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Staff Directory

The APSA national office is supported by staff professionals, guided by 5 senior directors and the executive director. The APSA Council and committees govern association programs and activities. The APSA national office is located in an historic rowhouse in Dupont Circle, in Northwest Washington, DC.

Executive Director: Steven Rathgeb Smith

General Inquiries

American Political Science Association
1527 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036-1203

Phone: (202) 483-2512
Fax: (202) 483-2657
Email: apsa@apsanet.org

Staff

Steven Rathgeb Smith, Executive Director
Michelle Allendoerfer, Senior Director, Teaching and Learning
Ashley Vande Bunte, Senior Director, Meetings and Events
Dan Gibson, Senior Director, Communications, Information and Operations
Jon Gurstelle, Senior Director, Publications
Kimberly Mealy, Senior Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives
Karima D. Scott, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
Steve Stoupa, Director, Finance and Administration
Nicole Price, Associate Director, Finance
Adriana Daza, Staff Accountant II
Mehreen Bajwa, Staff Accountant
Meghan McConaughey, Chief of Staff and Director, Congressional Fellowship Program
Nathan Bader, Program Associate, Governance and the Congressional Fellowship Program
Elizabeth Meehan, Manager, Research Grants
Ben Goodrich, Associate Director, Government Relations and Public Engagement
Bennett Grubbs, Manager, Teaching and Learning and Editor, APSA Educate
Rosalie Rubio, Associate Director, Centennial Center
Clarissa Westphal Nogueira, Manager, Communications & Web Development
Julia Walters, Associate Director, Awards & Development
Jennifer Aaronson, Associate Director, Human Resources
India Simmons, Program Manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
Isabel Thompson, Program Assistant, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
Andrew Stinson, Director, Grant Initiatives and International Programs
Dana El-Issa, Manager, MENA
Samantha Wirth, Program Associate, Centennial Center and International Programs
Kristin Kessler, Director, Meetings and Events
Lynanne Lowry, Virtual Meetings Specialist
Casey Harrigan, Director, Member Services
Brenna Dames, Manager, Member Services
Caroline Stroh, Program Assistant, Member Services
Dragana Svraka, Editor, American Political Science Review
Jen Boylan, Managing Editor, Perspectives on Politics
Tia Gracey, Associate Editor, Political Science Today.
Marah Schlingensiepen, Managing Editor, P.S
Erin McGrath, Director, Research
Ana Diaz, Manager, Research

Executive Management

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Steven Rathgeb Smith
Executive Director

Steven Rathgeb Smith is the executive director of the American Political Science Association and adjunct professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. He previously taught for many years at the University of Washington where he was the Nancy Bell Evans Professor of Public Affairs at the Evans School of Public Affairs and director of the Nancy Bell Evans Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy. In addition, he has taught at Duke, American University, Syracuse University, and Washington University in St. Louis. From 1997 to 2004, he was editor of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. He is the past president of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (2006-2008) and the International Society for Third Sector Research (2016-2018). Dr. Smith has authored and edited several books including, Nonprofits for Hire: The Welfare State in the Age of Contracting (with Michael Lipsky), Governance and Regulation in the Third Sector: International Perspectives (co-edited with Susan Phillips), Nonprofits and Advocacy: Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment (co-edited with Robert Pekkanen and Yutaka Tsujinaka) and most recently, The Changing Dynamic of Government–Nonprofit Relationships: Advancing the Field(s). (with Kirsten A. Gronbjerg) (Cambridge University Press, 2021). He is currently the chair of the CEO Executive Committee of the American Council of Learned Societies. He has a Ph.D. in political science from M.I.T., a M.S.W. from Washington University in St. Louis, and an A.B. degree from Brown University. . Email ›› View CV ››

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Michelle Allendoerfer
Senior Director, Teaching and Learning
Michelle Allendoerfer serves as the Senior Director of Teaching and Learning. She coordinates APSA’s teaching and learning programs and professional development programs. Prior to joining APSA, Michelle was the faculty coordinator for the International Politics cohort of the Women’s Leadership Program at the George Washington University where she taught political science courses. In addition to her research on human rights, Michelle has published on pedagogy. She received her BA in Political Science at Carleton College and her PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan. In her free time, Michelle enjoys running, travel, and food. Email ››

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Ashley Vande Bunte
Senior Director, Meetings and Events
Ashley Vande Bunte is the Senior Director of Meetings and Events. She organizes and executes the Annual Meeting and the Teaching & Learning Conference. Prior to joining APSA in 2013, Ashley managed exhibits and registration at the Retail Industry Leaders Association for four years and studied International Relations at Grand Valley State University. Ashley enjoys traveling, learning new languages, reading about meteorology, and exploring the local area with her husband and son . Email ››

