Student Fellows

Marcelo Cowo is an international transfer student from Belize and currently a Junior in Business Administration with a major in International Business. Marcelo also serves as the Vice President of Finance for Associated Students Incorporated (CSUDH Student Government). Marcelo is interested in economics, finance, culture and diversity.

Eric Jones is a senior at CSUDH pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing Management. He graduated from Los Angeles City College at the age of sixteen, earning two Associate's degrees: an A.A. in Liberal Arts: Arts and Humanities, and an A.S. for Transfer in Business Administration. Eric is a first-generation immigrant who was born in Simferopol, Ukraine, and raised in Compton. Currently, he is working with the South Bay Economic Institute, where he assists Dr. Fynnwin Prager, Dr. José N. Martínez, and Dr. Jennifer Brodmann with their work on the South Bay Economic Forecast report.

Cat Munsen is a second year CSUDH graduate student, pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Criminal Justice Policy and Administration. She holds an undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech, and chose the MPA track after a career in IT consulting project management followed by a pivot to the nonprofit sector. Cat is both passionate about and dedicated to racial equity work. She brings that passion, along with love of data and policy analysis, to the South Bay Economic Institute where she is working on a research project under Dr. Jose Martinez and Dr. Fynnwin Prager, examining the inequities of participation in the cannabis industry five years after recreational legalization.

Corina Dubon is a graduate student at CSUDH pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Human Services from CSUDH as well as a Certification in Nonprofit Management from UC San Diego. Corina is currently working with the South Bay Economic Institute where she is assisting Dr. Jose N. Martinez, Dr. Fynnwin Prager, and Dr. Jennifer Brodmann with their research project examining the economic and criminal justice impacts of California's recreational policy (Prop 64) on the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.

Priscilla Garcia is an undergraduate student finishing her senior year at CSUDH with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration. She has graduated with her Associate of Arts degree in Social and Behavioral Studies at Riverside City College and is the first generation of her family to go to college and earn a degree. As a South Bay Economic Institute fellow, Priscilla is assisting Dr. Fynnwin Prager, Dr. Jose N. Martinez, and Dr. Jennifer Brodmann in a research project to examine the inequities of participation in the cannabis industry for the South Bay cities.

Michael Aguilera is a 4th generation South Bay resident and is earning a degree in Business Administration: Finance. He is a student leader with a proven track record of excellence: Current Vice President of the Finance Student Society, Wiley CFA Campus Ambassador, Team Captain for 2020 National CFA Research Competition, and Former Corporate Relations Director for the Latino Student Business Association. He has professional experience across multiple industries including internships with LPL Financial, Sony Corporate America, and Kaiser Permanente. He hopes to continue his passion for research after CSUDH by attaining a graduate degree and pursuing a career in strategy consulting or equity research.

Khalil Awad is a junior student at CSUDH majoring in computer science. Arriving to the US in 2014 knowing no English, he was able to work hard to overcome the challenges that he faced during his journey away from home — Syria. Since he graduated from UCI’s intensive English program, he went on to finish his educational career. In 2018, he was awarded his AA degree from OCC as well as a certificate in chemistry from the same college. Khalil chose to study computer science because he was very interested in it and found that it is the profession of the future. He also worked on gaining some work experience outside of his field of interest, in Chipotle and other places.

Matthew Taylor is a graduate student at CSUDH pursuing a Masters of Arts in Sociology. He received his Bachelors of Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he majored in Political Science with a minor in African, African American Diaspora Studies. Matthew is concerned with work analyzing access to power and social justice for disenfranchised minority groups through means of political action, community building, and academic research. In those respects, Matthew joins the South Bay Economics Institute where he currently assists Dr. Jennifer Brodmann on a research project investigating the experiences of African American women entrepreneurs in the South Bay and their access to venture capital and angel investors.