Nailah-Benā Chambers

Nailah-Benā currently serves as the Director of Academic Impact at the National Association for Black Engagement with Asia (NABEA) and Program Coordinator at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). She previously served as a Research Intern at the Korea Economic Institute of America, where she conducted research on national defense spending, security strategy, economic development, and the state of trilateral relationships. She also worked as the Operations Assistant for the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Global Careers Center, where she supported programming and helped manage day-to-day operations. Through these roles, she contributed to facilitating research initiatives, career resources, and public engagement that connect students and professionals with insights on U.S.-Asia relations.

Her interest in Asia and Chinese language studies developed during her undergraduate studies, when she studied abroad in South Korea, Taiwan, and China. These experiences fostered a lasting curiosity in East Asian politics, culture, and international relations, leading her to pursue a Masters in International Relations and a China focus from Johns Hopkins SAIS, which she will complete next May.

Nailah-Benā hopes to pursue a career in international development, and her free time enjoys trying new foods and watching Netflix documentaries on topics spanning from financial fraud to history.