Our Team
William Grantland
Executive DirectorUniversity of Pennsylvania
William studies International Relations with a Japanese minor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a third-year student. He is a former intern for the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Asia Program and a Perry World House Student Fellow. His research focuses include Japanese foreign policy, comparative institutions, and Japan-ASEAN relations.
Email: wgran@sas.upenn.edu
Ruhi Kulkarni
Executive DirectorUniversity of Michigan
Ruhi studies International Studies on a political and economic development subtrack with minors in public policy and human-centered AI at the University of Michigan. Her research interests international development and technology governance, specifically in South and Southeast Asia. She is a former Bridge to Asia fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research, a State Department Critical Language Scholar in Hindi, and a Michigan Summer in South Asia Fellow.
Email: ruhikulk@umich.edu
Research DirectorUniversity of Pennsylvania
Francesca Lopez is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in International Relations with a concentration in East Asia. Her academic interests focus on U.S.–China relations, cross-Strait dynamics, and the domestic and international dimensions of Taiwan’s political status. She is currently developing research on how Taiwan’s internal political and societal divisions shape the prospects for both unification with and formal independence from China, with the goal of pursuing publication.
Email: fralopez@sas.upenn.edu
Francesca Lopez
Henry Hung is a student at Johns Hopkins University, where he is currently studying International Studies and Political Science with an East Asian Studies concentration. He is a former intern in the Maryland Governor’s Office and the US-Asia Institute. Originally from Maryland, Henry is an accomplished Violist, having attended prestigious music festivals at Aspen and Tanglewood, and is currently a student of Victoria Chiang at the Peabody Conservatory through the Double Degree program with Johns Hopkins. His research focuses include US foreign policy in Northeast and Southeast Asia, US-China Relations, and international diplomacy.
Email: hhung7@jh.edu
Editorial DirectorJohns Hopkins University
Henry Hung
Ananya Karthik
Communications DirectorUniversity of Pennsylvania
Ananya is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania studying economics, communication, and consumer psychology. She is interested in strategy and problem-solving that helps organizations create tangible impact. Her experience includes reporting and editing for The Daily Pennsylvanian, consulting through Wharton MUSE, and working as a marketing strategy intern at IDEMIA, experiences that sparked her interest in both qualitative and quantitative research.
Email: ananyakk@sas.upenn.edu
Programs DirectorUniversity of St. Andrews
Jill is entering her final year at the University of St Andrews, where she is pursuing a BA in International Relations and Chinese Studies. She is a Database Intern at the South China Sea Newswire and serves on the board of her university's Chinese Studies Society. Before joining IPUF, she was an intern at the U.S.-Asia Institute. Her research interests include maritime security in the South China Sea, space policy, and cross-Strait relations.
Jill Thompson
Partnerships DirectorGeorge Mason University
Olivia is a senior at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She is pursuing a double major in Global Affairs (Asia concentration) and Mandarin, as well as a minor in jazz studies. She has interned with the US-Asia Institute and with Ayuda's Language Access Program, and is passionate about supporting Asia-focused research, education, and international exchange programming. Olivia is a past recipient of the U.S. State Department's National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship and has studied abroad in South Korea and Taiwan.
Email: orvh10@gmail.com
Olivia Van Hoey
Internal Affairs DirectorUniversity of Pennsylvania
Reina is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, studying international relations with minors in music and Japanese. She has previously interned at the US-Asia Institute and for US Senator Brian Schatz. Her research interests revolve around Japan-US relations, climate policy, and populism across Asia.
Email: rgam@sas.upenn.edu