Former Team Members

Emily Ashner was a senior pursuing a degree in Psychology with a co-major in Neuroscience with a focus on moral decision making. Emily worked with tPP since January – December 2019, and focused her work on coding cases to further expand the project’s database. Emily hopes to continue her studies at the graduate level to understand the effects of systemic injustice psychologically and advocate for policy that addresses solutions to this. Emily is also a research assistant in the Judgment and Decision Making Lab in the psychology department, a student leadership coordinator at the Wilks Leadership Institute, a member of the MEDLIFE organization and the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. 

Catie Barry worked with tPP Spring 2019 – August 2021, and joined to expand her knowledge on the prosecution of terrorism and learn more about process of coding in general. She graduated with a degree in Sociology, with a focus in Criminology, and a certificate in Fostering Just Communities at Miami University in May 2021. Her work as a pre-coder primarily dealt with research, and cleaning and organizing data. Catie has had experience in the criminal justice system from interning at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in summer 2019 and in the Queen’s County court from June 2020 to May 2021. She is currently pursuing a J.D. at Villanova Law School.

Zoe Belford was a Junior pursuing a degree in Sociology and Criminology. Zoe worked with tPP January 2018-May 2019, and has focused her work on coding cases to further expand the project’s database. She is especially interested in focusing on gendered experiences in jihadist extremist groups. The past two summers, she has worked for the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Zoe plans to attend law school after her graduation in 2020. She is also a Social Justice Scholar, as well as a member of the social sorority Pi Beta Phi and secretary of Miami’s chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta.

Jacob Bishop was a graduate student currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Cincinnati. Jacob has been with tPP since its inception in the spring of 2017; and started out as a case researcher and coder helping to build the codebook and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Jacob has worked on and developed proposals for improving the team’s functioning, such as creating instructional documents for new team members, as well as cleaning and streamlining the team’s databases. 

Megan Burtis was a law student at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a Co-Major in Global & Intercultural Studies as well as a Master’s Degree in Political Science with a focus on comparative politics from Miami University. She worked with tPP team Spring 2019-Fall 2021, as both a coder and an auditor in addition to co-authoring “Friend or Foe?: An Analysis of Factors Influencing Sentence Length in the Prosecution of Terrorism”. Megan also served as tPP’s Director of Training for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Liz Butler was a Senior pursuing degrees in French and Diplomacy and Global Politics with a focus on authoritarian governments. Liz worked on the project in Spring 2019 and hoped to develop a better understanding of the legal process pertaining to suspects of terroristic crimes. After graduation, Liz plans to attend law school.

Sarah Carrier was a junior pursuing a degree in political science and social justice with a focus on the unjust use of child soldiers world-wide. Sarah worked with tPP August-December 2019. Sarah hopes to learn more about how the criminal justice system deals with political violence. Sarah was an intern at the US District Court of Northern Illinois, located in downtown Chicago, during the summer of 2019 and is excited to relate what she learned to the project.

Emily Curren was a Junior pursuing a degree in Psychology, with minors in Neuroscience and Criminology, with a focus on clinical intervention methods in PTSD patients. Emily worked with tPP Spring 2019, and focused her work on coding cases to further expand the project’s database. Through the Prosecution Project, she hopes to refine her research and coding skills, and discover the sociological and psychological factors which lead individuals or groups to commit crime. Emily is also a part of the Miami University Honors Program, the Miami club soccer and club rugby teams, a research assistant in the SPoCC Lab, and a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. After graduation, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in Criminology or Clinical Psychology, and eventually specialize in forensic psychology.

Mi Nei Daley was a Junior at Georgetown University, pursuing a degree in International Politics with a focus on International Law, with minors in Economics and International Business Diplomacy. Mi Nei worked with tPP November 2020 – January 2021 as a pre-coder. Mi Nei joined tPP to learn more about the relationship between the political atmosphere and the criminal justice system and to improve her data analysis skills. She is also a part of the Law Office of Philip M. Gommels, a criminal defense law firm in Houston, TX, a Co-Director of Student Activism for the student government, as well as a coordinator for Georgetown’s Center for Social Justice. She intends to pursue a JD/MBA after graduation.

Bridget Dickens was a Senior pursuing a degree in History and Political Science. She worked with tPP January 2018-May 2020 and has focused her work on researching and coding cases in order to expand the Project’s database. Bridget hopes to improve her research skills and gain a better understanding of how political violence is defined and prosecuted. She plans to attend law school after graduating and work in criminal defense. 