Dan Gibson
Senior Director, Communications, Information and Operations

Dan Gibson serves as APSA senior Director of Communications, Information and Operations. He is responsible for APSA media/press relations, branding, and web communications. He is a veteran communications and marketing professional. He has worked primarily in the association field for more than 20 years using his expertise to deliver clear, consistent messaging and promote the interests of organizations and their memberships. His travels include the IEEE Computer Society, United Rentals, the American Gas Association, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the International Franchise Association, and the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals. He received a BA Communications from Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland and has received numerous awards in marketing and communications. Email ››

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Jon Gurstelle
Senior Director, Publications
Jon Gurstelle has spent over a decade in academic publishing at Blackwell Publishing, Springer, and most recently, John Wiley & Sons. He spent many years as a book and journal editor in Political Science at Springer and was most recently an Executive Editor for Statistics at Wiley. He has been a regular attendee at the Annual Meeting since 2008 and was active in several publishing industry groups including the AAP’s Professional and Scholarly Publishing division. Jon is based at the APSA Headquarters and oversees the 21 APSA and affiliated journals as well as the other association publications including books and brochures. Email ››

Kimberly Mealy
Senior Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives
Kimberly A. Mealy, is the APSA senior director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives. She engages in strategic program development in the areas of diversity, inclusion and accessibility, professional ethics, mentoring, and recruitment and retention of individuals from historically underrepresented groups. She also serves as the staff lead for the APSA Committee on Professional Ethics, Rights and Freedoms and six of the APSA Status Committees. During her time at APSA, Kimberly has supported two APSA presidential task forces (Political Science in the 21st Century (2010) and Negotiating Agreement in Politics (2013)) and directed the annual APSA Teaching and Learning Conference (2017-2014). Prior to joining APSA in 2007, Kimberly taught in the political science department at Wellesley College, as a teaching fellow and a visiting assistant professor. She earned her PhD in political science and public policy from Indiana University, where she directed mentoring and professional development programs for the Office of the Dean for Women’s Affairs and taught courses in political science. Most recently, Kimberly designed and implemented the development of the annual meetings ombuds resource (2017) and created the association-wide RESPECT campaign (2018). In May of 2019, Kimberly published a co-authored piece in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education entitled “Social Justice in Action: Creating a Climate of RESPECT at Associational Meetings”. She regularly consults on association resource development in the areas of diversity and inclusion, sexual harassment, professional climate, and the role and structure of the organizational ombuds. Email ››

Karima D. Scott
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
Karima Scott serves as the Senior Director of the Communications and Marketing department. She is responsible for all communications and marketing efforts of the association including branding and promotion of APSA program initiatives, managing and monitoring of the association website and social media channels, implementation of new marketing materials and campaigns, as well as serving as one of the association’s layout and design specialist. She supports and collaborates with all departments and teams to best serve APSA members. Prior to joining APSA in late 2013, Karima served as an AmeriCorp Public Ally after receiving her BA from George Mason University where she studied media communications, sociology and theater. Karima is a Washington, D.C. native. She enjoys live entertainment, traveling, art, and painting. Email ››

Accounting

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Steve Stoupa
Director, Finance and Administration
Stephen ‘Steve’ Stoupa is the Director of Finance and Administration. Steve joined APSA in 2023 and brings more than 30 years of progressive accounting and finance experience leading the accounting departments of a variety of non-profits throughout the past 25 years. It was at Price Waterhouse where he was an audit staff for 5 1/2 years that he found his love for the missions, staff and volunteers of non-profits and decided his future career path. Steve is a lifelong resident of the DC Metro area and is actively licensed as a CPA in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He continues his professional development as a member of both the AICPA and VSCPA and is a proud father of two wonderful and successful young daughters in their 20s. Email ››

Nicole Price
Associate Director, Finance
Nicole Price supports APSA’s financial processing, analysis, reporting, and policy functions in her role as Associate Director of Finance. She brings fifteen years of nonprofit finance, contracts and operations experience, working under a variety of funding environments, from other Washington, DC-based nonprofit organizations including Shakespeare Theatre Company, Environmental Working Group, and Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Nicole enjoys gardening, theater, true crime podcasts, and spending time with her pit bull, Gidget, and two cats, Pop and Iggi. She holds a BA in Government and Politics, with a minor in Philosophy, from the University of Maryland. Email ››

