Dr. Michael Loadenthal is the founder and Executive Director of the Prosecution Project. Dr. Loadenthal holds a Ph.D. from the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, and a Master’s degree from the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews. Dr. Loadenthal has published frequently in venues including Critical Studies on Terrorism, Perspectives on Terrorism, Journal of Applied Security Research, Radical Criminology, Global Society, and the Journal for the Study of Radicalism, which described his work as “the cutting edge of movement Studies” (2016, 10:2; 5). His most recent single-authored book, The Politics of Attack (Manchester University, 2017), investigates contemporary, clandestine networks of insurrectionary anarchists and the development of the communique. He has also co-edited The Routledge History of World Peace since 1750 (2018), From Environmental Loss to Resistance (University of Massachusetts, 2020), and Prosecuting Political Violence (Routledge, 2021)–a book collaboratively written by more than a dozen tPP student team members.

Dr. Loadenthal serves as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cincinnati, the Executive Director of the Peace and Justice Studies Association, an Assistant Professor at the Global Center for Advanced Studies, and a contract-based security researcher and trainer. He has previously worked as a professor of sociology, terrorism studies, and research methods for Miami University, the University of Cincinnati, George Mason University, Georgetown University, the University of Malta’s Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, the Washington, DC Jail, and Jessup Correctional Institution’s Prison Scholars Program.

Lauren Donahoe (Co-Deputy Director) graduated from Miami University in May 2019 with a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Medical Sociology. She has been with the Prosecution Project since Fall 2017 and has worked in various roles including coder and Director of Audits. She is currently serving as the Co-Deputy Director. Lauren is attending Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine beginning August 2021.

Madison Weaver (Co-Deputy Director & Project Manager of Capitol Cases) is a recent graduate from Miami University. She obtained a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy with a minor in rhetorical English. She is starting her first year at Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University in August 2021. She has a focus on cognitive psychology and how racial identity plays a role within the US court system. Madison has been with tPP since January 2019 and hopes to use this research to further her interest in law and terrorism studies. Madison is now serving as Co-Deputy Director starting in Summer 2021. 

Athena Chapekis (Director of Data Science) is a data scientist based out of Washington, DC specializing in data management and quantitative analysis. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Social Data Science from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in Sociology from Miami University. Some of her work includes The prosecution of “others”: presidential rhetoric and the interrelation of framing, legal prosecutions, and the Global War on Terror (2019) and “What’s in a name?”: The construction of eco-terrorism and legal reprecussions of the AEPA/AETA (2021). Athena has been with the Prosecution Project since its inception in 2017. 

Morgan Demboski (Co-Director of Communications) graduated from Miami University in May 2020 with a degree in Social Justice Studies (concentration in Crime & Law) and a minor in Political Science. In addition to working as a Threat Intelligence Analyst for the company IronNet Cybersecurity, Morgan is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Intelligence and Security Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Intelligence Analysis through The Citadel in Charleston, SC. As Co-Director of Communications, she focuses on designing and managing the tPP website, overseeing the project’s social media accounts, and devising strategies to increase tPP’s public visibility and promote the project’s current research. Morgan has been with tPP since August 2017, becoming a member of the tPP Steering Team in August 2019 and Co-Director of Communications in May 2020.

Izzy Bielamowicz (Co-Director of Communications) graduated from Miami University in May 2020 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Criminology. Izzy has been with tPP since August 2018 and has focused her research on grounded theory, analyzing relationships and patterns within the database. Among other topics, Izzy has studied the impact of citizenship status, FTO affiliation, and ‘othered-ness’ on a defendant’s sentence length. Her research on this subject was published in February 2021. In the Summer of 2019, Izzy participated in the Miami University ‘Inside Washington’ program, interning for the United States House of Representatives. Izzy intends to pursue a career in women’s advocacy or with the intelligence community and is currently preparing to apply to law school.

Alexandria Doty (she/her/hers) (Director of Records) graduated from Miami University in May of 2019. Doty is currently in her 2nd year at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, and will be spending her summer working for the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati. Doty has been with tPP since January of 2018, and has focused her research on the intersection of gender and domestic terrorism. She will be continuing to work on the project with a focus on organizing project records and data standardization. 

Sara Godfrey (Co-Director of Audits) is a Senior at Miami University pursuing bachelor’s degrees in international studies and economics with minors in Arabic and Islamic studies. Her studies concentrate on international economic development, and peace and conflict resolution, with a regional focus on the Middle East. Sara has been with tPP since the fall of 2019 and currently works as an auditor with a focus on foreign terrorist organizations and Jihadi-Salafi ideological affiliates.

Katie Blowers (Co-Director of Audits) is a senior at Miami University pursuing a degree in both political science and psychology with a focus on security and international law. Katie has been with tPP since January of 2019, and has focused her work on coding cases, refining procedures, and leading audits. She hopes to use this research to further explore her interest in law and terrorism studies.

Kate Freeman (Co-Director of Communications) graduated from Miami University in January of 2020 with degrees in psychology and individualized studies. Her previous work centers on masculinities and its intersections with other identities. Kate joined tPP team in July of 2020 to assist in managing communications with collaborators and team members, and in November 2020 began serving as coordinator of tPP’s Advisory Board, and the project’s Outreach Coordinator. Through this project, she hopes to strengthen her passion for social justice and advocacy as well as her skills in data analysis. Kate began attending Case Western Reserve University in the fall of 2021 for her PhD in sociology.

 Katherine Coate graduated from Miami University with a degree in Diplomacy and Global Politics and minors in German and European Area Studies in May 2021. Katherine has been with tPP since August 2019. As a senior coder Katherine has enjoyed learning about the criminal justice system and doing social science research. Katherine was an intern at the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants for the 2019 summer and was a Miami University Global Studies Scholar. She is currently looking for a job in public policy research or refugee programing.