Megan Drown was a Junior pursuing degrees in International Studies and Quantitative Economics with minors in Arabic and Middle East and Islamic Studies. Her previous research has focused on the resilience of refugee communities in Jordan, US immigration policy towards Arab Muslims, the use of Telegram as a recruiting grounds for politically-violent organizations, and Islamic finance. Megan worked with tPP March 2017-May 2019 and focused her work on identifying and coding new cases. Megan hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Economics and would eventually like to work in diplomacy targeting Arab-US relations.

Greg Elliott was a freshman at Selkirk College pursuing a Liberal Arts Diploma in Law and Justice Studies. Greg plans on later transferring to the University of Victoria to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science & Environmental Studies, and potentially entering law school post-graduation. Greg worked with tPP April-June of 2021. The experience gained and time spent with tPP was an important component of future law school pursuits.

Jessica Enhelder was a sophomore pursuing degrees in Public Health and International Studies with a double minor in Spanish and Global Health. She worked with tPP January 2018-May 2019 and focused her work on researching and coding cases to add to the database. Jessica hopes to expand her knowledge of the US judicial system, focusing on how political violence is prosecuted while strengthening her research skills. Additionally, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in public health policy both domestically and internationally. She currently serves as the Director of Ambassadors for the Diversity Affairs Council which helps connect diverse groups on campus. She also spends time working with Hillel and The Women’s Center.

Courtney Faber was a Senior pursuing a degree in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy of the law. Courtney worked with tPP August-December 2019. She worked to help clean and code data and assist with other tasks the project needed assistance with. Courtney hopes to learn more about how hate crimes and terrorism are prosecuted both abroad and domestically. She is a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, a volunteer for Girls on the Run, and an intern for Judge Julie Monnin. After graduation, she plans to take a gap year teaching English in Spain. Upon returning, she plans to attend law school and eventually obtain a career as bilingual criminal defense attorney.

Angela Famera was a Sophomore pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Diplomacy and Global Politics. Her focus includes programming, coding, and international security affairs. Angela worked with tPP Fall of 2018-Spring 2019, and contributed to the Project by identifying and coding cases. Angela hopes to gain research experience through the Project, continue school and earn her M.S. in Computer Science, and later pursue a career involving cybersecurity and foreign affairs. Angela is in Miami University’s Honors program, holds leadership positions in Miami’s Honors Student Advisory Board, and is a member of Alpha Delta Pi.

Nikki Gundimeda was a Junior Law & Public Policy Scholar pursuing a double major in Political Science and Entrepreneurship. Her previous research has addressed the legality of American drone strike operations in the Middle East and northern Africa, U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and racial profiling. Nikki worked with tPP January-December 2018 and focused her work on identifying and coding new cases. Nikki has interned for gubernatorial and congressional campaigns, serves as her sorority’s VP of Philanthropy, and works as a student aide at the university’s Office of Equity of Equal Opportunity. After graduation, Nikki hopes to work in government and then pursue a degree in law. Ultimately, Nikki hopes to work in public sector and government consulting.

Kayla Groneck was a Sophomore at Miami University double majoring in Political Science and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, while pursuing a minor in Philosophy and Law. Since joining the Prosecution Project, Kayla has contributed to the process of researching and coding cases in furtherance of expanding the Project’s database. Her particular interest is in applying feminist theory and analyzing intersectional gender and race related correlations within the prosecution of terror. A member of Miami’s James Lewis Family Mock Trial Program, Honors Program, and the University Law & Public Policy Scholars Program, Kayla plans to attend law school after graduation and to pursue a career in criminal defense.

Meekael Hailu was a junior at Miami University who worked with tPP August-December 2019. He was majoring in Social Justice Studies, with a co-major in Sustainability and a minor in Geography. In his free time around campus, he helps develop the non-profit he co-founded, Project Global Story, which he started with his roommate and a friend. In addition to PGS, Meekael is an Associate Justice on Miami’s Community Standards Board and was a competitor and team captain on Miami’s Mock Trial team up until the end of this past semester. Off-campus, Meekael is a research intern for the Peace and Justice Studies Association, as well as an intern at the Katz Teller law firm in downtown Cincinnati.

Sami Hausserman was a graduate student at Case Western Reserve University pursuing a masters degree in social work with a focus on community practice for social justice. She graduated from Miami University in May 2021 with a degree in Social Justice Studies and Comparative Religion. Sami worked with tPP September 2020-September 2021.