Adriana Daza
Staff Accountant II
Adriana Daza is responsible for supporting the Director of Finance and the accounting manager in carrying out the responsibilities of the Finance Department which includes the performance of account receivable, payroll, monthly bank reconciliation and assisting the monthly closing process. Before joining APSA in October 2022, Adriana has worked in a CPA company as a payroll analyst, bookkeeper and project accountant. Adriana also has experience in US corporations/ partnerships and state taxes as she worked in an international big 4 in Buenos Aires as a tax analyst. Adriana enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and fitness. Email ››

Mehreen Bajwa
Staff Accountant
Mehreen Bajwa serves as the Staff Accountant at APSA, supporting the Finance Department in carrying out the responsibilities of accounts payable. Prior to APSA, Mehreen worked at Long and Foster Companies as an Accounting Specialist. In that role, she served as the Team Lead for HR, Legal, MKTG, IT and Special Services as well as handling bookkeeping and agent accounts. She is graduating soon from George Mason University with a bachelor’s in business with a concentration in Accounting. She enjoys spending time with her family and hikes. Email ››

Congressional Fellowship Program

Meghan McConaughey
Chief of Staff and Director, Congressional Fellowship Program

Meghan McConaughey serves as Chief of Staff and Director of the Congressional Fellowship Program. She leads all aspects of the Congressional Fellowship Program, including supporting fellows in preparing for, securing, and being successful in their placements; organizing the fellow recruitment and selection process; and managing relationships with program partners and host offices. She is always happy to connect with potential fellows, hosts, partners, or alumni. She also provides support for APSA governance logistics and organization. Meghan has a PhD in political science and an MPP from Georgetown University. Email ››

Nathan Bader
Program Associate, Governance and the Congressional Fellowship Progra
Nathan Bader serves as the Program Associate for Governance and the Congressional Fellowship Program. He began with APSA in 2019 as an Operations Assistant before being promoted to Program Associate in 2021. Nathan holds a BA in History and Nonprofit Administration from Dakota Wesleyan University and an MA in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics. He was an Associate Editor of Statecraft and has been named a McGovern Scholar and Rumsfeld Fellow. Nathan is originally from South Dakota and enjoys hiking, playing trivia, watching science fiction films, and cheering on his favorite sports teams. Email ››

Elizabeth Meehan
Manager, Research Grants
Elizabeth (Bit) Meehan serves as the Manager, Research Grants. She carries out APSA's research grant programs, particularly support for early career research grants like the Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (DDRIG) program. She received her BA in Political Science at Northwestern University and her PhD in Political Science from George Washington University. Her dissertation research was funded by the National Science Foundation. Bit enjoys live music, national parks, and clothes thrifting. Email ››

Government Relations and Public Engagement

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Ben Goodrich
Associate Director, Government Relations and Public Engagement
Ben Goodrich serves as APSA's Associate Director for Government Relations and Public Engagement. He enjoys a wide array of responsibilities including leading APSA's public engagement and advocacy portfolio, supporting public engagement programs, and administering the Public Service Fellowship and Pracademic Fellowship. Ben joined APSA in 2023 after four years at the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) where he led the organization's public affairs efforts and supported policy and advocacy efforts on behalf of the greater social and behavioral science community. Born and raised in the Upper Midwest, Ben graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018 and enjoys live music, video and board games, and museums in his free time.

Teaching and Learning

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Bennett Grubbs
Manager, Teaching and Learning and Editor, APSA Educate
Bennett l. Grubbs serves as Manager for Teaching and Learning and Editor for APSA Educate. He manages and curates APSA Educate, the soon-to-be launched online-library showcasing exceptional teaching materials and resources, peer-reviewed research on political science higher education and timely discussions on innovative practices in political science learning. Prior to joining APSA, Bennett taught at both the New School’s Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts and the City College of New York’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. He has presented research on American politics at multiple annual meetings of the American Political Science Association. Bennett earned his BA in political science from Le Moyne College and his MA in political science from Northern Arizona University. He is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics at the New School for Social Research, where he is completing a PhD thesis on the course of progressive reform in early 21st century American politics. email ››

Centennial Center

Rosalie Rubio
Associate Director, Centennial Center
Rosalie Rubio serves as Associate Director of the Centennial Center for Public Affairs. In her role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the Centennial Center’s 13 grant programs and provides planning and support for the annual meetings of APSA’s Institute for Civically Engaged Research. She received her BA in Global Studies and Peace, War, and Defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her PhD in Political Science from George Washington University. As a scholar, her research examines authoritarian politics, civil-military relations, and the implications of security policy on governance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In her free time, Rosalie is a stand-up comic and enjoys going to comedy shows, concerts, and bookstores. email ››

