Undergraduate Fellowship

Wiliani Alicea 

Wilaini Alicea is pursuing a Criminal Justice and International Affairs double major with a minor in Management. She currently serves as the UC Undergraduate Student Body Vice President. She also serves as the Co-President of the Ohio Innocent Project-u and a Peer Facilitator for the Learning Commons.

Sean Atkinson

Sean is from Cleveland, Ohio. He is an Economics major and Political Science minor at UC. Sean is a Kautz-Uible Fellow, is a Cincinnatus Scholar, and is active in the Economic Society. For his first year of Lindner experience, Sean served two semesters as a project leader. Outside of class, Sean completed an internship with the Office of Senator Bernie Moreno.

Alexander Caldwell

Alexander is from Newtownards, Northern Ireland. He is majoring in Political Science with a minor in German and is one of two Head delegates of the Model United Nations team. He is also a University Honors Program scholar. In Summer 2024, Alexander contributed to research at UC's Taft Research Center and studied abroad in Leeds.

Leen Ciba

Leen is a UC Global Scholar from Manitoba, Canada. She is pursuing a History major, an Arabic minor, and certificates in Middle Eastern Studies and Business French. Leen is the President of the UC Mock Trial Student Association and the Secretary General/Social Media Director of the UC Model United Nations Club. She is also a Welcome Mentor at the University Honors Program.

Avery Cook-Porter 

Avery is a second-year student from Hocking Hills, Ohio. She is majoring in Political Science with a certificate in Journalism. Avery is a Cincinnatus Scholar, as well as a member of the University Honors Program. Within the Honors Program, she serves as an ambassador and the Developmental Director on the Ambassador Leadership Team. Avery is also a member of URGE UC (Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity), the UC Thrift Club, and the Assistant Marketing Director for Her Campus Cincinnati.

Sofia Parisotto Ferrigolo 

Sofia Ferrigolo is a Lindner Honors-PLUS senior, NEXT Innovation Scholar, and Kautz-Uible Fellow studying Economics, Environmental Policy, and Innovation. Originally from Brazil, Sofia has a background in climate advocacy and is passionate about advancing sustainability through business and policy. Sofia serves as Director of Sustainability in Student Government, is a member of Sigma Phi Honorary, and works at the Center for Entrepreneurship. She brings consulting experience from AMEND and McKinsey & Company, focusing on impact-driven solutions around the world.

Ingrid Fretz

Ingrid is from Elkhart, Indiana and is a Cincinnatus Scholar at UC. She is majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. Ingrid serves as the Lead Ambassador Student Fellow for the Warren Bennis Leadership Institute. She is also a member of the University of Cincinnati's Swim and Dive Team and a board member of the IEC (Inspire, Equip, Connect) Club for Female Student Athletes. 

Natalie George, Portman Family Fellow

Natalie is from Cleveland, OH and is a Kautz-Uible Economics Institute Fellow and Trailblazer Scholar. She is majoring in Business Economics and Business Law & Ethics. Natalie is a part of the Economics Society and UC Club Softball Team. On campus she is a Resident Advisor, Teaching Assistant, and PACE Leader (Professionalism, Academics, Character, and Engagement  among undergraduate students at Lindner College of Business). Outside of class, Natalie is completing her first rotation as an analyst at AMEND Consulting.

Clare Graff 

A Cincinnati native, Clare is an Honors student and Cincinnatus Scholar, double-majoring in International Affairs and German Studies. On campus, she serves as the secretary of the German Club and is both a delegate and Director General for Model United Nations. She has also directed performances and served as the events coordinator for Bravo Bearcats, in addition to singing for UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. Clare has had the opportunity to study abroad in Mexico, Belgium, and the Netherlands, as well as independently in Mainz, Germany.

Charlie Harker 

Charlie is a third-year student from Lebanon, OH. She is majoring in Medical Sciences with a Medical Humanities certificate. Charlie is a part of the NEXT Innovation Scholars, a Community Health Worker for the American Heart Association, and participates in genetics research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Cameron Hawkins

Hailing from Carmel, Indiana, Cameron is double majoring in Political Science and Law and Society. She is a Darwin T. Turner Scholar and Ambassador, and she serves as the Vice President of the UC undergraduate Women In Law organization. Cameron is a member of the University Honors Program and the Black Feminist Collective. She is also a recipient of the Cincinnatus Century Scholarship and the Buxbaum Workum Scholarship.

Christina Horn

Christina is a fourth-year student majoring in Political Science, with a Spanish minor and two certificates in Legal Studies and Social Justice. Throughout her time at UC, she has been involved as a Community Action Team member, a peer facilitator, a Bearcat Buddy, a teaching assistant, and a member of CWEST Honorary and Pi Sigma Alpha. Outside of the University, Christina works as a practice group assistant for KMK Law.

