Educational Background
Doctoral Studies
Universität zu Köln & Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies
In October 2020 I began research for my PhD as a part of the International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Composition of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE), a graduate school affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, the University of Cologne, and the University of Duisburg-Essen. I am also a member of the Cologne Center for Comparative Politics. My supervisor is Prof. Dr. André Kaiser. Chitralekha Basu and Letizia Mencarini are members of my Thesis Advisory Committee. I expect to finish my dissertation in 2024.
PhD
Master of Arts, Political Science
Universität zu Köln
Honors: Dean's List, Wintersemester 2019/2020
This program allowed me to develop my interest in quantitative research methods and learn to use R to process data for analysis. Thematically, I wove together my research skills with my interests in reproductive justice, researching how abortion access is related to economic development and how abortion policies are made and changed around the world. My skills were further expanded by the opportunity to work with the Chair of European and Multilevel Politics as a Graduate Assistant. My masters thesis was entitled "Explaining Political Rhetoric on Abortion Policy: a Comparative Analysis." It was supervised by Prof. Dr. Sven-Oliver Proksch and received a grade of 1,3.
MA
Master's in Public Administration
American University, School of Public Affairs
Concentration: Nonprofit Management
Honors: Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society
Final GPA: 3.951
In the department of Public Administration and Policy, I studied traditional management topics such as project management, organizational analysis, and leadership theory. Each of my classes has also included instruction aimed at future governmental and nonprofit leaders and how working in those sectors is different than leadership in the private sector. I have specialized in nonprofit courses, studying nonprofit management; nonprofit policy, advocacy, and law; and grant-writing. During my graduate studies, I also participated in the European Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute. This course took me to Brussels, the capital of the European Union, for an intensive week of meeting with governmental, NGO, and private sector leaders to understand the policy making process and how lobbying and advocacy are done in the European Union.
MPA
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science
American University, School of Public Affairs
Honors: Cum Laude, Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society
In the department of Government, I covered broad bases of US politics and elections, political theory, and the operation of the US government. During my four years of undergrad, I was able to study two election cycles as they developed, supplementing my academic studies on congress with internships on Capitol Hill and in the political action committee EMILY's List. That internship with EMILY's List gave me the opportunity to leave Washington for the week preceding the election to spend get out the vote in a field office for the combined Democratic campaign. I also participated in the Center of Congressional and Presidential Studies' Campaign Management Institute which served as a crash course in the nitty gritty details of how to run a successful election campaign in the US.
BA
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy
American University, College of Arts and Sciences
Honors: Cum Laude, Phi Sigma Tau Honor Society
In the department of philosophy I sought out a variety of courses on philosophies from around the world, studying traditional Western European and Greek philosophy, Latin American philosophy, and East Asian philosophy. The philosophy department at American University provided me with remarkably diverse opportunities aligned with the interests of the faculty. Topics of particular interest to me included bioethics and the ethics of altering the human body.
BA
Study Abroad, Classics & Philosophy
University College London
I studied abroad for my third year of my bachelors studies in London at UCL. I took advantage of UCL's Classics department, as American University does not have a program focused on Greek and Roman classical studies. I studied ancient Greek language, Greek mythology, and had an entire course focused on Plato. The Philosophy department also exposed me to British philosophy through literature and continental views on metaphysics. In a nod to my political science degree, I also took one course on British politics.
Abroad
Certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies
American University, School of Public Affairs
Alumna, Teaching Assistant, and Mentor
The School of Public Affairs Leadership was arguably the most significant aspect of my undergraduate experience, despite being significantly fewer credit hours than a major. The first two years of this four year program guides students through the process of identifying a social problem that concerns them, researching the policies behind that issue, writing a project proposal and grant application to fund the project, and then actually executing a project to address the problem in the local community, first with a group and then in the second year on one's own. In the third year, students participate in internships for credit and study organizational dynamics, and in the final year students lead their own class on leadership lessons in popular culture. I participated in this program both as a student and as a teaching assistant for second year students, which was an extraordinarily rewarding role. Since graduation, I have returned to program events to serve as an alumni mentor for current students as they begin to feel out their career paths.
Certificate