Nine University of Florida students have been selected to the 2025-26 cohort of the Preston Haskell and Reubin Askew Scholars programs by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. As they progress through their fellowship, the center is pleased to recognize their contributions to public service through their research and engagement efforts.
Haskell Scholars and Askew Scholars are chosen annually through a competitive selection process based on their academic excellence and dedication to civic engagement. Haskell projects focus on international issues, while Askew projects focus on domestic problems. In addition to gaining valuable undergraduate research experience, scholars receive a $2,000 award over the academic year to support their projects. Faculty mentors and Graham Center staff provide guidance throughout the program.
2025-26 Haskell Scholars
Evan Anja Anzano
Anja is a second year student majoring in International Studies with a focus in Asia. She participates with the DEI agency of Student government. She is actively involved in the Gainesville community and plans to be an educator in topics relating to Southeast Asia.
She studies how the history of nursing in the Philippines—shaped by colonial influence—continues to affect Filipino nurses working in the United States. She explores how U.S. power helped create the stereotype of Filipino nurses as caretakers and how that idea has changed the culture and experiences of these nurses today. Her work reviews the nursing history of the Philippines, ideas of Orientalism, and the stories of Filipino nurses now.
Leila Barq
Leila is a senior studying Political Science, Arabic Language and Literature, and declaring International Studies. She serves as President of the Arab Students’ Association and Vice‑President of Students Organize for Syria, while teaching Arabic as a teaching assistant. She has interned with the Atlantic Council’s Syria Strategy Project and volunteers each summer with the Hanan Foundation, supporting displaced Syrian children in Turkey. She aims to become a humanitarian lawyer focused on Middle‑Eastern foreign policy.
Her research investigates how European integration policies and cultural fears—such as Islamophobia, Orientalism, and racism—shape the experiences of Syrian refugees, offering recommendations for more inclusive approaches to integration.
Isabella Castro
Isabella Castro is a junior International Studies major with a concentration in Europe and plans to double‑major in Dual Languages. She is fluent in Spanish and French, is learning Russian, and serves as a Peer Leader for First‑Year Florida while interning with the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. Off campus, she volunteers as an English teacher for the Latina Women’s League. Isabella plans a career in diplomacy or international public service, using her language skills and commitment to cross‑cultural understanding to foster global cooperation and equity.
Her current research examines how far‑right parties in Europe use propaganda, emotional rhetoric, and rewritten history to shape national identity, create fear, and undermine democratic values.
Natalia Lopez
Natalia is a senior at the University of Florida, studying Economics, Political Science, and History. She founded and edits the student publication Florida Finibus, will soon serve as President of the Alexander Hamilton Society, and competes on the Poe Business Ethics Case Competition team. Off‑campus, she interns at the Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair and is a Civic Leadership Fellow with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Institute.
Her research examines how China’s strategic infrastructure projects in Latin America and Africa influence critical‑mineral supply chains and geopolitical alignments, and she hopes to pursue a career in Washington, D.C., focusing on counter‑China foreign‑policy and national‑security work.
Mary Reimann
Mary is a senior majoring in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences and additional studies in International Development, Humanitarian Assistance, and CALS International Studies. She has served on the Graham Center’s Mock Trial team and as a Student Fellow, is Vice‑President of Programming for UF Special Olympics, and leads philanthropy for Phi Mu.
Her research examines how the global rise to 120 million forcibly displaced people—shaping emotional and social infrastructure worldwide—impacts educational outcomes in the most affected regions and evaluates the responses of national policies and international organizations. After graduation she plans to join a nonprofit focused on youth development while pursuing graduate studies.
2025-26 Askew Scholars
Ananya Balaji
Ananya Balaji is a senior at the University of Florida, double‑majoring in Political Science, Criminology, Anthropology, and Social Justice & Policy. She works as for the Alachua County Democratic Party, Student Legal Services, Planned Parenthood Generation Action, and Rowdy Magazine.
Her current research investigates how police accountability for brutality affects electoral participation in the post‑George Floyd era. Ananya plans to pursue graduate study in public policy or law after graduation and continues to advocate for social‑justice policies.
Selin Ciltas
Selin is President of the Bob Graham Center Fellows, actively involved with the Turkish Student Association, and a member of Pi Beta Phi at UF. She plans to pursue research‑driven public‑policy work in nonpartisan settings, with a long‑term goal of collaborating with organizations such as the Center for Effective Lawmaking, the Bipartisan Policy Institute, or the Center for Women in American Politics.
Her research analyzes how Florida’s women legislators cooperate through co‑sponsorship, applying quantitative methods beyond game theory to uncover the dynamics of female legislative behavior.
Danna Leyton
Danna is a senior majoring in Political Science with a focus on Latin American Studies and minoring in Medical Geography within Global Health. She actively participates in the Hispanic Student Association, serves on the Center for Undergraduate Research Board of Students, and volunteers at Alachua County Public Schools.
Her research studies how Florida’s public policy shapes access to nutritious food in low‑income and agricultural communities—using GIS mapping, case studies (e.g., Immokalee), interviews, and policy analysis—to produce actionable insights that bridge nutrition inequality and policymaking.
Rasika Sriram
Rasika is a junior double‑majoring in Political Science and Economics with a Public Health minor. She leads campus diversity initiatives as President of the Indian Students Association, serves as Diversity Chair in Student Government, and directs the First‑Year Leadership Experience. Off campus, she has interned for a Florida state representative and now works as a legal intern at YIMBY Law, where she helps advance equitable housing access.
Her current research examines how U.S. regulations on healthcare mergers influence competition, patient choice, and costs. By analyzing real‑world mergers, economic data, and expert testimony, she seeks to inform policymakers and health leaders on balancing business efficiency with affordable, high‑quality care.