Hallie Filson is a recent graduate from Miami University, where she studied Diplomacy & Global Politics, with minors in French and Criminology. Hallie is a coder and has been with tPP since the summer of 2020. Joining tPP to learn more about how terrorism and the legal system interact, Hallie hopes to continue her interest in the subject as she continues to work on tPP.

Ellie Piszel is a senior at Miami University pursuing a degree in linguistics, as well as a degree in sociology, with a focus in criminology, and a Spanish minor. Ellie has been with tPP since Summer of 2020 and has focused on pre-coding, coding, and working on the summer uprising cases and Capitol riot cases. She hopes to learn more about the criminal justice system in the U.S. especially in relation to terrorism. She also hopes to grow in her research abilities through this project. Ellie has also been an intern for Butler County Adult Probation. 

Charis Whalen is a senior at Miami University and is pursuing degrees in International Studies and Journalism with a minor in French. Her area of interest in International Studies is global intercultural relations analysis and national defense policy which she hopes to gain deeper knowledge of through her work with tPP. Charis has been with tPP since November 2020, joining as a pre-coder. She is now working to track mass arrests that occurred in the D.C. area following the Summer 2020 protests. As she works with the Prosecution Project, she hopes to gather valuable insight into the patterns of felonious prosecutions in the United States as well as studying the culture of terrorism in the U.S. in order to develop an adequate background for a future career in counter-terrorism and defense policy.

Abby Goldman is a recent graduate from the London School of Economics, where she studied Human Rights and Politics. Her research at LSE focused on transitional justice and international refugee law. Abby joined tPP in December 2020, and is looking forward to developing a more systemic understanding of the injustices that she has witnessed during her work in the non-profit sector. Abby also recently finished an internship with the Commonwealth Human Rights initiative and served as Events Officer for LSE’s chapter of Student Action for Refugees.

Maya Knepp is a Senior at Georgetown University pursuing degrees in Government and Justice & Peace Studies. Maya has been with tPP since December 2020, starting as a pre-coder. Maya hopes to gain real world exposure to and experience with the criminal justice system as she hopes to attend law school after graduation.

Margot Williams is a news researcher who has worked in newsrooms during a forty-year career at The Intercept, The New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. She has pursued jihadists and domestic extremists online and detainees who died in U.S. immigration detention, investigated Iraq war contractors and followed the money (and private jets) of mayors, governors, senators, presidential candidates, and ex-presidents. She graduated from the City College of New York (B.A., Asian Studies) and holds a Masters of Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute. Margot has been with tPP since February 2021, joining to assist with the team’s Capitol siege tracking.

Varshini Regupathy is a freshman at Georgetown University pursuing a degree in Business and Global Affairs, with a minor in Justice and Peace Studies. Varshini has been with tPP since March 2021, and has served as a pre-coder with the project. At tPP, she hopes to gain more experience in the legal field and knowledge about the criminal justice system in general. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a law degree and a career in the field of criminal justice.

Luke Schlake is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky majoring in economics and  minoring in Arabic and political science. His interests within economics revolve around data analytics and its applications to fight organized crime. Luke joined tPP in April 2021 as pre-coder. He is excited to develop his data science abilities working on the Prosecution Project and hopes to develop foundational skills for a future career in federal law enforcement. Luke is a member of the UK Mock Trial, a fellow with the Gaines Center for the Humanities, and an intern with the City of Oxford Economic Development Department.

Bianca McIver is a Junior at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts pursuing a degree in Political Science and Economics. Bianca has been with tPP since May 2021, and has served as a pre-coder for the project. She hopes to gain more experience in the legal field and learn more about the criminal justice system in the United States with hopes of eventually having a career in law or public policy. Bianca is also a member of the Holy Cross Women’s Rowing Team and is an intern at the Worcester Trial Court in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Natasha Pardo is a graduate student in the University of Waterloo’s Department of Peace and Conflict Studies. Natasha has been with tPP since May 2021. Thus far Natasha’s academic journey has been conflict-heavy in focus, concentrating on areas of large scale, armed conflict, genocide incubation and expressions of ideologically motivated extremism and radicalization resulting in violence. Natasha is interested in further education and employment within terrorism studies and terrorism-focused intelligence.

Michael Stanton is a junior at the College of the Holy Cross pursuing a degree in Political Science with a minor in Asian studies and a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. Michael has been with tPP since May 2021. Michael hopes to learn how to handle large data sets and draw meaningful conclusions from data with hopes of continuing to graduate school in the future. Michael is also a part of the Holy Cross chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society and the Holy Cross club hockey team.

Annabella Bogart is a sophomore at the University at Buffalo, where she is double majoring in law and psychology as part of the University Honors College. She is focusing on conflict and peace studies and international law. Annabella joined tPP in July of 2021. Annabella is deeply interested in the demographic trends behind political violence and the legal system’s approach to these incidents, and how such demographics affect different cases. She also looks forward to having a better understanding of the American legal system as a whole through her research. Annabella is involved in UB’s Social Psychophysiology Lab, interned at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, New York where she explored Robert H. Jackson’s legal legacy both nationally and internationally, and is planning to study abroad to explore diplomacy, political violence, and conflict resolution in the near future.

Maya Shah is a Junior at the University at Albany pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (EHC). She is in the Pre-law program, and hopes to attend law school post graduation. She has an academic focus on human trafficking research and human services. She is also a member of Epsilon Delta Phi, an academic fraternity for EHC Majors. She started her work with tPP in November 2021 as a Precoder. Maya is an Emergency Medical Technician in the Capital District of New York State, and is a volunteer firefighter in Rochester. She hopes to utilize her experience working in the field to bring a unique perspective to tPP.