Hello and welcome to the SPSA about page!
The Schar PhD Student Association (SPSA) is a student-run organization for all Ph.D. students in the Schar School. It provides a platform for professional and intellectual support, student-led initiatives, and opportunities for greater student interaction and collaboration. We sponsor a variety of events to help students progress through the program such as the Ph.D. student research workshops, student-led panels on different stages of the program, and of course, happy hours.
Below you will find background and contact information for our organization’s leadership. If you would like to be involved in SPSA, have ideas for events, or are looking for peer-to-peer support that would help you in the program, please reach out to any one of us!
Executive Board 2024-2025
President: Sungbin Park | spark224@gmu.edu
Sungbin Park is a 4th-year Ph.D. student in the Public Policy Program. Her research areas lie in public policy and applied microeconomics, with a focus on labor economics and health economics. Sungbin holds bachelor’s degrees in Social Studies Education and International Office Administration, as well as a Master’s degree in Behavioral Socioeconomics from Ewha Womans University in Seoul. Prior to joining the program, she worked as a researcher for the Korean government. In her free time, she enjoys playing the violin.
Vice-President: Jared Wold | jwold2@gmu.edu
Jared Wold is a 5th-year Ph.D. Student in the Public Policy Program. His research interests include Discrimination, Credit Markets, and Migration. He currently works for the Census Bureau and has previously worked in Banking and in Technical Theatre. He holds B.A.s in Economics and Political Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Treasurer: Julianna Thomson | jthomso4@gmu.edu
Julianna Thomson is a student in the Political Science PhD program. Her research interests address the intersection of religion and politics in the United States. At Schar she is a graduate research assistant and in her free time she enjoys volunteering and coaching track and field. Julianna received her MBA from Villanova University and her BA in Religion from Dartmouth College.
Secretary: Zayna Lyon | zlyon@gmu.edu
Zayna Lyon is a PhD student in the Public Policy program. Her research interests include international migration, inequality, labor, and child and family wellbeing. Prior to studying at Schar, Zayna managed databases, oversaw program monitoring and evaluation for the largest U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement service provider for unaccompanied immigrant children, and developed survey instruments for data collection of at-risk populations such as undocumented immigrant workers. She has a Masters of Social Work and a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University.