Our Team
Chair: Robert Loomis
Robert Loomis is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Political Science and International Relations. From St. Louis, Missouri, Robert developed an interest in international political economy and diplomacy while working at the STL World Trade Center. At Penn, Robert is involved with the performing arts, and his academic interests outside of his major include Chinese revolutionary history, contemporary art, and modern sociology.
Victoria Garcia
Victoria is a junior from Kannapolis, North Carolina studying Economics and International Relations. She is interested in China's influence on regional economics in Southeast Asia, macroeconomic theory, and international political economy. At Penn, she works with Professor Sasha Indarte researching historical sovereign defaults. In past summers, she interned at the Think Tank and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) and was a research assistant at Perry World House. Beyond class, she advocates for First Generation, Low Income (FGLI) students at Penn as the Finance & Operations Chair of Penn First. In her free time, she enjoys learning about 1920s Shanghai, exploring new restaurants in Philadelphia, painting, and going to museums and orchestra concerts.
Sarah Katz
Sarah is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science majoring in International Relations and Health and Societies with a minor in East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Sarah is from New Jersey but took a gap year in Chengdu China on the US State Department NSLI-Y scholarship learning all about the Chinese language and culture. At Penn, Sarah is on the Student Committee for Undergraduate Education (Penn’s policy-making branch of student government) and is the chair external of the Penn John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society. In past summers Sarah conducted Cardiology public policy research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and interned for New York Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe. Sarah is particularly interested in studying China with regard to its public health policy and pandemic response plans.
Benjamin Salinger
Ben Salinger is a Junior from Providence, Rhode Island, studying Philosophy Politics & Economics (PPE) and Chinese Studies. Ben has studied Mandarin since sixth grade, fueling his interest in international law, politics, and economics, with a specific focus on China and the United States. He has interned at The Clay Studio in Old City, Philadelphia and the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the Lauder Institute here at Penn. In his free time, Ben loves to ski, mountain bike, and make pottery.