The Ford School named four master’s students as this year’s Weiser Diplomacy Center fellows: Schila Labitsch (MPP ‘26), Pedro Eymael (MPP ‘26), Ella Mainwaring Foster (MPP ‘26), and Aaminah Tabassum (MPP ‘26). The Weiser Diplomacy Center (WDC) fellowship is a competitive award that offers tuition support to admitted MPP students with demonstrated academic achievement who express deep interest in pursuing knowledge and practical policy skills related to diplomacy and foreign affairs.
With the fellowship, students have an opportunities to expand on their interests in areas including international security, development, and human rights. Fellows regularly contribute to WDC events and participate in activities (such as symposia, conferences, seminars, policy simulation exercises, workshops, and career talks). They meet with top international policy practitioners, expand their networks, and conduct research.
Pedro Eymael (MPP ‘26) was born in Brazil, where he graduated from the Getulio Vargas Foundation with a Bachelor of Arts in international relations. Passionate about the environment, he has worked at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and promoted various capacity-building climate and environment-related projects and tools around the world. At the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, he contributed to the Principles for Responsible Banking initiative. Eymael published the article “Divestment Movements over Environmental Issues” in the American Journal of Undergraduate Research and worked for one year at a Brazilian agribusiness association promoting sustainable agricultural practices and implementing and advocating sectoral initiatives to eliminate deforestation across the country.
Schila Labitsch (MPP ‘26) holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Vienna. With a global perspective developed during her time studying and living in Chicago, Singapore, and Munich, she has gathered valuable experience across both the private and public sectors. Her professional and academic interests focus on the intersection of urban infrastructure and diplomacy, with a particular passion for how urban planning can serve as a catalyst for international collaboration.
Ella Mainwaring Foster (MPP ‘26) received her Bachelor of Arts in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University, along with a certificate in climate science and solutions. Mainwaring Foster wrote her thesis on the impact of climate change on international migration and how international law fails to protect this growing group of migrants. She studied various responses to alleviate this new crisis, such as the development of sustainable solutions within the green market, altering legal definitions, and working with governments to change immigration policy. As a WDC Fellow, Mainwaring Foster is eager to further her study of climate change’s multifaceted impact on human populations in both international politics and the law.
Aaminah Tabassum (MPP ‘26) was born and raised in Michigan and most recently served as a Special Assistant at USAID’s Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security in the Biden-Harris Administration. She holds dual degrees in psychology and political science from Wayne State University, where she conducted research on war trauma in children and propaganda tactics in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tabassum has also interned with the White House, Congress, and Global Ties U.S. As a U.S. Youth Ambassador at World Expo 2020 in Dubai, she helped advance the U.S. State Department’s public diplomacy objectives. Looking ahead, Tabassum aspires to work on conflict stabilization efforts, particularly in regions affected by protracted conflict. She seeks to integrate psychological insight, diplomacy, and development strategies to address the root causes of instability and promote sustainable peace. In her free time, she enjoys archery, painting, and writing fiction.