Communications & Marketing

Clarissa Westphal Nogueira
Manager, Communications & Web Development
Clarissa Westphal Nogueira is the Communications & Web Development Manager at APSA. She serves as technical support to staff and members, providing both web and database maintenance for the APSA Website as well as related pages. As part of the Communications team, she works and assists on graphic design projects for APSA's many programs, as well as monitoring/organizing Social Media. Prior to joining APSA in 2018, she worked at various associations and startups in charge of website updates, graphic design projects, copywriting and translations. Clarissa earned her degree in Graphic, Web and Industrial design at the Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL) in Florianopolis, Brazil. Born in D.C and growing up in Argentina, she considers many cities to be her home and enjoys traveling, drawing, singing in her local choir and videogames. Email ››

Human Resources

Jennifer Aaronson
Associate Director, Human Resources

Jennifer Aaronson is the Associate Director of Human Resources. In this role, she leads people operations and helps to develop APSA's people strategy to make the association an enticing and rewarding place to work—where the organizational culture promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and actively works to dismantle the practices and processes that uphold systemic racism and inequity. Immediately prior to joining APSA, Jen was the Sr. HR Generalist at Prosperity Now. Prior to that, she worked in politics and nonprofits as a field organizer, fundraiser, and project coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources Management from Georgetown University. Jen is originally from Southern California, and in her spare time, she enjoys going to baseball games, finding new dessert places to check out, and going on walks with her dog Carson.

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Development

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Julia Walters
Associate Director, Awards & Development
Julia Walters supervises implementation of APSA Awards and travel grants while planning and directing the association’s development and philanthropic initiatives. She manages APSA’s virtual grant platforms as well as exhibitors, sponsors, and advertisers for both the Annual Meeting and Teaching and Learning Conference. Prior to joining APSA in 2017, Julia received a BA in Public Policy and Peace, War, and Defense from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Julia is a native Arlingtonian who enjoys college basketball and testing out new food trucks. Email ››

Membership

Casey Harrigan
Director, Member Services

Casey Harrigan is the Associate Director for Member Services. Prior to joining APSA in 2017, Casey received a BS in Political Science from Towson University and an MPA, with a focus in health policy, from Baruch College. Casey is originally from New York, in her spare time she enjoys traveling, cooking, and refinishing antique furniture. Email ››

Brenna Dames
Manager, Member Services

Brenna Dames is the Manager for Member Services. Prior to joining APSA in 2020, she worked at Dance Place, a DC based arts non-profit where she served as the Education Manager, a teaching artist and a dancer. She received her BA in Political Science as well as her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Elon University in 2015. Brenna is originally from Maryland and enjoys dancing, traveling, and finding the perfect piece of pizza. Email ››

Caroline Stroh
Program Assistant, Member Services

Caroline Stroh is the Program Assistant, Member Services. She recently graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Criminology & Criminal Justice, where she was a member of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Honors Research Program. Most recently, she was a Research Intern with the Justice Policy Institute. She is originally from Pennsylvania. In her free time, she works part-time as a yoga studio assistant in DC, and she enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time outdoors.Email ››

Diversity and Inclusion Programs

India Simmons
Program Manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
India Angelique Simmons (she/her) serves as the Program Manager for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs. India is obtaining her MA in Intercultural and International Communication from American University's School of International Service. India received her BA in Human Rights, Political Science, and International Studies from Southern Methodist University in 2020 while minoring in Arabic, History and Women and Gender Studies. She primarily focuses on Global South relations, race and IR, and human security. She enjoys gardening, fitness and traveling.Email ››

Isabel Thompson
Program Assistant, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
Isabel Thompson serves as the Program Assistant for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs. Isabel received her BA in International Studies from American University’s School of International Service while completing a certificate program in Disability and Health. She is interested in gender, sexuality, and disability studies research. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city, yoga, and reading. Email ››

International Programs

Andrew Stinson
Director, Grant Initiatives and International Programs
Andrew Stinson leads APSA’s efforts to engage with political science communities across the world. This includes management and planning for the Asia and MENA Workshops, as well as various collaborative projects with other national political science associations, area-studies associations, universities, research institutes, and scholars. Before joining APSA in 2011, Andrew taught English in Kazakhstan as a Peace Corps Volunteer and supported several non-profit efforts in early-childhood education and American voluntourism. He has a MA in International Studies from Rhodes University in South Africa and a BA in Political Science and History from Gettysburg College, PA. Andrew currently lives with his family in Guilford, CT. Email ››

