Current Students
Current First Years- Class of 2025

Isabella Absi
Education: B.A. in Politics with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies from Pomona College
Hometown: Sacramento, California
Intended Academic Focus: Democratic backsliding, hybrid regimes, “good” governance with a focus in the Middle East and North Africa.

Tala Alahmar
Education: B.A. in International Studies from the University of Michigan
Hometown: Damascus, Syria
Intended Academic Focus: Human rights and diplomatic relations.

Abdulaziz Alenezi
Education: Political Science with concentration in IR and minor in Middle Eastern & North African Studies
Hometown: Kuwait
Intended Academic Focus: Democratization, Democratic transition, Governance, and Authoritarianism.

Clayton Asai
Education: B.A. in International Social Sciences from Gakushuin University
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Intended Academic Focus: East Asian Politics, International Relations, and Comparative Politics

Lily Ashbrook
Education: B.A. in Political Science & Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Intended Academic Focus: Refugee Policy concerning Europe & the Middle East, Human Rights, Democratization.

Roudah Chaker
Education: B.A. in Government with a minor in History from Georgetown University
Hometown: Northern Virginia
Intended Academic Focus: The mechanisms and strategies of democratization, specifically exploring the role of social and informal institutions in facilitating or hindering the transition from autocratic regimes to democratic governance.

Kal Desta
Education: B.A. in International Studies with a minor in Public Administration and a cluster in Peace & Conflict Transformation from Brigham Young University
Hometown: Ethiopia
Intended Academic Focus: Foreign relations, Conflict resolution, Democratization.

Zora Hermans
Education: BA in Political Science and Writing & Rhetoric from St. Edward’s University
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Intended Academic Focus: American politics, democratic backsliding, European politics, democratic institutions.

Gauri Kaushik
Education: B.A. in Politics and English from Mount Holyoke College
Hometown: Cupertino, California
Intended Academic Focus: Relationship between Religion, Ethnic Conflict, and Democracy in South Asia.

Hamza Khan
Education: B.A. in Political Science & Judaic Studies with a Certificate in Asian Studies from University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Hometown: Potomac, MD
Intended Academic Focus: Judicial reform, campaign finance reform and the role of the free press in furthering transparency & democratic reform.

Donya Lechqer
Education: B.A. in Political Science
Hometown: Virginia Beach
Intended Academic Focus: Middle Eastern and North African politics.

Yufu Liang
Education: Bachelor of Laws at China University of Political Science and Law
Hometown: China
Intended Academic Focus: Gender and international security, state-society relations

Brianna Ma
Education: Joint BA/MA student in Government, Georgetown University
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
Intended Academic Focus: Government

Jonathan Mendoza:
Education: B.A. in Arts for Social Advocacy, with a minor in Political Science, Poetry from Berklee College of Music
Hometown: Framingham, Massachusetts
Intended Academic Focus: Gathering and applying the lessons of foreign democratization efforts to multiracial pro-democracy political and social movement organizing in the US.

Andriy Nix
Education: B.A. in Political Science from Christopher Newport University
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
Intended Academic Focus: Eurasia/Former Soviet Union area

Michael Parisi
Education: B.A. in International Relations and Modern History from the University of St Andrews
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Intended Academic Focus: Global authoritarianism and its connections to democratic backsliding as well as the growth of far right conceptions of nationalism in North America and Europe.

Saroy Rakotoson
Education: BA History and International Relation at King’s College London
Hometown: Antananarivo, Madagascar
Intended Academic Focus: Gender in IR or overall the place in gender in the institutions of Democracy

Fahad Saad
Education: Bachelor’s in Government and International Politics
Hometown: Kuwait
Intended Academic Focus: Democracy Promotion, Political Behavior, and Research Methodology.

Alex Szlabowicz
Education: B.A. from the University of Florida
Hometown: Ft Myers, FL
Intended Academic Focus: Democracy promotion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Justin Wanki
Education: Law
Hometown: Cameroon/Bamenda
Intended Academic Focus: Research about African and Latin American democracies.

