Pardee Students Lead Urban Refuge’s Continued Impact at BostonHacks
This semester, Urban Refuge, a platform designed to connect displaced individuals with essential resources, participated in BostonHacks, one of Boston’s most innovative student hackathons. The event saw students from universities across the city come together to develop technology-driven solutions to critical social challenges. Urban Refuge’s challenge asked students to create a privacy-centered website to map critical resources for refugees and displaced people in urban environments.
The Pardee School of Global Studies has long been at the heart of Urban Refuge’s mission. What began as a student-led initiative in the IR 500 Forced Migration and Human Trafficking course has now grown into a significant project, thanks to the continued guidance of Dr. Noora Lori, Associate Professor of International Relations at the Pardee School of Global Studies and the Founding Director of the Pardee School’s Initiative on Forced Migration and Human Trafficking. Under Dr. Lori’s mentorship, Pardee students have been instrumental in evolving Urban Refuge’s vision from a geolocation app initially developed to support refugees in Jordan to a comprehensive platform now focused on supporting displaced individuals in the Greater Boston area.
The origins of Urban Refuge trace back to a 2017 crowdfunding campaign launched by Pardee students, led by Meaghan Delaney, who was then a sophomore. The initiative aimed to raise funds for an app that would help refugees in urban spaces by providing critical information such as locations of schools, clinics, and other resources. With 181 donors contributing a total of $17,810, the project was able to move forward and plan a pilot launch in Amman, Jordan. Delaney, who now works in corporate affairs at KPMG, uses her experience with Urban Refuge to advise clients, further demonstrating the lasting value of the project and her role in its success.
At the time, Adil Najam, who was the Dean of the Pardee School of Global Studies, highlighted the importance of projects like Urban Refuge, which encouraged students to engage with global challenges directly. Dean Najam, now Dean Emeritus, expressed hope that the app would contribute in some small way to alleviating the challenges faced by displaced individuals, particularly in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis.
Fast forward to today, and Urban Refuge has transitioned from an app to a website, with an expanded mission to provide accessible resources for refugees in Boston. During this year’s BostonHacks, the Pardee Executive Board of Urban Refuge, which includes Pardee students Emma Galletta (MGP ’24) , Seynedhee Avenie (MAIA ’25), Daria Kosack (BA IR ’25), Soumyaa Mathur (BA IR ’25) and Isabella Chaparro Will (BA IR ’26), took the reins, guiding the challenge for participants. Under their leadership, the hackathon participants were tasked with developing a platform that integrates GIS-based data for real-time mapping, prioritizes user privacy, and allows for community-driven updates to ensure long-term sustainability.
While Marvin Hoang, a computer science student from Boston University, and Alan Eng and Wilson Wei from Northeastern University took home the win, it is the ongoing leadership of Pardee students and faculty that remains central to the project’s success. Emma Gallota, an MAIA candidate, expressed how participating in the hackathon was a culmination of both academic learning and real-world application. “
As Urban Refuge continues to evolve, it stands as a testament to the commitment of Pardee students to using their education and passion to drive social change. Dr. Noora Lori’s ongoing leadership and the diverse skill set of Pardee students ensure that the project will have a lasting impact on vulnerable communities, both locally and internationally.
Through Urban Refuge, Pardee students are bridging the gap between technology and humanitarian aid, proving that collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to social justice can transform lives.