Summer 2022 Interns

Anisha Erasani (she/her/hers) received her BS in Health Science from Boston University, graduating in May 2022. She is a candidate in the 4+1 MPH program at BUSHP, studying Global Health Program Design and Human Rights & Social Justice.

At the Leah Zallman Center, Anisha was involved in several research and evaluation projects. Anisha conducted research on the status of immigrant mental health needs and the benefits of non-clinical mental health interventions for an upcoming report and facilitated interviews with key organizational leaders and meetings with partners.

Throughout this internship, I have taken away many valuable skills and lessons. I have been able to understand the importance of relationship building with our partners by being transparent and ensuring that they feel engaged throughout the process. I have further strengthened my research skills and deepened my understanding of the health needs of immigrants. I have also had the pleasure of speaking with so many individuals who are extremely passionate about the work that they do and are more than willing to share their knowledge with others. This internship opened the doors for a new area of study I was previously not exposed to and hope to engage in further.

Anisha’s research interests include program development with a focus on community and/or global health, working with underserved populations, and participatory evaluation.

Jonathan Jacob (he/him/his) is a doctoral student pursuing a joint degree in Social Policy and Sociology at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Prior to joining the Heller School, Jon worked as a high school educator in Los Angeles County. He holds an MA in social sciences from The University of Chicago and a BA in business from Brandeis University.

At the Leah Zallman Center, Jon is involved in mixed-methods research and evaluation projects, including one on a social return on investment (SROI) model for a refugee career pathways model.

The best part of this internship has been the degree of trust and autonomy granted to me. The LZC staff not only try their best to accommodate project work to fit my research interests, but also trust that I will produce a quality end product. As an intern, I felt like my thoughts and inputs were valued by team members.

Jon’s research interests include labor, social inequality, and culture. His current research examines the inverse relationship between the usefulness of certain jobs and their pay in capitalist societies and focuses on developing a metric to assess the social value of work.

Maya Singh (she/her/hers) is currently in her second year of the Master of Public Policy program at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

As an intern, Maya provided research support and technical assistance on a variety of projects, but was particularly involved in co-developing a resource guide of survey tools designed to measure mental health domains within immigrant communities and managing and conducting semi-structured interviews as part of an evaluation project on a national economic mobility initiative serving refugees and immigrants.

Working at the Leah Zallman Center gave me invaluable experience to develop my research skills. A major highlight was the chance to work alongside colleagues passionate about driving equitable solutions centering immigrant well-being and economic security.

Maya’s research interests include advancing participatory evaluation and applied research, particularly surrounding initiatives designed to advance the well-being of historically marginalized communities. She is also interested in asset-building strategies, including cash-transfer programs, and place-based economic empowerment solutions.