Hannah Hendricks was a Senior pursuing a degree in Social Justice studies and another in Psychology. Hannah worked with tPP April 2017 – December 2018, and focused her work on collecting and coding new cases for the database. Through this project, Hannah hopes to gain a better understanding of the U.S. legal system as well as improve upon her own research methods. Hannah is also a member of the Ohio Innocence Project and is the Treasurer of the Active Minds organization on campus.

Isabella Jackson was a Sophomore pursuing degrees in International Studies and Global and Intercultural Studies, as well as minors in Spanish and Social Justice Studies with a focus in Global Human Rights. Isabella also plans on pursuing an M.A degree in Political Science while completing her undergraduate degree. Isabella worked with the Prosecution Project Fall 2017 – Spring 2018, and focused her work on researching and coding cases to add to the Project’s database, with an interest in the research of ideological and group affiliations. Isabella is in both the Honors program and Scholars program here at Miami, and holds leadership positions in Miami’s Honors Student Advisory Board. Isabella hopes to continue her education in International Relations after graduating from Miami University and eventually plans to seek a career in the advocation of human rights.

Justeen Jackson was a Miami University junior pursuing a degree in Social Justice and Professional Writing with a focus on the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Justeen worked with tPP January-December 2020 pre-coding cases. Justeen hopes to pursue law school and work with human rights and social justice. Justeen was also a part of the Peace and Justice Studies Association, Miami’s pre-law chapter of the Black Law Student Association, and The Miami Student, Miami’s student-led newspaper.

Caelan Johnston was a junior at Georgetown University pursuing a degree in Justice and Peace Studies with a focus on conflict transformation and sociology. Caelan worked with tPP December 2020 – April 2021 as a pre-coder. Caelan hoped to hone her research skills and to fully immerse herself in the legal aspects of political violence with the project. Caelan was also a part of The Global Campaign for Peace Education.

Gina Joon Kang was a Junior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service pursuing a degree in Culture and Politics and a minor in Justice and Peace Studies with aspirations of attending law school post-grad. Gina work with tPP September 2020 – February 2021 as a pre-coder. At Georgetown, Gina was a part of the Asian American Students Association and Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority.

Emily Lightman was a Junior pursuing degrees in both International Studies and Spanish. Emily worked with tPP Fall 2019 – Spring 2020. Emily plans to engage in foreign aid work following the receipt of her undergraduate degree. After which, she hopes to attend law school and eventually practice international or immigration law, domestically or abroad. She participates in the Miami University College Democrats, and Sigma Iota Rho. She plans to be more involved in Hillel at Miami, and explore other organizations that would further her career prospects.

Emma Lovejoy was a senior pursuing a degree in Social Justice Studies, with a focus on community resource development. She worked with tPP August 2019-May 2020. Emma has also interned as an editorial assistant for the Peace Chronicle, and will be working on Winter 2019 and Spring 2020 issues. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in community organizing with an eye toward regional self-sufficiency.

Taylor Maddox was a Junior pursuing a degree in Sociology with minors in Linguistics and Community-Based Leadership. Taylor worked with tPP April 2017 – December 2018, and focused their work on best practices for coding targets of crime. Taylor hopes to engage with governmental and media representations of crimes as terroristic and to take a reflexive approach to the tPP team’s own classifications of these crimes. Taylor is also a member of Miami University’s Interfaith Council, and Outreach Chair for Progressive Christian Students.

Caitlin Marsengill was a Senior pursuing degrees in Public Health and Social Justice Studies with a minor in Spanish. They were attending graduate school to pursue a degree in community and behavioral health. They are interested in researching health disparities within sexual and reproductive health. Caitlin worked with tPP Fall 2019 – Winter 2020. Caitlin hopes to continue to gain more experience coding and learning how to conduct research. They are also have been an intern with the Peace and Justice Studies Association since the fall of 2017 where they have done graphic design work and worked on a variety of other projects through that including the syllabus repository and video editing. Caitlin is also a part of Paws for a Cause, an organization that trains service dogs.

Makenzie Mercer was a senior Political Science and Social Justice Studies double major from Cincinnati, Ohio. She worked with tPP January-December 2019 and focused on researching and coding cases. After graduation, Makenzie plans to attend law school and practice either civil rights law or criminal law. She also serves as a Vote Everywhere Ambassador through The Andrew Goodman Foundation and Vice President of Pre-Law Relations for Amicus Curiae Pre-Law Society.

Brendan McNamara was a graduate of Miami University where he obtained a B.A. in Political Science. When he left tPP, he was a first year law student at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Brendan worked with tPP January 2019-August 2021, serving as the project’s Director of Finance, and as a Senior Coder. Brendan worked on researching and coding cases for the dataset, as well as auditing and several finance and administrative projects.

