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. 

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 (she/her) (Co-Director of Communications)  is currently pursuing her PhD in Sociology at Case Western Reserve University. Her previous work centers on masculinities and its intersections with other identities. Kate joined tPP team in July of 2020 as Outreach Coordinator. She also served as coordinator of tPP’s Advisory Board in November of 2020 before becoming a Co-Director at the end of 2021. Through this project, she hopes to further strengthen her passion for social justice and advocacy as well as her skills in data analysis.

Katherine Coate is a recent graduate of Miami University with a degree in Diplomacy and Global Politics and minors in German and European Area Studies. Katherine is a coder and has been with tPP since August 2019. Katherine hopes to use this research to further her interest in law and political violence studies. Katherine was a Miami University Global Studies Scholar and currently works with refugees and trafficking victims based in Washington, DC. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Sue Jean Kim (she/her) graduated from the University at Albany, SUNY, with a Bachelor’s degree in Globalization Studies and Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity. During her undergraduate years, Sue Jean was a research intern, conducting qualitative analysis by coding instructional materials from academic texts and case studies in emergency management and public health to highlight conceptual differences. She most recently served in the Governor’s Office of New York State, gathering open source intelligence and assisting counsels in ethics, risk, and compliance initiatives. Sue Jean is passionate in advocating for social justice, holding accountability against institutional power, and exploring ways to distribute wealth, opportunities, and privileges within society. Furthermore, she aims to help amplify relevant findings concerning the U.S. criminal justice system and acts of political violence. Sue Jean joined tPP in November of 2021.

Marc Caron is a Masters candidate at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in the Peace and Conflict Studies program. He joined tPP as a pre-coder in November 2021. His research interests include developing cultures of peace through peace education curriculum, issues surrounding social justice in the educational system, and poverty/homeless/food insecurity. His research aims to help students build nonviolent conflict resolution skills to build safe spaces for storytelling and dialogue in the classroom. Issues addressed include social justice, respect, cooperation and inclusion which help reduce instances of crime, extremist ideology, and mass violence. His other recent projects include a collaborative university level project with a network of students to build a public toolkit available for use by U.S. universities and colleges to develop mentorship and scholarship opportunities for students from refugee backgrounds.

Jack Winstanley is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights at American University. Their research focuses on women and social constructions of gender within the far right, homophobia in conservative and evangelical movements, and the socio-philosophical study of death and necropolitics. Jack has been with tPP since December of 2021, and has served as a Pre-Coder for the Project. They hope to investigate the relationship between defendants’ political ideological motivations and the expediency of the judicial process, as well as how defendants’ gender identity influences conviction rates. Jack is also the Vice President of American University’s Society for Ethics, Peace, and Global Accountability and has previously assisted in research for the Uppsala Conflict Data Program.

Donna Bell-Tchega is a current undergraduate student in her third year pursuing a major in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity with a concentration in Homeland Security, while minoring in Criminal Justice at the University at Albany. Their research focuses on violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, and how extremism can be prosecuted fairly and effectively. Donna has been with tPP since December of 2021, and has served as Pre-Coder for the project. Donna hopes to utilize her experience within the project to understand the correlations between all political violence case and what factors has influenced the ongoing phenomenon of hate crimes, extremism, and terrorism in our country. Eventually, Donna would love to be an intelligence analyst on behalf of the Bureau of Counterterrorism within New York State. Currently she’s a duty officer at the American Red Cross which aims to ensure the accountability and standardization for the entire state’s disaster response and recovery program in dispatching our disaster responders to disaster scenes within the North-Eastern Region of New York.

Kristine C. is a nonprofit advocacy professional located in the Washington, DC area. Her career has spanned working alongside survivors of gun violence to change policy and culture, to training volunteers to counsel callers on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to training law enforcement and providing technical assistance to policymakers across the country in best-practice intimate partner intervention tools. She was also a 911 dispatcher for several years. Kristine’s Bachelor degree is in Emergency Management with a minor in Public Safety Telecommunications.  She has been with tPP since December 2021.

Dory Tuininga completed a BS in Geography with a minor in Peace and Conflict at the University of Kansas. They are a professional disaster data analyst currently based in the Washington, DC area and have been with tPP since Dec 2021.

Dakota Engel is a graduate student at American University pursuing a degree in Justice, Law and Criminology with a focus on juvenile incarceration and the death penalty. Dakota has been with tPP as a Pre-Coder since December 2021, and enjoys learning about the changing trends in political violence – specifically how current motivations compare to past. She also works on the Training and Community Engagement Team at EMILY’s List and serves as an editor for both Minutes Before Six and the Public Purpose Journal.

Maggie O’Leary is a Junior at the College of the Holy Cross pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies and International Studies, with a focus on International Climate Change Law. Maggie has been with tPP since November 2021, and has focused her work on cases motivated by environmental concern. Maggie hopes to gain an understanding of how the legal system approaches these cases and what demographic factors influence the process and outcome. Eventually she hopes to pursue a career in environmental law and policy. Maggie is also a member of the Holy Cross Women’s Rowing and Moot Court teams.

Olivia Thomas is a Sophomore at Miami University pursuing a degree in International Studies and Spanish, with a Minor in Latin American Studies. She joined the Prosecution Project in January 2022. Olivia joined the project to gain legal research experience and improve her data entry skills. Outside of tPP, she is a founding member of Alpha Psi Lambda at Miami Univeristy and a clarinet in the Miami University Marching Band.

