Irwin Cotler Fellows 2026-2027

Akshaj Shetty, India, is an MA student in Conflict Resolution and Mediation at Tel Aviv University. He holds a BA in Media and Communication and previously worked as a Brand Solutions Strategist for leading food and lifestyle brands in India. His interests include global diplomacy, cultural communication, strengthening India–Israel relations, and promoting India’s rich Jewish heritage.

Ben Cooper, United Kingdom, is an MA student in Security and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University. He earned an LLB in Law from the University of Sussex, where he was elected president of the Jewish Society. He later interned at the Herzog Fox & Neeman law firm in Tel Aviv and has lived on a kibbutz in Israel since graduating. His experiences in law, Israel, and community leadership inform his interest in security, diplomacy, and Jewish communal life.

Bianca Oprea, Romania, is an MA student in Cyber Politics and Government at Tel Aviv University. She holds a BA in Theatre Directing and previously worked in content development and marketing strategy before focusing on disinformation and foreign information manipulation. Her thesis develops a framework for measuring “narrative laundering,” a process through which claims lose their visible origins as they pass through established media into trusted institutions. She aims to defend democracy and build a career in defense, hybrid warfare, and information security.

Cecil Zera Otieno, Kenya, is a direct doctoral candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Tel Aviv University. His research examines how endogenous sphingolipids regulate inflammatory processes in innate immunity. He was previously a predoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, in Bethesda. He holds a First-Class Honors BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Nairobi and an MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Tel Aviv University. He is committed to advancing a just and equitable society.

Chloe Brandt, Canada, is an MA student in the Security and Diplomacy Program at Tel Aviv University. She holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Middle Eastern Studies, with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, from Tel Aviv University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Her experience includes research with the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism and Carleton University. Her interests include terrorism, radicalization, terrorist financing, and how criminal networks support terrorist organizations.

Daniel Goloe, Ghana, is a PhD candidate in medical sciences at Tel Aviv University, conducting research at the Ella Lemelbaum Institute of Immuno-Oncology at Sheba Medical Center. His research focuses on an mRNA-based CAR-T platform for treating acute myeloid leukemia. He holds a BSc in Agricultural Biotechnology from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and an MSc in Marine Biology from the University of Haifa. He is passionate about science, leadership, community engagement, and positive change.

Daria Iospa, Russia, is an MA student in Sustainable Development at Tel Aviv University. She holds a BA in History from Lomonosov Moscow State University and has a professional background in project management, team leadership, and business operations. Her academic interests include political economy, international relations, public policy, and the future of work and the economy in an age of artificial intelligence and automation.

David Gladilin, Germany, is an MA student in the Security and Diplomacy program at Tel Aviv University. He is a lawyer specializing in public and criminal law. He previously served as a law clerk at the Attorney General’s Office and teaches law at the University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration.

Diana Rivera, Ecuador, is an MA student in Sustainable Development at Tel Aviv University. She has a background in international business management and professional experience in sustainability, communications, and strategic partnerships. Passionate about using business and innovation to create positive social and environmental impact, she is interested in developing solutions that connect entrepreneurship with sustainable change.

Himani Singla, India, holds an MSc in Life Sciences from Tel Aviv University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Microbiology at the same institution. Her doctoral research explores the role of defense systems in halophilic archaea. Beyond academia, she has volunteered with NGOs, supporting educational and curriculum development for underprivileged children and helping foster equitable learning opportunities.

Joel Katzberg, Canada, is an MA student in the Security and Diplomacy program at Tel Aviv University. He has held senior leadership roles in global travel management, with experience in customer security and risk. The grandson of Holocaust survivors, he has spoken in Toronto schools about his grandfather’s story, antisemitism, and remembrance. He will intern with the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, supporting initiatives in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and defense technology.

John Robert LaChapelle, United States, is an MA student in Conflict Resolution and Mediation at Tel Aviv University and a 2026–2027 Rotary International Global Grant Scholar. He holds a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has more than a decade of nonprofit and humanitarian experience in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. His work focuses on human rights, civil society, diplomacy, reconciliation, and sustainable peace across cultural and religious divides.

