Spanning backgrounds from across the globe, fellows bring exceptional research skills and regional diversity to Institute’s ongoing work

Collectively, the fellows’ projects will support IIIRP’s broader efforts to strengthen integration pathways for foreign-born residents in New York

Albany, NY – The Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy (IIIRP) at the Rockefeller Institute of Government today announced the appointment of eight graduate students to its 2026 Fellowship on Immigrant Integration. This four-month fellowship brings together SUNY, CUNY, and Columbia University students to deepen their understanding of immigrant integration and develop innovative, evidence-based approaches that improve outcomes for foreign-born residents in New York State and beyond.

The fellowship engages emerging scholars in research on the economic, social, and civic dimensions of immigrant integration. This year’s cohort will examine successful models for building inclusive communities, with particular attention to social integration, belonging, and equitable access to opportunity for immigrant and diasporic communities.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “The Rockefeller Institute of Government has a longstanding record of research excellence that benefits New Yorkers. My congratulations to this year’s fellows, particularly our SUNY graduate students, as they embark on the Immigrant Integration Fellowship opportunity to be part of this work to help foster better outcomes for immigrants and their families.”

“Congratulations to CUNY graduate students TJ, Yuri, Zobaida, and Shu Hao on being selected for this fellowship, which will deepen the research they are doing around immigrant integration and what we can do to help immigrants succeed,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “CUNY’s identity reflects the aspirations and potential of New York’s immigrant communities, and these fellows’ efforts will directly benefit both our students and our city. I look forward to seeing all that they accomplish as they help to build a more inclusive New York.”

“We are excited to welcome this new class of fellows, whose lived experiences and scholarly training will significantly enrich our work on immigrant integration,” said Bob Megna, president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. “Their projects will generate practical insights for policymakers, service providers, and communities working to ensure that newcomers can thrive in New York State.”

“The 2026 fellows embody the Institute’s commitment to pairing rigorous research with real-world impact,” said Dina Refki, executive director of IIIRP. “Their work will illuminate how institutions, policies, and community practices can foster social cohesion and expand opportunity for immigrants and their families.”

SUNY Board of Trustees Vice Chair Cesar Perales and Trustee Marcos Crespo said, “In partnership with the Institute, the fellows conduct transformational and innovative work that expands knowledge and informs policies on immigrant integration. Congratulations to the 2026 fellows, and we look forward to seeing how their work advances the economic, social, and civic success of new New Yorkers.”

“New York has always been a place where immigrants have found educational and economic opportunity – and SIPA students are uniquely positioned to contribute to this work,” said Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. “Carlene Nelson exemplifies the kind of scholar-practitioner we aim to develop: someone who combines policy analysis with deep community engagement to advance solutions that strengthen our city and state. As the first student from outside SUNY and CUNY to join this fellowship, Carlene will both learn from the Rockefeller Institute’s leading researchers and bring SIPA’s perspective to this important work on policies that help immigrant communities flourish.”

“I am very proud that two University at Albany students have been selected for the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s prestigious Fellowship on Immigrant Integration. These scholars are doing important work that will benefit immigrants across New York and around the United States. They are outstanding examples of UAlbany’s commitment to research that benefits the public good and to educating engaged global citizens,” said Havidán Rodríguez, president of the University at Albany.

“We are proud that Ph.D. scholars Tabashshum Jahan (TJ) Islam and Shu Hao Chang were chosen for this important fellowship,” said Joshua C. Brumberg, president of the CUNY Graduate Center. “Their work exemplifies the engaged scholarship that the Graduate Center, New York City’s only public, research-intensive graduate school, values and fosters. We are grateful to the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy for providing opportunities that amplify our students’ impact, and we look forward to the insights their research will generate for policymakers and communities.”

“At Baruch College, we believe that academic excellence has its highest purpose when it is applied to the pressing challenges facing our city and communities,” said S. David Wu, president of Baruch College. “The selection of Yuri Lyashenko, an MPA student at our Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, for this fellowship reflects our deep commitment to preparing innovative and skilled leaders who can help shape policy solutions with meaningful societal impact. We appreciate that the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy has created pathways for our students to contribute to their important mission.”

“It’s hard to imagine a timelier set of issues than the ones the Immigrant Integration Fellows will address,” said Nancy Cantor, president of Hunter College. “Our immigrant communities in this nation of immigrants are under incredible duress, so it is vital to our national interests to restore responsive and responsible policies to support them, as the Rockefeller Institute aims to do. And it’s hard to imagine anyone better positioned to do that than Hunter’s Zobeida Maria. She already has established a years-long track record of high-impact work in supporting immigrant communities, from her time as a Hunter undergraduate promoting well-being among youth populations to her current work as a Cabrini Fellow supporting South Asian communities.”

Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, Chair, NYS Caucus of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislators stated, “New York’s strength has always come from the people who choose to build their lives here—across Black communities and across immigrant and diasporic communities that enrich our state every day. The IIIRP Fellowship on Immigrant Integration is an investment in research that leads to action: identifying what helps families feel they belong, what removes barriers to opportunity, and what policies strengthen social cohesion. I congratulate the 2026 fellows and thank the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy at the Rockefeller Institute of Government for elevating evidence-based solutions that help every New Yorker thrive.”

