Research Experience
Researcher in the Human Security Team and Academic Director of the ITSS Summer School - International Team for the Study of Security Verona (May 2021–Present)
At ITSS, I am the Director and Academic lead of the 2022 ITSS Political Science Summer School. Here, I both teach courses on gender and conflict, and assist in course design, guide professor recruitment, and supervise our academic tracks: Greater Middle East, Terrorism, Modern Conflict & Human Rights, Cybersecurity, and Grand Strategy. Additionally, I am part of the Human Security research team, publishing articles and leading podcast interviews with faculty that explore issues of food and water security, climate change, global health and migration, among other contemporary social-political issues. I am also collaborating in our development and pitch of projects for the U.S. State Department on extremism and disinformation.
Research Assistant at the IESE Business School – University of Navarra (2020 – Present)
Madrid, Spain
At the IESE, the top business school in Spain, I work with Professors Pascual Berrone and Joan E. Ricart in the Department of Strategic Management, conducting academic research and writing papers on urban governance. As part of the team that builds upon the yearly Cities in Motion Index, I work on issues of inclusion, sustainability, and local governance – particularly on replicable best practices and the new role of cities in the international community. Within this, I touch upon notions of cities as actors in peacebuilding, first-responders in disaster management, and leaders in the climate crisis.
Research Director at the Strategic Policy Group (2021- Present)
Remote
As a Research Director at SPG, I supervise the work of junior researchers, develop original projects for publication, and lead the Ethnic Conflict Explained series in the SPG Podcast. Here, I have explored the new dynamics of violent intra-state ethnic conflict in the 21st century, explained the complications in responding to ongoing genocides, and offered insight into the realities of international response and peacekeeping.
Conflict Analyst at the University of Heidelberg’s Institute for International Conflict Research (2020-2021)
Remote
At the HIIK, I contributed to the 2020 Conflict Barometer, a project that maps ongoing conflicts around the globe and informs policy at organizations like the UN and EU Commission. I conducted qualitative and quantitative data analyses on conflict profiles and monitored the development of the Montagnard conflict and socio-economic protests in Vietnam - using HIIK methodology to determine the severity of the conflict and its predicted trajectory.
Other Current Research Affiliations:
Generation Maastricht
Defense and International Security Researcher & Feminist Diplomacy Lead
Global Research Network
Associate Fellow — War, Conflict & Global Migration Programme
Geneva Institute of international Relations
Researcher
See my CV, Research Gate, and Google Scholar profiles for more information.
Education
MS in Women, Peace, and Security at the London School of Economics (2018 - 2019)
London, United Kingdom
At LSE, I had the chance to explicitly explore the intersection of conflict and gender – delving into issues related to the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, building expertise in international policy, and conducting in-depth research related to conflict, human rights, and international law. For my thesis, I drew from frameworks of power, domination, and embodiment developed by Arendt, Foucault, and Mbembe, and applied Claudia Card’s social death paradigm to explore the genocidal harm of sexual violence in the 1981 Guatemalan case of the Ixil Triangle.
Dual Degree in International Relations and Business Administration at the Comillas Pontifical University – ICADE (2013 - 2018)
Madrid, Spain
At ICADE, I combined my interest in international affairs and entrepreneurship to explore the impact of non-state actors and economic networks on security. For my business thesis, I evaluated the social and economic impact of sexual trafficking in Southeast Asia, with a focus on projected growth and legal anti-trafficking frameworks. For my international relations thesis, I undertook a historical analysis of the Rape of Nanking and the influence of historical memory on current Sino-Japanese diplomatic and economic relations. During this time, I also had the chance to build up quantitative skills in Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Statistics, Econometrics, and Financial Mathematics, among others, as well as start exploring transnational dynamics in International Security and Public Policy.
Summer Semester at Stanford University (2015)
Palo Alto, USA
At Stanford, I delved into the topics of ethnic conflict, genocide and humanitarian intervention in a course taught by Dr. Bertrand Patenaude. Guided by Samantha Powers’ book “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide” I reviewed the response from the international community and US policymakers to ongoing genocidal campaigns. This would come to shape my interest in public policy, international security, and peacekeeping.
Associates Degree in Traditional and Digital Illustration at the ESDIP – the Higher School of Professional Drawing (2014 - 2018)
Madrid, Spain
I have always believed creativity is key to develop original ideas and novel responses to the greatest problems of today. This experience gave me an extensive artistic education – helping me master everything from traditional techniques like pencil and charcoal, to digital illustration software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and ZBrush. This has not only given me the ability to think outside the box, but also to make relevant visualizations to explain and build upon my research.
See my CV, Research Gate, and Google Scholar profiles for more information.
International Exchange Programs:
University of Tehran (2018)
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Teheran, Iran
University of San Francisco (2016)
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San Francisco, United States
Sogang University (2016)
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Seoul, South Korea
Teaching Experience
Teaching Assistant in International Politics Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth (Summers 2018 & 2019)
Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
Worked assisting in curriculum design and teaching lectures of an intensive International Politics program. I coordinated class debates and simulations on the Syrian conflict and North Korean Nuclear Proliferation, prepared educational materials, and led lectures on Genocide and Feminist theory.
Professional Leadership & Service
Author and Sub-Editor in Chief of the Writers Council at IVolunteer International (2020 – Present)
Remote
I co-lead the Writers Council and actively publish original research on issues of volunteerism, human rights, and international security. During this time, I have managed 30+ writers; providing individualized coaching, editing, WordPress, and writing support. I also assess and recruit new cohorts of writers, develop academic writing guides, and conduct formal training within the Writers Council.
Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum (2018 – 2019)
Madrid, Spain
Selected as youngest member of the Global Shapers Madrid Hub, a community of World Economic Forum-curated changemakers striving to make a contribution in their communities. Within this community, I met with national leaders, founded my own NGO, and made strides to expand the conversation on diversity in the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Non-Profit Co-Founder of Empowering Diversity in Tech and Startups (2017– 2018)
Madrid, Spain
Co-founded a diversity- oriented NGO within the Global Shapers hub of Madrid. Building this initiative from the bottom up with a small team allowed me to co-create a strategic action plan, build communications campaigns, and secure core institutional partnerships – like Google Campus and Impact Hub. As part of the excecutive team, I helped organized and coordinated our flagship event “How we can bring diversity in the startup ecosystem?”, securing high-profile speakers - including CEOs and organizational ambassadors – to help broaden the conversation on diversity in Spain.
See my CV, Research Gate, and Google Scholar profiles for more information.