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Staff Directory

The APSA national office is supported by 24 staff professionals, guided by 3 senior directors and the executive director. The APSA Council and committees govern association programs and activities. The APSA national office is located in an historic rowhouse in Dupont Circle, in Northwest Washington, DC.

Executive Director: Steven Rathgeb Smith

General Inquiries

American Political Science Association
1527 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036-1203

Phone: (202) 483-2512
Fax: (202) 483-2657
Email: [email protected]

 

Staff
Executive Management

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Steven Rathgeb Smith
Executive Director
Steven Rathgeb Smith is the executive director of the American Political Science Association. Previously, he was the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He also taught for many years at the University of Washington where he was the Nancy Bell Evans Professor of Public Affairs at the Evans School of Public Affairs and director of the Nancy Bell Evans Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy. In addition, he has taught at Georgetown, Duke, American University, and Washington University in St. Louis. From 1997 to 2004, he was editor of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and, from 2006 to 2008, president of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. Dr. Smith has authored and edited several books including, Nonprofits for Hire: The Welfare State in the Age of Contracting (with Michael Lipsky), Governance and Regulation in the Third Sector: International Perspectives (co-edited with Susan Phillips) and, most recently, Nonprofits and Advocacy: Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014) (co-edited with Robert Pekkanen and Yutaka Tsujinaka). He is currently president of the International Society for Third Sector Research. Email ››  View CV ››


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Betsy Super
Deputy Director

Betsy Super serves as Deputy Director. She oversees and leads development of programs supporting research excellence and broadening participation in the profession, including APSA awards, the Centennial Center for Political Science & Public Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion Programs, International Programs, small research grants and travel grants. She also leads APSA’s research on the profession and supports a number of governance committees, including the Nominating Committee, the Committee on Professional Ethics, Rights and Freedoms, and Ad Hoc Committee on Governance Reform. Prior to joining APSA, Super worked at the University of Edinburgh on an ESRC-funded project investigating party positioning on immigration and EU membership, and was the first project officer of the Public Policy Network. Her research has been published in Scandinavian Political Studies, Acta Politica, and Environmental Politics, among others. Super received her BA in Government with honors from Dartmouth College and PhD in Politics from the University of Edinburgh, UK. Email ››


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Dan Gibson
Senior Director, Communications and Marketing

Dan Gibson serves as APSA senior director of communications and marketing. He is responsible for APSA media/press relations, branding, and web communications. He is a veteran communications and marketing professional. He has worked primarily in the association field for more than 20 years using his expertise to deliver clear, consistent messaging and promote the interests of organizations and their memberships. His travels include the IEEE Computer Society, United Rentals, the American Gas Association, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the International Franchise Association, and the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals. He received a BA Communications from Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland and has received numerous awards in marketing and communications. Email ››


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Kimberly Mealy
Senior Director, Diversity and Inclusion Programs
Kimberly A. Mealy, is the APSA senior director of diversity and inclusion. She engages in strategic program development in the areas of diversity, inclusion and accessibility, professional ethics, mentoring, and recruitment and retention of individuals from historically underrepresented groups. She also serves as the staff lead for the APSA Committee on Professional Ethics, Rights and Freedoms and six of the APSA Status Committees. During her time at APSA, Kimberly has supported two APSA presidential task forces (Political Science in the 21st Century (2010) and Negotiating Agreement in Politics (2013)) and directed the annual APSA Teaching and Learning Conference (2017-2014). Prior to joining APSA in 2007, Kimberly taught in the political science department at Wellesley College, as a teaching fellow and a visiting assistant professor. She earned her PhD in political science and public policy from Indiana University, where she directed mentoring and professional development programs for the Office of the Dean for Women’s Affairs and taught courses in political science. Most recently, Kimberly  designed and implemented  the development of the annual meetings ombuds resource (2017) and created the association-wide RESPECT campaign (2018). In May of 2019, Kimberly published a co-authored piece in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education entitled “Social Justice in Action: Creating a Climate of RESPECT at Associational Meetings”. She regularly consults on association resource development in the areas of diversity and inclusion, sexual harassment, professional climate, and the role and structure of the organizational ombuds.  Email ››