According to Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, Chair, NYS Assembly Task Force on New Americans, “New Yorkers believe in opportunity—and that promise must include the immigrants and refugees who power our neighborhoods, our care systems, and our economy. The IIIRP fellowship is helping build the next generation of leaders who will pair rigorous research with real solutions—so our state’s policies reflect dignity, belonging, and fairness for every New Yorker, no matter where they were born. I’m proud to support this cohort as they advance the work of building truly welcoming, inclusive communities across New York.”

Assemblymember Karines Reyes, Chair, NYS Assembly & Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force said, “New York’s Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities know that belonging is built through access—access to education, health care, stable work, and a real chance to thrive. This fellowship invests in scholarship that is grounded in community realities and focused on practical outcomes, strengthening the pathways that help immigrant and diasporic New Yorkers fully participate in our civic and economic life. I congratulate the 2026 fellows and look forward to the insights their work will deliver for communities across our state.”

2026 Fellows on Immigrant Integration are:

• Sheila Cruz – A Peruvian immigrant and master’s student in international affairs at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany. Cruz brings training in political science from the National University Mayor of San Marcos and exchange study at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Her work focuses on how international policy and political strategy can support immigrant integration.
• Tabashshum Jahan (TJ) Islam – A PhD candidate in the social welfare program at the CUNY Graduate Center. Islam’s research centers on intercultural communication and trauma-informed approaches that uplift immigrant and diasporic communities. Their current mixed-methods and arts-based projects examine artists’ experiences in a guaranteed income initiative, exploring how income stability affects creative practice, well-being, and community participation.
• Yifan (Evyn) Liu – A second-year PhD student in sociology at the University at Albany, with a master’s degree in media and communications (governance) from the London School of Economics and professional experience in international education in China. Liu studies the intersection of transnational migration, higher education, and digital media, including how international students use social media to shape educational and career trajectories, and how immigrant workers and small business owners navigate labor markets in upstate New York.
• Yuri Lyashenko – A Ukrainian-born public service professional and policy researcher pursuing a master of public administration at Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public & International Affairs and holding a PhD in political science from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Before immigrating to the United States, Lyashenko led Kyiv’s public television network and managed the city’s COVID-19 Remote Learning Initiative, and later served as a Washington Semester Fellow at the National Democratic Institute, researching participatory democracy and inclusion. His work now focuses on policies that advance civic participation and belonging for newcomers.
• Zobaida Maria – A clinical-track MSW student in her second year at the Silberman School of Social Work, Maria has contributed to research at the NYU School of Social Work on HIV care and substance use, as well as projects with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) on improving supports for young adults with substance-use disorders. She currently works on a clinical study to help people living with HIV quit smoking and interns at Sakhi for South Asian Women, providing trauma-informed services to immigrant survivors of domestic violence in Bangla and English.
• Shu Hao Chang – Shu Hao Chang is a PhD student in sociology and a Black, race, and ethnic studies fellow at the CUNY Graduate Center. His research examines the intersections of race and ethnicity, labor, and immigration, with a particular focus on international students and Asian immigrants. His ongoing work investigates international student housing and integration in New York City. He is also conducting a project on how racial interactions shape health outcomes among Asian immigrants in the United States. His research employs a mixed-methods approach to address pressing social issues.
• Carlene Nelson – A Dean’s distinguished fellow, Nelson is currently pursuing a master of public administration in urban and social policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Nelson is an Americas scholar and global fellow in urban practice and previously served as a policy intern and community liaison with the NYC Office of the Mayor, where she navigated the intersection of policy and community engagement. She holds a bachelor’s degree from NYU Gallatin, with an individualized concentration spanning politics, public policy, and Caribbean and Latin American studies.
• Wilson (Wenxuan) Han – A PhD candidate in political science at Rockefeller College, Han’s research specialty is in economic modeling, quantitative causal inference, and data analysis. His research primarily focuses on the political impact of China’s overseas economic engagement. As a research assistant at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, using data from the American Community Survey, he studied the economic impact of immigrants in each region in New York State, including their tax contributions, entrepreneurial spirit, and impact on specific industries.

Collectively, the fellows’ projects will support IIIRP’s broader efforts to identify and disseminate promising practices, inform responsive policies, and help reduce the social and economic costs of exclusion by strengthening integration pathways for foreign-born residents across New York State.

More information about the fellowship and the past cohorts is available at: https://rockinst.org/education-programs/iiirp/2025-fellowship-on-immigrant-integration/.

Questions about the fellowship may be directed to IIIRP Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison Guillermo Martinez at [email protected].

About the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy (IIIRP)
The Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy (IIIRP) at the Rockefeller Institute of Government seeks to advance the economic, social, and civic integration of foreign-born New Yorkers and to promote policies and practices that foster inclusive, cohesive communities. To build a resilient and inclusive society, policymakers must adopt policies and strategies that bridge the gaps between native-born and foreign-born populations, ensuring equitable access to opportunities. Within the next 15 years, immigration is expected to account for virtually all US population growth, as native birth rates decline sharply. This rapid demographic shift calls for proactive, evidence-based integration strategies—like those advanced through IIIRP’s ongoing work to identify and elevate proven models, expand research on integration indicators, and deliver technical assistance to governments and community organizations. Together, these efforts strengthen social cohesion by ensuring immigrants can fully participate in the economic, social, and civic life of their communities—while sustaining the cultural identities that enrich New York and the nation.