Jacqueline Wu
Education: B.A. in Economics from National Chengchi University and M.A. in National Development from National Taiwan University (in progress)
Hometown: Taiwan
Intended Academic Focus: Democratization, Foreign policy, Global financial security, Technology governance.

Michelle Ye
Education: B.A. in English from University College London
Hometown: Toronto, Canada and Hong Kong, China
Intended Academic Focus: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, International Relations.

Nicholas Zochowski
Education: Vanderbilt University
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Intended Academic Focus: Legislatures, authoritarianism, democratization.
Current Second Years- Class of 2024

Milan Bailey
Education: B.S. in Political Science & Sociology from Campbellsville University
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Intended Academic Focus: The relationship between human rights, democracy, religion, and law. Regional interests: MENA.

Adnan Basheer
Education: B.S. in Politics & International Relations from University College London (UCL)
Hometown: Dubai, U.A.E./Chennai, India
Intended Academic Focus: Good Governance reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Charlene Batlle
Education: B.A. in Humanities with a concentration in Politics and Ethics from Bard College Berlin
Hometown: Pinar del Río, Cuba
Intended Academic Focus: Diplomacy, Democratic backsliding, Democracy Promotion.

Louis Bonnefous
Education: B.A. in Political Science & International Affairs from Northeastern University
Hometown: Paris, France
Intended Academic Focus: Immigration and refugees issues, relationship between nationalism and democracy in Europe, democracy promotion in Central and West Africa.

Leesa Danzek
Education: B.A. in Political Science from University of Southern California
Hometown: Simi Valley, California
Intended Academic Focus: Role of civil society in democratization and democratic backsliding; intersection of policy, media, and grassroots organizing in support of democracy, civil rights, and human rights; how social media is leveraged in international diplomacy.

Rafael de Osma Bedoya
Education: B.A. in International Business from Rollins College
Hometown: Lima, Peru
Intended Academic Focus: My present focus lies on investigating Latin America’s role in the energy transition as well as monitoring the imminent rise of polarization, democratic backsliding, and economic populism in the region.

Sohila Hassan
Education: B.A. in International Government and Politics with a minor in Security and Intelligence Studies from George Mason University
Hometown: Cairo, Egypt and Newport News, Virginia
Intended Academic Focus: Cultural and Societal Impacts of Democratization and Gender and Conflict.

Tyler Heffern
Education: B.A. in Politics from Fairfield University
Hometown: Stratford, Connecticut
Intended Academic Focus: Election Administration and Democratic Erosion.

Max Henning
Education: B.A. in Neuroscience from University of Southern California
Hometown: Pittsboro, North Carolina
Intended Academic Focus: The adaptation of international democracy assistance practices for application in the United States.

Collin Hulling
Education: Western Oregon University
Hometown: Sheridan, Oregon
Intended Academic Focus: Impact of Authoritarian regimes, especially China/Russia in young, and established democracies around the world.

Opal Malai
Education: B.A. in Politics and International Relations from University of Kent (UK)
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
Intended Academic Focus: Political theory related to democracy, Democratic Backsliding in South East Asia (ASEAN), Diplomacy and Democracy, polarization and its influences around the world.

Ruwaidah Maudarbux
Education: B.A. in Media and Communication from De Montfort University, M.A. in International Studies and Diplomacy from School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS
Hometown: Northamptonshire – England
Intended Academic Focus: Democratic Backsliding, Institution Building.

Nathan Posner
Education: B.A. in Government from Georgetown University
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Intended Academic Focus: Democratic Backsliding and Extremist groups in existing democracies.

Katja Volz
Education: B.A. in Sociology from University of British Columbia
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Intended Academic Focus: Democratization, international development, corruption, with a regional interest in Eastern Europe/Europe.