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Ashley Vande Bunte
Senior Director, Meetings and Events
 Ashley Vande Bunte is the Senior Director of Meetings and Events. She organizes and executes the Annual Meeting and the Teaching & Learning Conference. Prior to joining APSA in 2013, Ashley managed exhibits and registration at the Retail Industry Leaders Association for four years and studied International Relations at Grand Valley State University. Ashley enjoys traveling,  learning new languages, reading about meteorology, and exploring the local area with her husband and son . Email ››


 

Accounting

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Larry Burner
Director, Finance & Administration
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Tianrui Cai
Assistant Director, Finance
Tianrui (Rina) Cai serves as the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration team. She supports the Director of Finance and Administration in supervising and carrying out responsibilities of the finance team, including but not limited to Accounts Payables, Accounts Receivables, Financial Analysis and Management, Reconciliations and Reports etc. She collaborates with all departments in daily financial process. Prior to joining APSA, she earned an MA in Accounting from the George Washington University in 2015 and a BA in Business Administration from the Ocean University of China. She worked as a tax preparer at DC EITC Campaign (IRS VITA Program) and a finance intern at Relief International. She keeps an open mind and enjoys travelling, cooking, yoga and classical music.Email ››

Nicole Price 
Manager, Accounting
Nicole Price supports APSA’s financial processing, analysis, reporting, and policy functions in her role as Accounting Manager. She brings fifteen years of nonprofit finance, contracts and operations experience, working under a variety of funding environments, from other Washington, DC-based nonprofit organizations including Shakespeare Theatre Company, Environmental Working Group, and Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Nicole enjoys gardening, theater, true crime podcasts, and spending time with her pit bull, Gidget, and two cats, Pop and Iggi. She holds a BA in Government and Politics, with a minor in Philosophy, from the University of Maryland. Email ››

Congressional Fellowship Program

Meghan McConaughey
Director, Congressional Fellowship Program

Meghan McConaughey serves as Director of the Congressional Fellowship Program. She leads all aspects of the Congressional Fellowship Program, including supporting fellows in preparing for, securing, and being successful in their placements; organizing the fellow recruitment and selection process; and managing relationships with program partners and host offices. She is always happy to connect with potential fellows, hosts, partners, or alumni. She also provides support for APSA governance logistics and organization. Meghan has a PhD in political science and an MPP from Georgetown University.  Email ››



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Jessica Keefe
Manager, Research Grants

Jessica Keefe serves as the program manager for research grants. In her role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the APSA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant program. Prior to joining APSA, Jessica received a BA in history and political science from Providence College, and an MA in political science from the George Washington University. Jessica is currently a PhD candidate at the George Washington University. Jessica grew up in Rhode Island and enjoys cooking, the band Rush, and taking long walks with her dog, Bear.  Email ››



Centennial Center

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Abby Paulson
Associate Director, Government Relations and Public Engagement

Abby Paulson is the Associate Director for Government Relations and Public Engagement. Abby joined APSA in 2016 after completing her MSC in politics and communication at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to her graduate studies, Abby worked with a coalition of organizations dedicated to government accountability and transparency. She earned a Bachelor’s degree at Ithaca College, where she also found a love of rowing. email ››

 



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Bennett Grubbs
Editor, APSA Edcuate
Bennett l. Grubbs serves as editor in the Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs. He manages and curates APSA Educate, the soon-to-be launched online-library showcasing exceptional teaching materials and resources, peer-reviewed research on political science higher education and timely discussions on innovative practices in political science learning. Prior to joining APSA, Bennett taught at both the New School’s Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts and the City College of New York’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. He has presented research on American politics at multiple annual meetings of the American Political Science Association. Bennett earned his BA in political science from Le Moyne College and his MA in political science from Northern Arizona University. He is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics at the New School for Social Research, where he is completing a PhD thesis on the course of progressive reform in early 21st century American politics. email ››


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Zainab Alam
Associate Director, Centennial Center

Zainab Alam assists the Centennial Center with their research grant programs. She is currently also a PhD candidate in comparative politics and women in politics at Rutgers University, where her dissertation focuses on digital democracy in South Asia. Prior to her work at APSA, she worked for a public policy leadership education program at Douglass Residential College, a women’s college at the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus. Zainab also holds an MS from New York University, where her research focused on peacebuilding initiatives in Pakistan. email ››

 

