in Human Rights. In the future she is planning to pursue law school. She spent the past summer as a research assistant at the Hoover Institution and also has experience working with international non-profits. She studied Politics at Oxford with BOSP last spring. Sumayo is an avid reader and will never say no to book or movie recommendations. She is from Seattle, WA and can often be found walking on campus with a cup of coffee in hand.
Connor Begovich
cbegovic [at] stanford.edu
Connor (he/him) is a second-year transfer student majoring in Political Science with a primary track in Elections, Representation, and Governance and a secondary track in International Relations. He is interested in a broad range of topics, from the politics of discrimination to international conflict and bargaining to the American judicial system. Connor plans on attending law school after he graduates from Stanford, and he holds positions in multiple law-oriented organizations on campus, including Stanford Undergraduate Law Review, Stanford Pre-Law Society, and Stanford Law School’s Constitutional Law Center. He enjoys exploring different sections of the legal field and has previously completed internships in a private equity firm’s Legal & Compliance department, at the San Diego Public Defender’s Office, and at a law firm that specializes in representing plaintiffs in complex class-action litigation. Outside of school and work, Connor loves playing and watching golf and tennis and is a huge Stanford sports fan (catch him at the next home game!). He also participates in intramural volleyball, and he can’t stop watching 60 Minutes. Connor is more than happy to chat about anything, from tips on petitioning the department for major/transfer credit to his favorite classes to the most interesting cases he worked on at the Public Defender, so don’t hesitate to reach out to him!
Malaysia Atwater
matwater [at] stanford.edu
Malaysia Atwater (she/her) is a senior from Centennial, Colorado studying Political Science, with a primary focus in elections, representation, and governance, and a secondary focus in justice and the law. Malaysia is interested in the intersection of technology and democracy, the role of the media in electoral politics, and the impact of politics on the economy and markets. She is currently serving as a research assistant under Dr. Amy Zegart, and she has interned for the New York City Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer and Bridgewater Associates. Malaysia is a former News Managing Editor for The Stanford Daily, and she enjoys weightlifting, listening to music, dancing, and going on walks in her free time. She is excited to talk about the Political Science major, exploring internship opportunities in different fields, and anything else students would like to talk about!
Karen Cho
karencho [at] stanford.edu
Karen (she/her) is a junior majoring in Political Science (with tracks in Justice and Law and Political Economy and Development) and a minor in Human Rights. She loves to think about political theory, foreign policy, international law, and immigration. On campus, she serves as the Vice President of Membership for the Stanford Debate Society and as an undergraduate editor for the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. She has previously interned at the U.S. Department of State and the Santa Clara County Office of Reentry Services (SIG fellowship). Some of her favorite experiences at Stanford have included participating in the Afghan Policy Practicum at Stanford Law School and the National Security Affairs Fellowship at Hoover. Outside of her studies, she loves to travel, play the violin, and watch crime shows. She is happy to connect with anyone hoping to chat about political science, pre-law, international background, or anything else!