Zion Miller was a first year law student at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. He was a member of tPP September 2019 – August 2021, as well as a member of Miami University’s mock trial team. He previously interned for the Kenton County Prosecutor’s Office in Covington, Kentucky. By participating in tPP, Zion hoped to learn more about the prosecution of extremism and eventually start a career in either law or policy.

 Sarah Moore was a graduate student in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. Sarah working with the Prosecution Project Spring 2017-Fall 2020, and served as its the Deputy Director in her final year. During her time with the project, she has been involved in codebook design, management of the advisory board, and external outreach for project collaboration. Sarah has co-authored two tPP-based publications, “The Prosecution of “Others”: Presidential Rhetoric and the Interrelation of Framing, Legal Prosecutions, and the Global War on Terror” (2019, Critical Studies on Terrorism, 12[3]), and “What’s in a name?: The Construction of Eco-Terrorism and Legal Repercussions of the AEPA/AETA” (Routledge, 2021).

Selena Mungur was a sophomore majoring in Political Science and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies with a minor in Linguistics. Selena worked with tPP August-December 2019. Her research focus is primarily on immigration and the roots of the xenophobia surrounding it. After graduation in Spring 2022, Selena plans to continue to law school to pursue immigration law or continue to graduate school. She decided to join the project in order to learn more about terrorism in the United States and to learn more about the social science research process.

Brendan Newman was a Sophomore majoring in Public Health with a focus on infectious diseases and epidemiology, with double minors in Global Health and Business Management and Administration. Brendan worked with tPP April 2017 – May 2018. He lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Brendan is involved in Model United Nations and works at the Miami Recreation Center. After graduating in 2020, Brendan plans to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology and work at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Defense .

Vespère S. Oaks was a senior at Antioch College pursuing a self-designed degree in philosophy, health, and care, with a focus on spiritual and practical well-being. Vespère worked with tPP September 2020 as a pre-coder. After graduating from Antioch College Vespère plans to study law and philosophy. Vespère is a proud member of the Buddhist Meditation Temple, a Theravada Buddhist community located near Dayton, Ohio.

Jeri Oranski was a junior working towards degrees in International Studies and Sociology, focusing on epidemiology and the social determinants of health. Jerri worked with tPP November 2018 – May 2019,  focusing on coding cases. In working with tPP, she hoped to deepen her understanding of the relationship individuals and groups have with larger social institutions. Jeri intended to begin medical school upon graduating and wants to pursue a career in community and global health. She has completed internships in India, Mexico, and Saint Louis, MO concentrating on urban and rural communities’ relationships with and access to healthcare and on urban immigrant and refugee communities in the US.  

Simon Purdue, Ph.D., was a recent doctoral graduate from Northeastern University. His research focuses on gender and extremism, specifically the modern extreme-right. He worked with tPP as a pre-coder November 2020-July 2021. He has written extensively on radicalization, violence, terrorism and propaganda, and he is currently working on his first monograph, entitled ‘Intersectional Hate: Race, Gender and Violence on the Transatlantic Extreme-Right, 1969-2009’.  

Hannah Quick graduated from Miami University with a degree in Political Science and Business Legal Studies. Hannah worked with the Prosecution Project February 2018 – October 2018, and focused her work on applying for outside funding for the Project. Hannah hopes to gain experience in grant proposal writing and legal research as she moves on to pursue her Masters degree in Public Policy. While attending Miami, Hannah was involved with Miami University’s F-WORD (Feminists Working on Real Democracy) club and the Women’s Center. Hannah currently attends American University in Washington D.C and serves as a research assistant at EMILY’s List.

Jenn Peters was a Sophomore pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Premedical Studies and a minor in German. Jenn joined the team in January 2018 – August 2018, and focused on case coding and expanding the Project’s database. Jenn hopes to gain knowledge and experience with this type of research because it is different than her field of study. Although she is a premed major, she is interested in the field of law, so this Project has been helpful in gaining insight on law through various cases.

Katie Reilly was a senior pursuing a major in Public Health and minors in both Nutrition and Business Legal Studies. Katie was a collaborator with tPP January 2018 – May 2019, contributing her skills by coding and verifying data input. Her research focus is on the use of informants and the prevalence of entrapment in the context of terrorism prosecutions. This year, Katie hopes to further develop her research skills and expand her knowledge of the criminal justice system. Upon graduating in May 2019, she intends to pursue a career in public health policy and research.

