Yitzhak Henry

PhD Alumnus in Political Science

Graduated in 2022

Yitzhak received his PhD from Northeastern University in 2022, specializing in Comparative Politics and Public Policy. He has a strong background and interest in community resilience, local government, urban planning, and program evaluation. Yitzhak has served as a Teaching Assistant for POLS4505 – US Civil Liberties, POLS1160 – International Relations, POLS1155 – Comparative Politics, and as a Research Assistant for Prof. Laura Kuhl and for the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern.

Related Schools & Departments

Political Science

Research Interest

Yitzhak has a strong background and interest in community resilience, local government, urban planning, and program evaluation. His research looks at how urban planning decisions by local governments impact the vulnerability of communities to climate hazards, the ability of residents to access critical infrastructure, and the post disaster recovery trajectories of these communities. Currently, his research examines these processes within the context of coastal urban agglomerations in Latin America and the Caribbean. His research relies on a blend of traditional political science research techniques as well as the application of Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing.

Biography

Yitzhak is a native of Brooklyn, New York and has spent time living in Jamaica and New Zealand. He received his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of the West Indies and a Master’s degree in Security and Resilience Studies from Northeastern University.

Selected Publications

“How the decline of the freight rail industry highlighted the importance of community resilience: Murdo, South Dakota,” published by Global Resilience Institute
“It only takes one: How a single shipping container could cripple the world’s economy” published by Global Resilience Institute
“A high price to pay: The true cost of America’s aging infrastructure” published by Global Resilience Institute

Conference Presentations

“Building Resilience in Los Angeles’ Most Vulnerable Communities,” Los Angeles Homeland Security Advisory Council, October 2018
“Democracy and Disaster Resilience in the Caribbean Basin” Southwest Social Sciences Association Annual Conference, October 2019

Research Interests: Community Resilience, Urban Planning, Local Government, Program Evaluation, Latin America, Caribbean, SIDS, Climate Hazards, GIS, Remote Sensing
Contact Info:
960A Renaissance Park
henry.yi@northeastern.edu
Curriculum Vitae

More Student Paths

Charles T. Wallace-Thomas IV

Charles took "Sustainable Renewable Energy Development in the Global South" with Professor Shalanda Baker, which pushed him to further question systems as they exist, no matter their entrenched in society.
He did community service as part of the Ujima Global Leaders Program through the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute. He worked on the Timebank team, helping give back to local communities.
Charles split his time for his first co-op between the Center for Economic Democracy and the Boston Ujima Project, where he analyzed studies on community needs, including infrastructure and childcare.
He was one of the co-creators of the #BlackAtNU campaign and advocated for racial literacy courses and a restorative and transformative justice center on campus.
Charles made his own research project- a macroeconomic index to measure democratic participation in municipal economies, partnering with NU, the Columbus Foundation and the Center for Economic Democracy.
He worked at the Participatory Budgeting Project as a Program Associate, helping city systems and other organizations actively decide how to invest money across different spaces.
Charles graduated in 2022. ..

Casey Greenleaf

Casey took Global Markets and Local Cultures. After traveling, she better saw how the coursework mirrored real life, and knew her education was preparing her for the world.
She went on a DOC to Argentina and Uruguay, and become highly proficient while living in Buenos Aires and visiting the glaciers of the Patagonia region.
Casey completed her first co-op at the Museum of Fine Arts as a community arts program assistant. She gained valuable hands-on experience assisting in arts classes for local communities.
She joined the Sociology & Anthropology Student Association during her third year. It allowed her to get to know her fellow students and mirrored the small school experience she loved.
Casey studied abroad in Nepal for her capstone thesis. She lived alone for a month while she researched and wrote about the lived experience of climate change in the lower Himalayas.
She worked for the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, founded by Professor Sarah Wylie. She produced promotional videos, developed a virtual research event, wrote event programming, and more.
Casey graduated in 2020. ..

Sunita Pfitzner

Sunita took Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection, taught by Professor Risa Kitagawa. The course invited students to question the motives behind acts of violence against governments.
She traveled on a Dialogue of Civilizations to Jordan and Egypt; while there she grew interested in Middle East politics and the Arabic language.
Sunita worked at the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney, Australia, where she analyzed data on the corruption of police forces in Mexico.
Sunita was a member of the International Relations Council and traveled abroad with the club to compete in Model Arab League, Model NATO, and Model UN conferences.
Sunita conducted research with Berna Turam, developing a greater understanding of the Mediterranean migrant crisis. She also researched the feminist response to Covid-19 with Val Moghadam.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2022.
..

Yasser Aponte

Yasser was in the Foundation Year program at Northeastern. The program was a rigorous deep dive into core subject classes that helped Yasser bridge the gap between his high school and college experiences.
He took Issues in Cities and Suburbs with Professor Erin Graves in Fall 2018. As someone deeply invested in urban life, he found the course was an enlightened look at the problems endemic to cities.
Yasser joined the Boston Beer Company as a Program Operations and Event Assistant for his first co-op. He worked on inventory, public relations, brewery events, and workspace organization.
He implemented community gardens all over Boston on deserted plots of land during his time as the Northeastern Campus Director for the campus’ United Nations Millennium Fellowship.
Yasser maintained a farm in Dorchester for The Food Project. He harvested crops, distributed produce through donations and food markets, and worked on overall logistics.
In 2020, Yasser won the Community Service Leadership award, given to students who show exemplary community engagement. He was recognized for his work at The Food Project, Northeastern Crossing, and more.
He graduated 2022 with his Bachelor’s in International Affairs and Religious Studies and his Master’s in Security and Resilience Studies, through Northeastern’s PlusOne program...