2022-2023 M.A. Students
Victoria Anastasia Aranowicz is pursuing a Master of Arts in the European and Mediterranean program. She has been enrolled as a BA/MA student at NYU since 2021. In her final undergraduate year, she started her MA coursework while finishing her BA degree. As of May 2022, Victoria has a Bachelor of Arts in History, Journalism and Creative Writing from NYU. As the child of two immigrants who fled the then Soviet occupied Poland, Victoria chose to link her personal cultural background to her passions in history and politics. Her main interests are regarding Central/Eastern Europe (specifically Poland) during the long 20th century. When Victoria isn’t absorbed in academic work, she’s infatuated with reading crime, fantasy and historical fiction novels. As a retired “theatre kid”, Victoria also enjoys ballet, drama and Broadway shows. Finally, when she has the opportunity, she feeds her wanderlust by traveling to various countries across the world.
Eric Coshal is enrolled in the Master of European and Mediterranean Studies program. He received his B.A. in History from Loyola University in Baltimore, MD. Eric prefers to have his studies focused in the ancient and medieval periods, but he actively enjoys seeing and finding connections between the past and present. In his free time, Eric likes to listen to music, read, make memes and be active.
Arman Karbassioon is pursuing a Master’s in European and Mediterranean Studies at New York University’s CEMS Program. He holds a B.S. in International Business and an MBA focused on marketing. Arman’s academic interest in the program stems from his affinity for history and contemporary politics and his travels backpacking through Europe. At CEMS, Arman is focused on studying far-right politics and immigration in Southern Europe, particularly how these movements have influenced policies and the public discourse on immigration. In his free time, Arman can be seen playing soccer across New York City, frequenting coffee shops, and making fresh pasta.
Saige Kramer-Koszarek is pursuing a Master’s in European and Mediterranean Studies at New York University’s CEMS. She received her B.A. magna cum laude in International Relations from New York University with minors in French and European and Mediterranean Studies in May 2022. Her academic area of interest centers around analyzing the rise of the far right in the European Union, specializing in Poland and Hungary and their democratic backslides. She plans to do her Master’s thesis on a comparative analysis of Poland and Hungary’s interactions with European courts over human rights violations. Having completed coursework in political psychology in her undergraduate studies, she hopes to integrate this perspective into her research as well. In her free time, Saige enjoys cooking, crocheting, walking all over the city, and watching old Anthony Bourdain reruns.
Pai-Ching Liu is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. He graduated from Tamkang University in Taiwan with a B.A. in German and received a scholarship from his department after passing the Goethe certificate B2. His academic interests include German politics, history, and the European Union. In addition to his research work that concentrated on Nord Stream 2 and the energy transition, Pai-Ching also participated in several seminars on European affairs, including the Ukraine crisis and the French presidential election. Since completing his undergtaduate degree, he continues to study German politics and society as well as topics concerning European integration throughout WWI and WWII. An avid traveler, he has visited Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne and is deeply intrigued by their vibrant culture. At NYU, Pai-Ching aims to deepen his knowledge about European history, politics, and society from multiple perspectives and explore career opportunites.
Alex Opechowski is a Master’s student in the European and Mediterranean Studies program. She received a B.A. with Honors in International Studies from the University of Chicago, where her studies culminated in a thesis about developments in the Polish culinary landscape in the time since the country’s accession to the E.U. Following her undergraduate studies, Alex worked in technology and digital media. At NYU, she wishes to combine her interests, studying the affinities between national identity, food culture, and technology, especially in Eastern Europe. Alex speaks Polish, French, and some German. When she’s not reading for work, or reading for fun, you might find her fencing.
Amós del Castillo Petidier is enrolled in the Master of European and Mediterranean Studies program. He received a Fulbright scholarship to study in the United States, and is excited about this opportunity. Amós was raised in Seville, Spain, and completed a Bachelor’s double degree in Geography & Spatial Planning and History at the University of Seville. After graduating in 2021, the Spanish Society of Academic Excellence awarded him the third-highest overall History degree grade in Spain. Regarding his academic interests, Amós has completed internships at the Modern History Department of the University of Seville and Center of Andalusian Studies where he researched the impact of the 1992 Seville World’s Fair on modernization strategies, public policy, and national image in Spain. His aim is to integrate this knowledge into comparative approaches with other Southern European states. Amós is fluent in both Spanish and English, and proficient in French. In his free time, he enjoys travelling, reading, and listening to an eclectic range of music. He also has a passion for modern architecture and urbanism.
