Hossain Taufiq

Hossain Taufiq was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before joining the Public Policy PhD program in OSU in Winter 2021, he worked as a lecturer of Global Studies and Governance (GSG) in the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). He completed his undergrad studies in International Relations from the University of Dhaka. He also completed his MSc degree in Development Practice from the Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He also interned with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) and National University of Rwanda (NUR) as a partial fulfillment of the MSc program. Before joining the IUB, he worked as a Research Manager of the Bangladesh Peace Observatory (BPO) project at the Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka. From 2012 -17, he worked with UNDP, Population Council, USAID, Trocaire, Save the Children, Plan International, Planning Commission Bangladesh, Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), University of Guelph- Canada, IDS of University of Sussex-UK and BRAC University in various capacities. He is working with Hilary on projects related to public perceptions of offshore wind development.

Warda Ajaz

Warda Ajaz completed her PhD in Public Policy at OSU in 2019. She went on to an Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy System Engineering at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan. Her PhD research focused on the socio-technical transition toward microgrids and other decentralized energy systems.

Alperen Acikol

Alperen Acikol, a Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy at Oregon State University, specializes in computational social science and machine learning to evaluate social programs and improve public policy. His research centers on understanding the disparities between public perceptions and expert assessments of extreme weather risks. By employing predictive models, he aims to enhance risk communication and intervention strategies. Alongside his academic work, Alperen has significant experience in disaster response, cash intervention and program evaluation in the humanitarian sector. His interdisciplinary approach combines data-driven insights with behavioral economics to advance social welfare and public policy.