A nonpartisan, student-led affiliate of the Haas Center for Public Service
Meet the 2026-2027 Stanford in Government Board of Directors!
Board of Directors
Chair
Jack Norman
Jack is studying Public Policy (BA '27, MA '27) with an undergraduate concentration in Visual & Performing Arts Policy, a graduate concentration in Urban and Regional Policy, and a concentration in Vocal Performance as a Music minor. His current research synthesizes quantitative analysis and economic theory to develop innovative ideas for arts organizations and local government in their mutual pursuit of advancing the arts. Jack's previous positions include internships with the County of Monterey and City of Carmel, for which he received Haas Fellowships and the Cardinal Quarter notation for public service. He also enjoys intramural basketball and flag football, creating board and deck building games, golfing, playing tennis, following sports, and hiking. Jack is honored to serve as Chair of Stanford in Government and looks forward to upholding its long and prestigious tradition of public service.
Chief of Staff
Ben Marek
Ben ('28) is a junior studying Economics and Classics with a strong interest in economic policy. At Stanford, he does research on quantifying institutional trust at the Hoover Institution and writes for several campus publications. Outside of class, he loves reading ancient historians and watching college football.
Operations
Financial Officer and Co-Vice Chair, Operations
Paulina Huang
Paulina ('28) is an undergraduate at Stanford University majoring in Data Science, concentrating in math and computation. Her interdisciplinary interests in quantitative methods, economic analysis, and politics drive her current pursuits. This past summer, she interned at iCapital with their data governance, engineering, and analytics team, building financial data pipelines and reporting systems. Prior, she was a research fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research focused on analyzing learning gaps and informing education policy in marginalized communities. She also serves as Communications Chair for Stanford's Public Interest Technology Lab and editor for Intersect, Stanford's journal of science, technology, and society.
Director, Internal Programming
Noah Shafer
Noah ('29) is a sophomore with a prospective major in Political Science. As the Director of Internal Programming, Noah is looking forward to making each SIG meeting meaningful and purposeful in its own right. In his freetime, Noah likes to run, read, and watch/talk about sports.
Communications
Co-Vice Chair, Communications
Ellaheh Gohari
Ellaheh Gohari ('28) is a junior studying Science, Technology, and Society on the Social Dynamics of Data track, with a minor in Screenwriting. Originally from South Florida, she has spent the last two summers leading data analyses of Miami-Dade County court and public safety records to produce policy recommendations for implementation. At Stanford, Ellaheh conducts research with the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis on structural patterns across 14 million novels. Alongside her SIG Comms role, she serves as the Cardinal Careers Student Assistant and the President of the Stanford Creative Writing Club. In her free time, she is most happy surrounding herself with purple things while watching iconic movies with her friends. An avid writer, she looks forward to spotlighting all the amazing initiatives SIG pioneers this year!
Co-Vice Chair, Communications
Supriya Patel
Supriya Patel (’28) is a junior from Sacramento, California studying Political Science and minoring in Human Rights. She is interested in foreign policy and democratic development. She has been part of SIG since her freshman year and was the Director of Campus Partnerships for StanfordVotes last year. Outside of SIG, she's involved in Democracy Day and Stanford ACLU. In her free time, you can find her reading, spending time outdoors, and curating her Spotify playlists.
Programming
Co-Vice Chair, Programming
Nason Li
Nason (‘29) is a sophomore from San Diego studying political science with an interest in foreign policy and public service. He currently serves as a Vice Chair of Programming at SiG, and is very excited for a great year ahead! Outside of SiG, Nason is an Undergraduate Senator for ASSU, MUN travel team competitor, and dedicated roller coaster enthusiast. When he’s not being thrown around on a ride at Six Flags, you can often find him at the Haas Center for Public Service, watching movies with friends or “studying.”
Director, Public Policy Forum (PPF)
Tabor Axelrod-Paoli
Tabor studies economics but is a public policy major at heart. He directs SIG’s Public Policy Forum, is the Financial Officer of the Stanford Political Review and previously co-directed the Climate Leaders Fellowship, co-hosted by Stanford’s deliberative democracy lab. If he’s not studying, he is likely reading news or playing low-stakes poker. Feel free to reach out with questions!
Fellowships and Stipends
Co-Vice Chair, Fellowships and Stipends
Brandon Cendejas
Brandon Cendejas is a senior majoring in History and minoring in International Relations. He's particularly interested in late-nineteenth- and twentieth-century American legal and social history and has previously done internships in both legal and research settings. Since joining junior year, he has worked as a Director in F&S. He is excited to continue his work with SIG as F&S Vice Chair this year, where he hopes to continue to connect fellow undergraduates with rewarding fellowship and internship experiences. Outside of SIG, Brandon enjoys reading about American history and learning new languages.
Co-Vice Chair, Fellowships and Stipends
Alexander Chasun
Alexander Chasun ('27) is a senior majoring in Data Science and Social Systems with an interest in emerging technology policy and national security. Beyond SIG, he is an honors student at the Center for International Security and Cooperation researching cognitive security vulnerabilities in the national security context. In his free time, you can probably find him browsing the SF MoMA, video editing, and hosing down a pastry.
StanfordVotes
Co-Vice Chair, StanfordVotes
Maria Rueda
Maria Rueda (‘28) is a junior from Southwest Florida studying international relations and history. She is excited about continuing to assist students with the voting process and increasing civic engagement on campus. Outside of StanfordVotes, Maria enjoys spending time outdoors and binging TV shows.
Co-Vice Chair, StanfordVotes
Helen Scarborough
Helen Scarborough ('28) is a junior from Boulder, Colorado studying psychology. As Co-Chair of StanfordVotes this year, she is excited to find new ways to invigorate civic engagement at Stanford. Helen is passionate about meeting voters where they are and exploring how environmental and social factors contribute to voter misinformation, disengagement, and apathy. Outside of SIG, she does research on affect and decision making, and she has learned from her work in human services about some of the causes of communities’ frustrations with government. In her free time, Helen enjoys dancing, reading, long walks, and warm tea.
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Director, Civic Programs
Kyle Dixon
Kyle Dixon ('29) is a sophomore studying Political Science and Philosophy with a goal of attending law school after graduating. He is interested in the intersection of laws, the Constitution, and everyday life. As StanfordVotes' Director of Civic Programs, he will bring meaningful opportunities to everyone across campus to engage with civic life at Stanford. Outside of SIG, he enjoys watching movies, photography, hiking, and mountain biking.
Director, External Relations
Arvind Salem
Arvind Salem ('29) is a sophomore interested in political science. As part of StanfordVotes he is excited to help further civic participation on campus. Outside of SIG, Arvind enjoys keeping up with the NBA, reading, or enjoying a walk on campus.
Director, Campus Partnerships
Cora Atkinson
Cora Atkinson ('29) is majoring in Urban Studies with a concentration in Urban Societies and Social Change and two minors in Education and Psychology. She is interested in exploring the dynamics of the spaces we live in and how these can impact well-being, equity, and more. Cora works at the Haas Center for Public Service, the GSE’s National Student Support Accelerator, Bing Nursery School, the IntroSems Department, and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Outside of school she enjoys being outside in any capacity, playing the Alto Sax and Piano, and organizing student events to support educational equity.