Communications & Marketing

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Karima D. Scott
Director, Marketing & Communications
Karima Scott serves as the Director of the Communications and Marketing department. She is responsible for all communications and marketing efforts of the association including branding and promotion of APSA program initiatives, managing and monitoring of the association website and social media channels, implementation of new marketing materials and campaigns, as well as serving as one of the association’s layout and design specialist. She supports and collaborates with all departments and teams to best serve APSA members. Prior to joining APSA in late 2013, Karima served as an AmeriCorp Public Ally after receiving her BA from George Mason University where she studied media communications, sociology and theater. Karima is a Washington, D.C. native. She enjoys live entertainment, traveling, art, and painting. Email ››


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Clarissa Westphal Nogueira
Manager, Communications & Web Development
Clarissa Westphal Nogueira is the Communications & Web Development Manager. She serves as technical support to staff and members, providing both web and database maintenance for the APSA Website as well as related pages. As part of the Communications team, she works and assists on graphic design projects for APSA's many programs, as well as monitoring/organizing Social Media. Prior to joining APSA in 2018, she worked at the Inter-American Development Bank as the Web Editor Assistant for the Retirees Association, in charge of website updates, graphic design projects, and translations. Clarissa earned her degree in Graphic, Web and Industrial design at Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL) in Florianopolis, Brazil. Born in D.C and growing up in Argentina, she considers many cities to be her home and enjoys reading, drawing, scrapbooking and videogames. Email ››


Development

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Julia Walters
Associate Director, Awards & Development
Julia Walters provides administrative support to a wide range of APSA awards, grants, and fellowships. She acts as the primary contact for travel grants to the APSA annual meeting and TLC. Prior to joining APSA in 2017, Julia received a BA in Public Policy and Peace, War, and Defense from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Julia is a native Arlingtonian who enjoys food trucks and college basketball. Email ››






Human Resources

Jess Okeze
Associate Director, Human Resources
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Diversity and Inclusion Programs

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Jasmine Scott
Manager, Diversity & Inclusion Programs
Jasmine Scott (she/her) serves as the program manager for diversity and inclusion programs. In her role, she supports programs including the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute, Minority Fellows Program, Minority Student Recruitment Program, and APSA Mentoring Program. Prior to joining ASPA, Jasmine worked at NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education supporting member engagement and equity and inclusion programs including the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP), the Center for Women, and the Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Division. Jasmine earned her MSEd in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University and her BS in Telecommunication from the University of Florida.  Email ››

 


International Programs

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Andrew Stinson
Director, Grant Initiatives and International Programs
Andrew Stinson leads APSA’s efforts to engage with political science communities across the world. This includes management and planning for the Asia and MENA Workshops, as well as various collaborative projects with other national political science associations, area-studies associations, universities, research institutes, and scholars. Before joining APSA in 2011, Andrew taught English in Kazakhstan as a Peace Corps Volunteer and supported several non-profit efforts in early-childhood education and American voluntourism. He has a MA in International Studies from Rhodes University in South Africa and a BA in Political Science and History from Gettysburg College, PA. Andrew currently lives with his family in Guilford, CT.  Email ››


Lara Jolicoeur
Program Assistant, Centennial Center and International Programs
Lara joined APSA in 2020 as the program assistant for the International and Congressional Fellowship Programs. Lara received a BA in International Relations and Chinese studies from Hampshire College in 2019, where she focused on Ethnic Minority Identity in China. Lara is originally from Redondo Beach, California and enjoys traveling, baking, and attending concerts.  Email ››


Meetings & Events

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Kristin Kessler
Manager, Meetings & Events

Kristin Kessler serves as the Meetings Manager. Her responsibilities include programing and logistics for APSA’s Annual Meeting, conferences and small meetings. Prior to joining APSA in 2019, Kristin managed various meeting logistics, including exhibits and the call for abstracts, at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for five years. She received a BA in Sociology from Elon University. A native to the DC metro area, Kristin enjoys live music, rock climbing and traveling. Email>>

Membership

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Casey Harrigan
Director, Member Services
Casey Harrigan is the Associate Director for Member Services. Prior to joining APSA in 2017, Casey received a BS in Political Science from Towson University and an MPA, with a focus in health policy, from Baruch College. Casey is originally from New York, in her spare time she enjoys traveling, cooking, and refinishing antique furniture. Email ››







