Dr. Michael Loadenthal is the founder and Executive Director of the Prosecution Project (tPP). Dr. Loadenthal holds a Ph.D. from the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, and a Master’s degree in Terrorism Studies from the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews. Dr. Loadenthal’s 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 Press, 2017), investigates contemporary, clandestine networks of insurrectionary anarchists and the development of the communique. Dr. Loadenthal also serves as the Executive Director of the Peace and Justice Studies Association, and a research fellow at the Global Center for Advanced Studies and 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, and Jessup Correctional Institutions’s Prison Scholars Program.

Izzy Bielamowicz (tPP Co-Director of Communications) recently graduated from Miami University 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 will be published in late 2020. 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.

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

Athena Chapekis (tPP Director of Data Science) is a master’s student studying Applied Social Data Science at the London School of Economics. She obtained her B.A. in Sociology from Miami University in 2019, and is a founding member of the Prosecution Project. Her research focuses on quantitative analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning.

Morgan Demboski (tPP Co-Director of Communications) recently graduated from Miami University with a degree in Social Justice Studies (concentration in Crime & Law), with a minor in Political Science. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Intelligence and Security Studies at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. Morgan has been with tPP since August 2017 and has focused her work on coding cases and organizing source files. She joined the tPP Steering Team in August 2019 and became Co-Director of Communications in May 2020.  

Lauren Donahoe (tPP Co-Director of Audits) is a recent graduate of Miami University. She obtained her B.A. in Biology in 2019 and completed a minor in Medical Sociology. She is spending the next year working in an assisted living home while applying to medical school. She has been with the Prosecution Project since Fall 2017 and has focused her work on coding cases, cleaning data, statistical analysis, and organizing the coding teams. She is currently working on completing a full audit of the dataset.

Alexandria Doty (tPP Director of Records) graduated from Miami University with her B.A. in Women, Gender, & Sexualities; Social Justice Studies; Latin American Studies; and Spanish in May of 2019. Alexandria has been with tPP since January of 2018. She will be continuing to work on the project as she spends the year in Cincinnati, and will focus on project management and data analysis. She is going to be spending the year working for Women Helping Women before pursuing a law degree.

Catie Barry is a Junior at Miami University pursuing a degree in Sociology, with a focus in Criminology. She has been with tPP since the Spring of 2020, and joined to expand her knowledge on the prosecution of terrorism and learn more about process of coding in general. Her work as a pre-coder primarily deals with research, and cleaning and organizing data. Catie has had experience in prosecution from interning at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in summer 2019 and plans to continue to attend law school after graduating.

 Katherine Coate is a Senior at Miami University pursuing a degree in Diplomacy and Global Politics with minors in German and European Area Studies. Katherine has been with tPP since August 2019. As a senior coder Katherine hopes to learn more 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 is a Miami University Global Studies Scholar.

Hallie Filson is a senior at Miami University pursuing a degree in Diplomacy & Global politics with regional focuses on the Middle East and Russia, and minors in French and Criminology. Hallie has been with tPP as a pre-coder since the summer of 2020. Joining tPP to learn more about how terrorism and the legal system interact, she hopes to continue her interest in this subject with a career in intelligence, or public policy. Hallie is also an intern for the Oxford Police Department.

Kate Freeman 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. Through this project, she hopes to strengthen her passion for social justice and advocacy as well as her skills in data analysis. Kate plans to apply to graduate school for the fall of 2021 to get her advanced degree in sociology.

Sara Godfrey is a Junior at Miami University pursuing bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Economics with minors in Arabic, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and Social Justice. Her studies concentrate on international economic development, and peace and conflict resolution, with a regional focus in the Middle East. Sara has been with tPP since the Fall of 2019 and works as a junior coder with an interest in foreign terrorist organizations and Salafi/ Jihadist ideological affiliates. Outside of tPP she is the treasurer of Miami University’s Ohio Innocence Project chapter, a student organization advocating against wrongful incarcerations. 

Sami Hausserman is 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 with a degree in Social Justice Studies and Comparative Religion. Sami has been with tPP since September 2020, and is interested in ways that this project could influence criminal justice reform, as well as the effects of religion on acts of political violence.

Justeen Jackson is a Miami University junior pursuing a degree in Social Justice and Professional Writing with a focus on the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Justeen has been with tPP since January 2020 and has focused her work on Pre-Coding. Justeen hopes to pursue law school and work with human rights and social justice. Justeen is 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.

Gina Joon Kang is 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 has been with tPP since September 2020, joining as a pre-coder. Gina hopes to learn more about the criminal justice system, the process of prosecuting political violence cases, and the research skills needed for data analysis through tPP. At Georgetown, Gina is a part of the Asian American Students Association and Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority.

Margaret Kolozsvary is a Junior at Miami University pursuing a degree in Political Science with a minor in Social Justice studies. Her focus is rooted in gun violence that is promoted through political reason. Margaret has been with tPP since August of 2019, and has focused her work on understanding politically rooted violence on both a national and global scale.. Margaret hopes to take her knowledge into the world of law and use her experience within tPP to understand the world of religious and political violence. Margaret has interned with a criminal defense law firm, as well as being a member of the pre law society, Amicus Curiae for two years. Her dream is to work as a civil rights/ human rights lawyer.

Ellie Piszel is a junior at Miami University pursuing a degree in linguistics, with a focus in sociocultural 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, joining as a pre-coder. 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 is also a copyeditor for The Miami Student.

Sophie Stewart is 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 has been with tPP since September 2020, joining as a pre-coder. At tPP, she hopes to learn more about the criminal justice system and strengthen her research and data analysis skills. After graduation, she plans to attend law school. 

 Matt Thierry is 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 has been with tPP since September 2020, and is interested in effective approaches to resolving political violence. He has 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 serves 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.