Emily Sommer is a graduate student at American University pursuing a degree in Justice, Law, and Criminology, with a focus on police brutality and police reform. Emily has been with tPP since March 2022 and has focused her work on the cases regarding the January 6th insurrection at the United States Capitol. Emily hopes to work for a federal agency following graduation, with an interest in the FBI and the Secret Service. She is a current member of the National Criminal Justice Honors Society, Alpha Phi Sigma, as well as the National Honors Society, Alpha Lambda Delta.

Cameron Tiefenthaler is a second-year student at Miami University pursuing a degree in Political Science and Business Analytics. She has been with tPP since April 2022. Cameron hopes to advance her legal research and document review skills in preparation for law school. After her degrees, she hopes to pursue civil rights or public interest law. Cameron is also a part of Miami’s Associated Student Government (ASG), a Civic Engagement Fellow for Miami’s Wilks Institute for Leadership and Service, and the VP of Programming for Miami’s pre-law society Amicus Curiae. In her free time, Cameron is an avid baker and nationally award-winning quilter.

Jordan Barber is a Junior at The Catholic University of America pursuing a degree in Criminology with a focus on Intelligence Studies. She also hopes to receive her Masters in Sociology by 2024. Jordan has been with tPP since April 2022, and has hopes to focus her work on terrorism and political protest. She wants to create a place where information is freely shared and is working to complete that goal at tPP. Jordan is also a part of a political campaign and a mentor to other students in the Criminology department at her school.

Calista Whiteley is a Senior at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice/Sociology with a focus on the sociology of racism. Calista has been with tPP since April 2022. Calista hopes to gain experience in the field of law by contributing to the project. Calista has pushed through chronic disability since age 15 and works to find ways to contribute to society while also advocating for those with similar disabilities.

Kevin Licciardi is a Senior at the Catholic University of America pursuing a degree in Criminology with a focus on law. Kevin has been with tPP since April 2022. Kevin hopes to gain knowledge of how the legal system handles cases involving race. Kevin is also a part of the Catholic University Football team.

Kaitlyn Mahaffy (she/her) is a senior at the University of Cincinnati pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science. Kaitlyn joined tPP in April 2022. Kaitlyn hopes to further her knowledge in the political field and focus her research on politically-motivated attacks. She has plans of achieving her master’s in Criminal Justice and eventually obtaining a law degree. Kaitlyn is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Honor Society in Political Science.

Katherine Lentz is a graduate student at Georgetown University pursuing a MA in Conflict Resolution and a Certificate in Refugees, Migration and Humanitarian Emergencies. She has an interest in human rights and political violence, particularly as they relate to development aid, corruption and civil-military relations. Katherine has additional interests in the American criminal justice system – specifically with regard to reform – and prior to attending graduate school, spent a year as an Americorps Fellow working with youth in the juvenile justice system. Katherine joined tPP in April of 2022, and hopes to develop her research skills and further her knowledge on how political violence operates within the context of the United States. Katherine is also a Justice Graduate Intern at the Center for Social Justice at Georgetown University, and a Graduate Research Assistant with Global Financial Integrity.

Bea Porter is graduating from American University in May 2022 with a Masters Degree in Public Anthropology. In her MA, she created a 61-page research project analyzing the ways in which social media was utilized to enable political violence, specifically in the January 6th, 2021 insurrection. Joining tPP in April 2022, Bea is currently looking for work that utilizes her skills with her upcoming graduation. Bea has worked with faculty at American University to create research, some of which including research for the National Parks and Services department, and creating case studies for Marketing classes. Further, Bea has assisted in creating, and teaching, a first-of-its-kind class for the KOGOD School of Business alongside her mentor and has taught multiple anthropology courses. Previously mentioned case studies are currently being submitted to case competitions for publication.

Grace Foor is a Junior at Miami University pursuing a degree in English Literature with minors in Philosophy and Law as well as Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies. She is on a pre-law track. Grace has been with tPP since May 2022 and hopes to focus on creating a user-friendly database, hone her research and teamwork skills, and gain experience examining court records. Grace is a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority – Omega Chapter, as well as the Miami University Honors Program and Amicus Curiae Pre-Law Society at Miami University.

Ethan Stack is a second-year student at Miami University pursuing both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Political Science with a focus in Pre-Law. He has been with tPP since April 2022.  Ethan hopes to learn more about the American judicial system and gain meaningful experience with legal documentation as he prepares to enter law school next year.  Ethan is also a member of Miami University’s chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary, a founding member of Miami’s chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity, a student senator in Miami University’s Associated Student Government and the Director of Communications for Miami University’s Office of ASPIRE.

Alex Avila is a Junior at Brown University pursuing a degree in Sociology with a focus on political sociology. Alex has been with tPP since May of 2022, and hopes to learn about larger social processes in the judicial system through experience with multiple cases and gain meaningful research experience for his future as a social researcher. Alex has done previous research with the Mass Incarceration Lab and the Annenberg Institute at Brown, and runs a media production company in his free time.

Theo is a researcher of domestic and international right-wing extremism. His work has primarily focused on esoteric fascism, paramilitary groups, and the cultural forces driving political violence. Theo joined tPP in 2022 as a pre-coder. He hopes that his work at tPP can provide a better understanding of the relationship between political violence, online rhetoric, and the security state.