Samantha Jackson 

Samantha Jackson is a Class of 2026 Honors student. She is majoring in Psychology on the pre-law track, with certificates in Legal Studies, Professional Communication, and Minority Health. Samantha serves as a Senior Student Associate in the Office of the President and holds leadership roles as Executive Liaison for the Psychology Club and Director of Civic Responsibility for the UC Service-Learning Student Impact Group. She is also a member of CWEST Women’s Honorary and Psi Chi.

Sebastian Losacker-Arenas

Sebastian is a rising senior originally from Southern Ohio. A member of the Cincinnatus Scholar Program and the Honors Program, Sebastian is double-majoring in Political Science and International Affairs and is minoring in International Business within the Carl H. Lindner College of Business. While at UC, Sebastian has had leadership positions in clubs and organizations, including the Student Government, UC Pre-Law Club, Pi Sigma Alpha Honorary Society, and the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.

While working towards his undergraduate degree, Sebastian has continued to develop his career through exciting internship roles. The first offer he received was to work for the Floor Majority Leader of the Ohio House, Fmr. State Representative Bill Seitz. Sebastian has also interned for Fmr. Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-2) and Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio. Additionally, Sebastian has worked as a Clerk for the Katz Teller Law Firm based in Cincinnati and as a Government Affairs intern for the American Forest and Paper Association based in Washington D.C.

Tokhirjon Otakhonov

Tokhirjon is a third-year student from Namangan, Uzbekistan. He is pursuing double degrees in Law & Society (BIS) and Economics (BA). Tokhirjon is an International Outreach Scholar at UC and a recipient of the “El-yurt umidi” Foundation scholarship awarded by the government of Uzbekistan.

Since Summer 2024, Tokhirjon has been contributing to a professor’s research project in the School of Public and International Affairs at UC with funding from the UC Taft Research Center, focusing on globalization through the lens of multinational corporations operating across industries. Furthermore, in Fall 2024, he served as a Teaching Assistant for the Business Law 2080 course.

Tokhirjon speaks Uzbek, English, and Russian. He was an English language tutor at Algoritm education center in Namangan, Uzbekistan.

Jay Patel, Nelson Schwab, Jr. Fellow

Jay is a second-year student from West Chester, Ohio. He is a Cincinnatus scholar and is majoring in Medical Sciences and Liberal Arts. He conducts molecular and cancer biology research at the Vontz Center and is the founder and president of the Dahyabhai Foundation.

Vanessa Roth

Vanessa Roth is a first-year student studying Mechanical Engineering. Vanessa holds Eagle Scout rank in the Scouts BSA program of Scouting America, and she attributes her interests and views in part to this rigorous experience. Vanessa values spending time in nature and collaborating with others. She is excited to be a part of the Portman Center team and especially looks forward to working with others.

Nathan Shell

Nathan Shell is a second-year student at the University of Cincinnati, double majoring in Political Science and International Affairs. Additionally, he holds the honor of being the Undergraduate Student Body Treasurer for the 2025-2026 academic year and is a proud Representative of the Student Veterans of America Organization at the University of Cincinnati. Nathan is a Cadet in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and is actively building himself up for a future Army career.

Serene Tarabishi

Serene is a Cincinnatus Scholar at UC and is double majoring in Law & Society and Arabic Language and Culture, with a minor in French and a certificate in Middle Eastern Studies. Within SPIA, she is a member of a research group studying political violence and extremism. Outside of classes, she is an award-winning competitor and treasurer for the UC Model UN Club, a member of the UC Muslim Student Association, and a volunteer at Emerging Sprouts Forest School. 

Lela Walker

Lela is majoring in Political Science and Journalism. She is a proud Darwin T. Turner Scholar and Mentor and serves as the Director of Diversity & Inclusion for the Turner Ambassadors Program. Lela is also an Opinion Staff Reporter for the UC News Record and a member of both the UC Feminists and UC Horticulture Club. 

Selma Younes

Selma Younes is a fourth-year Criminal Justice major from Kettering, Ohio, with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Legal Studies. She is an Honors Student, a Cincinnatus and Delta Mu Delta Scholar, and Head Delegate for UC’s Model United Nations team. Selma researches cybercrime as part of the CYBORG research group and served as a Pre-Professional Advising Center Ambassador, aiding other students. Passionate about public service, she has interned with a federal agency, a private defense firm, the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, and worked as a police clerk. Fluent in both Arabic and Spanish, she is an interpreter for Juvenile Court.