Constructive Dialogue Scholars

The Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) is proud to announce the launch of the Constructive Dialogue Scholars program, a first-of-its-kind initiative led by the Center on Civility and Democratic Engagement. Made possible by the generous support of Helzel Family Philanthropies, this program empowers students to bridge ideological divides and strengthen democratic discourse.

“Constructive dialogue isn’t a soft skill—it’s a governing skill.”

— Professor Erika Weissinger

“Good public policy doesn’t happen in echo chambers,” said Professor Erika Weissinger, who will oversee the program in collaboration with CCDE Director Meredith Sadin. “If we want durable, effective solutions, we have to prepare leaders who can engage disagreement with intellectual humility and genuine curiosity. Constructive dialogue isn’t a soft skill—it’s a governing skill.”

We introduced our inaugural scholars in the Spring of 2026: Kane Smego (MPA ‘26) and Claudia Marcela Garza-Garcia (MPP ‘27). Selected for their leadership and vision, these scholars designed and implemented projects that establish constructive dialogue as a foundational skill for the next generation of policy leaders. In the Fall of 2026, we welcome our second cohort of Constructive Dialogue Scholars: Eliza Brooks (MPP ‘28), Aleena Khan (MPP ‘27), and returning scholar Claudia Garza-García (MPP ‘27). Julianna Boye (MPP ‘28) will also join the cohort through a Spark Award, which supports a focused project with a shorter timeline.

“I’m incredibly honored to be part of the inaugural Constructive Dialogue Scholars cohort,” says Garza-Garcia, who has spent the last nince months working on a dialogue phone booth concept, which she launched at UC Berkeley’s “America at 250” event. “I am excited to help foster spaces on campus where listening and a profound sense of our shared humanity drive our future solutions.”

“My personal journey has been in navigating the tangle of opposing beliefs and identities in the communities I’ve been a part of,” says Smego, whose project engaged high school students in dialogue as part of the Youth Justice Fellows program. “It’s still the greatest challenge—to sit in the discomfort of disagreement rather than run from it.”

A new cohort has joined the Scholars for 2026-27 and they will be working on continuing, extending, and innovating ways to put dialogue into practice on campus and in local communities. This year’s scholars’ projects include supporting youth civic engagement, connecting dialogue practitioners across campus, and investigating whether online dialogue education can change how people engage with those whose views differ from their own.

Constructive Dialogue Scholars

Julianna Boye

MPP ’28

Julianna is focused on strengthening belonging and creating opportunities for people with competing perspectives to learn from one another and build community. As a Constructive Dialogue Scholar and first-year MPP student at GSPP, she explores tax policy, racial economic inequality, and intergenerational mobility. Her background spans government operations and coalition building across the Biden-Harris campaign, the White House, and Capitol Hill. She is also the founder of Comfort Africa, Incorporated, supporting education and community development across the Black diaspora.

“I hope this fellowship helps us get better at having difficult conversations at GSPP. I want my project to give people tools to ask honest questions, understand each other’s experiences and work through disagreements while making room for everyone to comfortably participate in our campus community.”

— Julianna Boye

Eliza Brooks

MPP ’28

Eliza leads the Youth Justice Fellows Program, creating opportunities for young people to put dialogue into practice through community engagement. She also supports dialogue initiatives across GSPP and serves as a Chancellor’s Public Fellow with Berkeley’s American Cultures Engaged Scholarship (ACES) program. Drawing on her work in the California State Assembly and research on campus bridging at Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute, she brings a commitment to expanding educational opportunity and helping students turn their ideas into action.

“I’m so excited to be back at UC Berkeley and to help create a space where local high school students can build connections with the campus community and explore their roles as young leaders. Through constructive dialogue, Justice Fellows practice sharing their perspectives, listening with curiosity, and navigating difficult conversations. I look forward to learning alongside them as they build the confidence and skills to lead change in their communities.”

— Eliza Brooks

Claudia Marcela Garza-Garcia

MPP ’27

Claudia Marcela Garza-Garcia (she/her/ella) has built her career translating across sectors and communities. She has led CORDEM, a women’s education nonprofit serving first-generation students in Mexico and helped coordinate Monterrey’s first complete street by bridging neighborhood councils and developers. She has been working on developing a dialogue phone booth project during her time as a Constructive Dialogue Scholar.

“There is something unique and powerful about creating the space and providing the tools for people to engage meaningfully across differences. Returning as a Dialogue Scholar is a true honor, and I am excited to continue building on this work in service of our community.”
— Claudia Garza-García

Aleena Khan

MDP ’27

Aleena is investigating a central question for dialogue education: can an online program change how people engage with those who see the world differently? Through her research on Perspectives and her fellowship with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, she is helping build evidence about what works—and what universities can learn from it. She brings experience as a department head at Avasara Leadership Academy in India and as co-founder of Astytva, an initiative creating safe community spaces in underserved urban areas.

“Through my project, I want to find out what helps people really hear and understand each other’s perspectives. Polarization pulls us apart, but listening pulls us back. By finding evidence on the effectiveness of these tools with the next generation of policymakers, I hope our differences can become a starting point, not a dead end.”

— Aleena Khan