Jorgen Krone, United States, is an MA student in Security and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University. He graduated magna cum laude from High Point University with a degree in political science, studied Arabic in Amman as a Boren Fellow, and worked at the Arab Institute for Security Studies on maritime security, the India–Middle East Economic Corridor, and nuclear enrichment. As a recipient of a Fulbright MA Award, he hopes to pursue a career in public service and promote dialogue while balancing human and national security to help minimize conflict.

Kristina Bessel, Russia, is an MA student in Sustainable Development at Tel Aviv University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History, with a specialization in Social Anthropology, from Lomonosov Moscow State University and a master’s degree in Psychology from HSE University. Her professional experience includes working in human resources at international companies and maintaining a private psychology practice. Her current academic interests focus on sustainable development, migrant adaptation, and security.

Molly Pritchett, United States, is an MA student in the Security and Diplomacy program at Tel Aviv University. She holds an Honors BA in International Relations from the University of Delaware, with a focus on Middle Eastern diplomacy and minors in Arabic and Spanish. She has worked in refugee resettlement at the International Rescue Committee, youth programming with the Diller Teen Fellows Program, and development at the American Jewish Committee, engaging with diplomats and community leaders. She is passionate about Israel’s security, human rights, democratic values, and educating the next generation.

Natalie Stückmann, Germany, is an MA student in the Security and Diplomacy Program at Tel Aviv University. She holds a BA in History and German Literature from Humboldt University of Berlin. Internships at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin and the Leo Baeck Institute in New York, along with volunteer work combating antisemitism, have given her experience in Holocaust remembrance and German-Jewish heritage. She hopes to use this knowledge to encourage dialogue and understanding between communities.

Natanel Bassan, France, is an MA student in Security and Diplomacy Studies at Tel Aviv University. He holds a double bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. He received diplomatic training through the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Summer Diplomatic Academy and participated in several international peace, defense, and antisemitism forums. He has worked at ASERO Worldwide and at Tel Aviv University’s Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center.

Nicolás Katz, Colombia, is an MA student in the Conflict Resolution and Mediation program at Tel Aviv University. He previously earned an MA in Migration Studies from Tel Aviv University and a BA in History from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He volunteers with Fundación Latinoamericana en Israel, teaching Hebrew to Spanish-speaking immigrants in Tel Aviv. His interests include innovation, technology, human rights, and democracy.

Pamela Rendón, Mexico, is an MFA student in Documentary Cinema at Tel Aviv University. She holds a BA in Sociology, specializing in the Sociology of Arts, and has more than 10 years of experience as a producer. She is a curator and programmer at Mexico’s Public Channel 22 and coordinated Docslab–DocsMX from 2013 to 2020, creating film-development and production workshops. Her credits include Zona Norte, Girl Alone, Tijuana Is Burning, and The Amazons.

Petra Priskin, Germany, is an MA student in the Security and Diplomacy program at Tel Aviv University. She completed her BA and MA degrees in American Studies at the University of Munich. Her academic interests focus on security in the Levant, particularly in Lebanon and Syria. Her recent MA thesis on security in transitional Syria received the highest possible grade.

Shihao Zhang, China, is a researcher in Middle Eastern studies pursuing further studies at Tel Aviv University. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and speaks Mandarin Chinese, Hebrew, German, English, and Arabic. His interests include international politics, history, and economics. He has experience in research, media, sales, interpreting, and translation, and has worked with clients and projects related to Iran and the Gulf Arab states.

Yael Rosenblatt, United States, is an MSc student at Tel Aviv University researching lung regeneration at Sheba Medical Center. She holds a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a minor in Global Health. As a former campus Jewish student leader, she hopes to draw on her experiences with community engagement and antisemitism to create constructive learning opportunities.

Yury Pozdneev, Russia, is an MA student in Conflict Resolution and Mediation at Tel Aviv University. He holds a BA in Communication and Political Science from Bar-Ilan University, where he studied political behavior, lobbying, and gender differences in voting. He served in a municipal advocacy group, volunteered as an English tutor with Yotzeim LeShinuy, participated in Model United Nations, and received a certificate of excellence from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration.