The Center for Emerging Markets' Student Associate program recognizes undergraduate students at Northeastern University who are dedicated to strengthening and expanding emerging-market-related programming and research at the university. Student Associates enjoy opportunities to perform research with CEM Faculty Fellows, help shape CEM student programming and outreach efforts, and learn alongside like-minded undergraduate students.  

In the inaugural cycle of this program, CEM recognized six students as the first cohort of Student Associates, representing three different Northeastern University colleges and schools.

Learn more about the CEM Student Associate program here and meet our Winter 2024 student associates below!


Radhika Barot
College of Social Sciences & Humanities

Radhika Barot is a fourth-year student pursuing a dual major in Economics and Mathematics at Northeastern University. Her passion lies in sustainability, emerging markets, and investigating their intersection. Through CEM, she was able to attend the World Trade Organization Public Forum 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland, and had the opportunity to witness advancements in climate sustainability, emerging markets, and technologies. Radhika looks forward to collaborating with CEM Faculty Fellows as a Student Associate to deepen her understanding of emerging markets as she concludes her studies at Northeastern University in the upcoming year.

Santiago Forster
D'Amore-McKim School of Business

Santiago Forster is a third-year Argentine-American student at Northeastern, pursuing a dual major in International Business and International Affairs with a concentration in Global Strategy. He is deeply passionate about global business, economics, international affairs, and endeavors that contribute to his holistic professional growth. Santiago strongly believes in the transformative power of leadership and consultative strategies to foster positive change and drive business growth. His particular interest lies in emerging markets, notably Latin America, which he sees as pivotal for future economic growth and resource abundance. Santiago perceives these markets as a focal point for substantial development in the upcoming decades.

Agasthya Krishna
D'Amore-McKim School of Business

Agasthya Krishna is a third-year Honors student majoring in Economics and Business Administration. As the founding director and head of programming of Northeastern's Emerging Market Club, Agasthya has organized events and discussions focusing on emerging economies. He also worked as a research assistant with Professor Ravi Ramamurti this past year to help him write a chapter on “The Rise of Indian Unicorns.” Agasthya's aims to leverage his role as a Student Associate to explore further and contribute to the emerging markets field, aspiring to a career that bridges emerging markets and entrepreneurship. He brings a unique blend of passion and practical insight to the CEM program and is eager to engage with and learn from like-minded peers and professionals.

Rachel Le
D'Amore-McKim School of Business

Rachel Le is a second-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a major in International Business with a concentration in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship and two minors in Economics and Sustainable Business Practices. Rachel is a part of the executive board of the International Business Club and was instrumental in organizing the group's first case competition in October 2023. Coming from Vietnam, Rachel is enthusiastic about exchanging insights on emerging markets while contributing her own perspectives and broadening her understanding of diverse economies. During her time as a CEM Student Associate, she hopes to also leverage her event planning experience to help CEM execute student-oriented activities and establish partnerships between international business-oriented student groups on campus.

Carolina Pacheco-Balcazar
College of Social Sciences & Humanities

Carolina Pacheco-Balcazar is a third-year student pursuing a dual major in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Photojournalism. Her academic interests center around economic development, sustainability, and emerging technologies. She participated in the United Nations Dialogue as a Visiting Student Researcher in Summer 2023, focusing on sustainable economic development in Latin American emerging markets. This semester, Caroline will be a Co-op at Wellington Management, analyzing capital markets using climate science data, She plans to integrate this experience with insights gained at CEM as an Associate to understand the impact of emerging markets for sustainable growth and investment. As a CEM Student Associate, she also hopes to build connections, contribute to research, event planning, and visual storytelling, and foster a dynamic and inclusive environment at Northeastern.

Tanmay Shah
Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Tanmay Shah is a second-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a combined major in Computer Science and Economics. Tanmay has played an active role in establishing the Global Markets Association, a club dedicated to conducting macro-economic and industry-focused research on countries worldwide to deepen students' understanding of global market dynamics. He is also involved in TAMID, a club focused on the startup ecosystem in Israel, where he explores the factors that facilitated Israel's remarkable growth from a desert to its current position. Looking ahead at his time as a Student Associate, Tanmay is eager to gain further insights and contribute actively to the understanding and awareness of emerging markets at Northeastern.