Megan Roques was a junior at Miami University pursuing degrees in Biology and Political Science with a co-major in Pre-Medical Studies and a minor in Economics. Megan worked with tPP August 2019-May 2021 and joined to expand her knowledge about terrorism and how these acts are treated in our legal system. She intended to further her education and attend medical school upon graduation with the hopes of obtaining and MD/JD dual degree. Megan was also a part of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), Miami’s Activities & Programming, the Honors Program, and the Society for Women in Medicine.

Olivia Sellergren was a sophomore pursuing a degree in Political Science and is Pre-Law. Olivia worked with tPP August-December 2019 and joined in order to expand her knowledge on the court system as well as working with court cases and hopes to further her education in Law School. Olivia is also apart of The Alexander Hamilton Society, Mock Trial, Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship and Amicus Curiae.

Stephanie Sorich was a Senior pursuing degrees in Global Politics and Social Justice Studies and worked with tPP September 2019 – May 2020. Stephanie has focused her own research on refugee migrations and refugee law and policy, and joined the project out of a love for research, and hope to learn from her teammates. Stephanie is also a member of the Miami Community Standards Board and Appeals Board for the Office of Community Standards.

Elizabeth Springer was a Senior pursuing a degree in Economics and Diplomacy and Global Politics, as well as an MA in Economics. Elizabeth worked with tPP February 2016 – December 2019. She focused her work on researching cases from 2009 through 2017. Elizabeth hopes to pursue a career in National Security. Elizabeth is also a part of the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi and Chi Omega sorority.

Sophie Stewart was a Junior at Georgetown University pursuing a degree in Culture & Politics with a minor in French, concentrating in International Law and Women’s Rights. She worked with tPP September 2020-May 2021 as a pre-coder. After graduation, she plans to attend law school.

Nitya Sunil was a member of tPP from January 2019 to August 2021. She started as a coder to expand the database and later worked on auditing the dataset. She graduated from Miami University with a B.A. in Psychology and Political Science as well as a minor in General Business. She recently began attending Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law.  

 Matt Thierry was a graduate student at the California Institute of Integral Studies pursuing a degree in philosophy and religion with a focus on ecology, extremism, and peacebuilding. Matt worked with tPP September 2020-July 2021, interested in effective approaches to resolving political violence. He authored or co-authored various articles on bioregionalism, green anarchy, and right wing terror, and has presented at conferences on diverse topics ranging from cosmic evolution, political religion, technology and spirituality, and green criminology. Matt served as the social studies department chair at a middle school in the San Francisco Bay Area and as a board member for the Peace and Justice Studies Association.

Michael Thompson was pursuing a dual J.D./M.A. degree at American University’s Washington College of Law and School of International Service. He graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 2019 with a B.A. in Political Science. In addition to researching and coding cases for tPP, Michael also wrote for American University’s International Law Review and National Security Law Brief. Michael hoped to leverage his experience at tPP to acquire an externship position at the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section next year. Michael worked with tPP August 2017 – May 2019, and rejoined the team June-December 2020.

Marnia Toney was a graduate student at George Mason University pursuing a degree in Sociology with a focus on Colorism in the Black community. Toney worked with tPP November 2020-April 2021, and focused her work on Pre-Coding. Toney hopes to become more actively involved in intelligence research, and better understand the differences in prosecution for political crimes.

Tia Turner was a Senior pursuing a degree in Psychology, Disability Studies, and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Tia plans to continue onto graduate school next year and earn her Masters and PsyD specializing in clinical psychology. Tia worked with the tPP Spring of 2017 – Spring 2019, and has focused her work on collecting cases and variable code checking, increasing validity throughout the analyzed cases. Tia hopes to analyze variables in terrorism charges to better understand determinant factors in prosecution and as well as continuing to build her research and formal writing skills for future projects and publishings.[/su_expand 

Brenda Uriona was a Professional Writing and Philosophy Double Major on the Pre-Law track. She worked on tPP Fall 2017 – Spring 2019. Brenda began to gain a better understanding of the criminal field and how the United States legal system prosecutes cases. During her time on the team, she focuses on researching and coding new found cases with a large interest in the demographic of ideological affiliation. Sticking with the 2012-2014 year range, Brenda hopes to continue finding new cases in the third phase but also go further into methods of qualitative analysis of the current data as it is prepared for publication. In addition to the project, Brenda is a writing consultant at the Howe Center for Writing Excellence. Through her interests in tPP, she has joined another team that will be presenting a compilation of information on social justice issues found within the center to the newest director in Fall 2018 in order to promote the center’s active mission of inclusion for all.