Masthead | Berkeley Political Review

Editorial Staff

Editors-in-Chief

Mira Chawla

Mira Chawla is a fourth-year student in the Dual BA program with Sciences Po Paris, studying Political Economy. She is especially interested in humanitarian law, international relations, and development economics. She joined the Review in fall 2024 as an Opinion writer.

Elias S. Myers

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Elias S. Myers is a fourth-year studying History, with an interest in the American identity. Formerly, he edited the California Section. He joined the Review in 2022.

Section Editors

World

Oishika Chattopadhyay

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Oishika Chattopadhyay is a fourth-year student studying Political Science and History with interests in international relations, foreign policy, and political economy. She has been part of the Review since Spring 2023, joining as a writer for the World Section.

Nick Carone

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Nick Carone is a Deputy Editor of the World section. A third-year studying Political Science and Film, he is interested in global and cultural politics. He joined the Review in Spring 2025.

Makena Tom

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Makena Tom is a second-year student studying Political Economy and Nuclear Engineering, with an interest in US-China relations. She joined the Review in fall 2024.

Varun Venkatesh

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Varun Venkatesh is a second-year studying Applied Mathematics and Political Science, with an interest in foreign policy, economics, and political behavior. He joined the World section of the Review in Fall 2024.

United States

Molly Urfalian

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Molly Urfalian is a third-year student studying Society & the Environment, Data Science, and Public Policy. She is passionate about sustainability, education, and technology. Molly joined the Review in 2024.

Lucy Wang

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Lucy Wang is a second-year student studying Political Science and Economics with interests in American foreign policy, political economy, and history. She joined the Review in 2024.

Tvisha Joshi

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Tvisha is a second-year student studying Psychology. She is interested in American government, historical and philosophical theories of politics, and liberty. Tvisha joined the Review in Fall 2024.

California

Laila Hamidi

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Laila Hamidi is a fourth-year studying Environmental Economics, Geography, and City Planning. She is passionate about urban accessibility, climate resilience, and local organizing. Laila joined the California Section as a writer in 2023.

Matthew Pitcher

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Matthew is a second-year studying political science, history, and Arabic. He is fascinated by issues of homelessness, urban vitality, and all things related to his hometown of Fresno. Matthew joined the California team as a writer in 2024, the fall of his freshmen year.

Amanda McLeod

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Amanda McLeod is a second-year studying Political Science and History. Originally from Los Angeles, she is interested in covering the local government and social fabric of the city. Amanda joined the Review as a writer in 2025.

Opinion

Caitlyn Liao

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Caitlyn Liao is a third-year student studying Political Economy and Economics, with a focus on domestic inequality. She joined the Review in 2023 and enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics.

Marcus Oettinger

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Marcus Oettinger is a second-year studying Political Science and History. His main interests are American foreign relations and political philosophy. He joined the Review in 2024.

Rithwik Shivnani

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Rithwik Shivnani is a second-year studying Math and Data Science. He is interested in cultural analysis, political philosophy, and communitarianism. He joined the Review in 2024.

Multimedia

Helios Lung

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Helios Lung is a first-year studying Economics and Data Science, with interests in East Asian economies and development economics. He joined the Review in 2025.

Keira Bixler

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Keira Bixler is a second-year studying Political Economy. She is passionate about economics, culture, and how information is received in our modern world. Keira joined the Review in 2025.

Design

Alison Xiong

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Alison Xiong is a fourth-year studying Data Science and History. She has been designing for the Review since 2025.

Zara Gervais

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Zara Gervais is a first-year studying Rhetoric. She has interests in citizen journalism and community media. Zara joined the Review in 2025.

Copy Editing

Delaney Sparacio

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Delaney Sparacio is a fourth-year Political Science and Public Policy student who joined the copy editing team in her sophomore year. She is passionate about the intersections of law, policy, and technology, and her favorite thing about copy editing is being able to read a variety of amazing articles!

Jacky Zhengchen Li

Meet with Jacky

Jacky Li is a fourth-year student in the Dual BA program with Sciences Po Paris, studying Society and Environment, Interdisciplinary Studies Field, Sustainable Design, and Public Policy. Apart from being an avid traveller, he is passionate about climate solutions and justice. He joined the Review in 2024.