Saquib Ahmed is a nanophysicist whose expertise spans quantum-scale materials physics through device design, process integration, and manufacturing. Before academia, he spent nearly a decade as a senior R&D engineer at Intel, gaining firsthand knowledge of how atomic-scale discoveries become manufactured products. He is a tenured associate professor of engineering technology at SUNY Buffalo State University, founder of the Center for Integrated Studies in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CISNN), and served four years as visiting faculty at the Department of Energy. He currently serves as a senior fellow at the US Manufacturing Innovation Council.

His research program, Angstrom to Embassy, applies density functional theory, machine learning, and ab initio molecular dynamics across energy (perovskite photovoltaics, sodium- and magnesium-ion battery kinetics), semiconductors, quantum materials (including valleytronics), and optoelectronics. The name reflects its mission: linking atomic-scale discoveries to the policy and market decisions that determine whether they ultimately reach the world.

Yanjun Dong is a PhD candidate in social work at the University at Albany, State University of New York, and an incoming postdoctoral scholar at Boston University. Her research focuses on aging, family caregiving, end-of-life care, and the social and policy contexts that shape older adults’ access to care. As a Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow, she will examine how environmental emergencies disrupt essential care for older adults in New York State and develop policy options to strengthen coordination and care continuity across healthcare, aging services, and emergency management systems.

David Eichenthal served as a senior advisor for policy implementation and delivery in the Biden White House. Before joining the federal government, Eichenthal spent 30 years working in and with state and local governments.

In New York City, he was the chief of policy and then chief of staff to the public advocate. In Chattanooga (TN), he was city finance officer and director of performance review. During the Obama Administration, Eichenthal led the National Resource Network, a White House initiative that provided comprehensive technical assistance to more than 60 economically challenged cities nationally.

Eichenthal co-authored The Art of the Watchdog: Fighting Fraud, Waste, Abuse and Corruption in Government (Excelsior Books, 2014), which The New York Times said, “ought to be required reading for any government executive.”

He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and New York University Law School.

Milica Milic-Kolarevic is a medical anthropologist and public health researcher whose work examines how health and social policies are translated into everyday practice. She is a Levitt community research fellow at Hamilton College and a research affiliate at Colgate University. She received her PhD in anthropology from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. Her research spans the United States and Southeast Europe and focuses on systems of care, health policy, pharmaceuticals, substance use, housing instability, and the experiences of individuals and organizations navigating conditions of crisis and constraint. Her current ethnographic research in Central and Upstate New York examines how local governments, nonprofit organizations, public health agencies, and community partners respond to homelessness, substance use disorders, and intersecting forms of vulnerability. Her work emphasizes community-engaged research and the translation of ethnographic findings into practical resources and policy-relevant analysis, bridging ethnographic insight with the institutions and communities shaping public policy.

Stuart L. Rabin has served as the village manager of Port Chester since 2020, bringing over 15 years of municipal government experience to Westchester County’s dynamic community. As chief administrative officer, he oversees day-to-day operations and has spearheaded significant initiatives focused on sanitary sewer and stormwater infrastructure, waterfront revitalization, housing development, and downtown transformation. His leadership emphasizes proactive planning, fiscal sustainability, and connecting responsible development with long-term economic growth.

In addition to his administrative duties, Rabin launched the Village Manager Speaker Series in 2024 to engage the public on emerging municipal challenges like AI in government and code enforcement. Active in professional organizations, he serves on the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) Finance Policy Committee and holds a master of public administration from Marist University alongside a bachelor of arts from Gettysburg College.