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Brenna Dames
Program Associate, Member Services

Brenna Dames is the Program Associate for Member Services. Prior to joining APSA in 2020, she worked at Dance Place, a DC based arts non-profit where she served as the Education Manager, a teaching artist and a dancer. She received her BA in Political Science as well as her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Elon University in 2015. Brenna is originally from Maryland and enjoys dancing, traveling, and finding the perfect piece of pizza. Email ››




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Nathan Bader
Operations Assistant, Member Services
Nathan Bader began in August 2019 as the Operations Assistant for the APSA office. Nathan received a BA in History and Nonprofit Administration with a minor in International Affairs from Dakota Wesleyan University, where he was named the McGovern Scholar. He will graduate in May 2021 with a MA in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics. Nathan is originally from South Dakota and in his spare time enjoys traveling, trivia and science fiction movies.Email ››

Professional Development Programs & Services

Alycia Chau
Program Assistant, Academic and Professional Development
Alycia Chau is the program assistant for Academic and Professional Development. Prior to joining APSA in 2020, she received her MA in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Prior to her graduate studies, she worked as a meeting planner for a nonprofit association. She enjoys traveling, learning new languages, and has a passion for typography.
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Journals & Publications


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Jon Gurstelle
Director, Publishing
Jon Gurstelle has spent over a decade in academic publishing at Blackwell Publishing, Springer, and most recently, John Wiley & Sons. He spent many years as a book and journal editor in Political Science at Springer and was most recently an Executive Editor for Statistics at Wiley. He has been a regular attendee at the Annual Meeting since 2008 and was active in several publishing industry groups including the AAP’s Professional and Scholarly Publishing division. Jon is based at the APSA Headquarters and oversees the 21 APSA and affiliated journals as well as the other association publications including books and brochures. Email ››

 


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Celina Szymanski
Senior Managing Editor, PS: Political Science and Politics
Celina Szymanski is the managing editor of PS: Political Science and Politics. She has worked as journal assistant under interim editors Phillip Ardoin and Paul Gronke of Appalachian State University since August 2014. Formerly, she worked as journal assistant to New Political Science: A Journal of Politics and Culture. She graduated from Frostburg State University in 2013 where she served on the President’s Leadership Circle. She will graduate from Appalachian State University in May with a master’s degree in political science concentrating in environmental politics and policy. Celina enjoys travelling as well as kayaking and hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina. Email ››

 

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Henry Chen
Managing Editor, Political Science Today
Henry Chen is the managing editor of Political Science Today, the APSA member magazine. Before joining APSA in 2019, he conducted research in Durban, South Africa through The Fulbright Program. He holds a BA in History from Northwestern University (2018), where he also studied Asian American Studies and Gender & Sexuality Studies. Henry is originally from Denver, Colorado, and enjoys hiking, cooking, and illustrating in his spare time. Email ››






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Dragana Svraka
Editor, American Political Science Review
Dragana Svraka is an editor at the American Political Science Review. She earned Ph.D. in political science from the University of Florida, where she studied comparative politics, focusing on ethnic politics in Europe. She lived and studied in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Netherlands, and the United States. For three years, she worked as an editorial assistant for Perspectives on Politics.
Research

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Erin McGrath
Manager, Research
Erin McGrath began in February 2019 as Research Manager for APSA. She leads research efforts for APSA, coordinating research on all aspects of the profession, and supporting research efforts across all departments and programs at APSA. Prior to joining APSA, McGrath was a post-doctoral researcher in computational social science at the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) on an NSF-funded project to predict contentious activity using non-traditional sources of data on grievances (e.g. social media data, unstructured text data). Research on this project has been published by the Journal of Conflict Resolution (2018) and in outlets in other disciplines, e.g. computer science and data science. McGrath completed her Ph.D. (2015) in Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Her training in Turkish, in-depth fieldwork in Turkey, and dissertation research on authoritarianism and Turkish constitutional politics was funded by a State Department scholarship (2009) and is forthcoming from Cambridge University Press (2019). McGrath has an MPP (2005) from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she focused on social policy in old and new Europe, and a BBA (2000) from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she focused on corporate social responsibility. She lives in Cleveland Park with her partner Paul, their four children, and a GSP puppy named Blitzen. Email ››


Ana Diaz
Program Assistant, Research
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