Dana El-Issa
Manager, MENA

Dana El-Issa serves as the Manager for MENA Workshops and International Programs. In her role, she supports APSA’s international programming and program development and takes a lead role in supporting the Association’s various projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Prior to joining APSA, Dana worked on the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program as an Arabic interpreter and cultural liaison. Dana holds an MPA with a language concentration in Arabic from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a B.S. in Linguistics from California State University, Northridge. Email ››

Samantha Wirth
Program Associate, Centennial Center and International Programs

Samantha Wirth serves as the Program Associate, Centennial Center and International Programs. In her role, she supports the Centennial Center’s grant and award programs alongside APSA’s international initiatives, with special focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining APSA in 2022, Samantha worked in public policy and nonprofit development in New York City. She is currently completing her MSc Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics. She received her BA in Global Studies from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, where she traveled the country with the University of Notre Dame Band. In her free time, Samantha enjoys ceramics, listening to music, and maintaining her Duolingo streak. Email ››

Meetings & Events

Kristin Kessler
Director, Meetings and Events

Kristin Kessler serves as the Meetings Manager. Her responsibilities include programing and logistics for APSA’s Annual Meeting, conferences and small meetings. Prior to joining APSA in 2019, Kristin managed various meeting logistics, including exhibits and the call for abstracts, at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for five years. She received a BA in Sociology from Elon University. A native to the DC metro area, Kristin enjoys live music, rock climbing and traveling. Email>>

Lynanne Lowry
Virtual Meetings Specialist

Lynanne Lowry has served as APSA’s Virtual Meetings Specialist since 2021. She manages all virtual APSA events, including webinars and the upcoming inaugural Virtual Research Meeting, and supports all aspects of the APSA Annual Meeting. Prior to joining APSA, Lynanne organized event logistics for academic programs and conferences at the Institute for Humane Studies. In 2016, she received a BA in history and minor in political science from Florida Gulf Coast University. A Florida native and DC transplant, Lynanne enjoys traveling, video games, beach days, playing with her cat Tali, and petting every dog she can. Email>>

Journals & Publications

Dragana Svraka
Editor, American Political Science Review
Dragana Svraka is an editor at the American Political Science Review. She earned Ph.D. in political science from the University of Florida, where she studied comparative politics, focusing on ethnic politics in Europe. She lived and studied in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Netherlands, and the United States. For three years, she worked as an editorial assistant for Perspectives on Politics.

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Jen Boylan
Editor, Managing Editor, Perspectives on Politics.
Jennifer C. Boylan is the managing editor of Perspectives on Politics. She has worked for the journal since June 2017 and, before that, earned a PhD in Political Science and African Studies from the University of Florida. Jennifer is originally from Rockville, Maryland, and enjoys spending time at home with her husband, Jason, two children, dogs and chickens.

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Marah Schlingensiepen
Managing Editor, P.S

Marah Schlingensiepen is the managing editor of PS: Political Science & Politics. Before joining the journal in January 2022, she earned her PhD in Political Science from the University of Florida. There, she also worked on the editorial team of Perspectives on Politics for four years.

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Akshay Dixit, 2022 DDRIG (4)

Tia Gracey
Associate Editor, Political Science Today

Tia Gracey is the Associate Editor for Political Science Today. She is currently completing her Master’s in Professional Studies in Publishing at George Washington University and, before that, earned her Master’s in Liberal Arts from McDaniel College. As she finishes up her degree, she devotes her time to being the E- Publishing Committee Lead for the George Washington Journal of Ethics in Publishing. In her free time, Tia enjoys reading adult fiction, playing video games, and spending time with her cat Puma.

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Research

Erin McGrath
Director, Research
Erin began at the APSA Research Department in 2019 to lead research efforts on all aspects of the profession, and to support program evaluation across APSA. Prior to joining APSA, McGrath was a postdoc in computational social science at the University of Maryland College Park. Erin received her Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh in 2015. Her dissertation work was funded by the US Department of State. McGrath has a Master's in Public Policy from Central European University and a BA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Email ››

Ana Diaz
Manager, Research

Ana Diaz began in May 2021 as a Program/Research Manager for APSA. Before joining APSA, she obtained her master's degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University. In 2019, she earned her bachelor's degree in Political Science at the University of Florida. As Ronald E. McNair scholar, Ana presented her research regarding the "2015 Refugee Crisis" in various conferences and served as a Junior Fellow in the Political Science department at the University of Florida. Previously, she worked at the Cisneros Hispanic Institute as a Graduate Fellow and served as a Research Assistant for the School of Media and Public Affairs at GWU, and as a Foreign Affairs trainee at the European Parliament Liaison Office. Ana's areas of interest are migration and security issues in Eastern Europe and the United States. Email ››