Leslie Vooris is attending NYU's European and Mediterranean Studies program beginning in the Fall of 2022. Leslie is a graduate of SUNY Empire State College where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree Summa Cum Laude in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Global Studies. During her undergraduate studies, Leslie designed a conflict resolution plan utilizing theatre in implementing cross cultural understanding among youth. She also conducted independent research on the historical and cultural legacy of the working class in Great Britain and the influences of Near Eastern cultures in the Mediterranean. Leslie hails from Los Angeles, California and is a long time NYC resident. She has an extensive background in the arts and has produced and directed theatre and film in NYC, as well as a previous career in real estate where she served an international clientele. Leslie's research interests include European cultural and ethnic identity, Transatlantic relations, cultural and public diplomacy, foreign affairs and the media, and European foreign affairs. In her free time Leslie enjoys world travel, taking dance classes, cooking, and taking advantage of NYC's numerous cultural offerings.
2021-2022 M.A. Students
Nora Acsadi is enrolled in the Dual Degree (M.A./M.S.) Program in European & Mediterranean Studies and Library & Information Science at NYU CEMS and LIU Palmer School. Born in southwestern Hungary, she is bilingual (Hungarian/English) with proficiency in German. Nora holds a B.A. in History from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Her academic experiences have centered on modern European history, government, and international humanitarianism. Her coursework in German Studies was supported by a year study abroad in Vienna, Austria. She was an undergraduate member in a collaborative faculty-student human rights advocacy group, including as panelist and photojournalism exhibit curator during a symposium on 21st century challenges to humanitarian action. In the M.S. program, Nora is pursuing a Concentration in Rare Books/Special Collections and the Certificate of Advanced Study in Archives & Records Management. She is a recipient of the R.D.L. Gardiner Foundation Master’s Fellowship, which promotes digitizing and archiving regional history. Her M.A. research interests include exploring European identity, international law, and the freedom of information in the current landscapes of sociopolitical transition, information manipulation, and foreign policy concerns.
Lauren Connors is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at New York University. She recently graduated summa cum laude from Kean University with a B.A. in History (with Honors) and earned a New Jersey teaching certification for grades K-12 in Social Studies. Lauren’s undergraduate studies centered on European and World history. Her senior thesis focused on the foreign and domestic policies of the US and USSR from 1945 to today. She analyzed how the current infrastructure is poised for a totalitarian takeover using the lens of George Orwell’s literary works, 1984 and Animal Farm. Upon receiving her master’s, Lauren plans to teach community college classes while working towards her PhD in History, with a focus in either European or World Studies, with the ultimate goal of becoming a college professor. Specifically, Lauren is interested in the “gritty'” parts of history: war, disease, famine, and politics. In her free time, Lauren enjoys working out, baking food for friends, and napping.
Maia Donahue is pursuing a Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. She received her B.A. in History and Political Science from Florida State University, where she focused on political history and wrote her Senior Paper on the political underpinnings of the Fourth Crusade and its impact on the divide between Eastern and Western Europe. Maia worked as an intern at a former colonial Spanish Mission site, where she studied the political reach of the kings of Spain in mission sites throughout the Florida Panhandle in the mid-17th century. Additionally, after studying in Florence, Italy, she went on to complete a minor in art history. She intends to further her graduate studies in this field by focusing on the change in women’s roles and status in European society, and how that is depicted in contemporary art. She particularly wants to utilize portraiture to highlight this change. Maia also assisted refugees by providing English language tutoring in both the United States and Kampala, Uganda. She has researched her Hispanic heritage by studying with her grandfather in Madrid Spain as well as with relatives in Mexico City. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maia worked as a legal assistant with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Maia enjoys volunteering in museums, riding electric scooters in parks, attending football games, and staying true to her Orlando roots by visiting Walt Disney World.
Laura-Marie Müller is enrolled in the Masters in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS. She received her BA in Politics and International Relations from Royal Holloway University of London, UK. Her academic interests lie mostly in international relations, foreign policy and diplomacy and she intends to further pursue similarly focused courses. So far her most studied regions have been politics and international involvement in the Middle East and US foreign policy. She was born and raised in Germany where she also took her A-levels. She speaks German and English and is currently studying French. Additionally, she studied Latin and Ancient Greek in school. Aside from academic interests, she enjoys travelling (particularly to the Middle East), classical literature (Latin and Ancient Greek authors specifically), ballroom dance, and cooking.
Leo Page-Blau is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies. He studied Modern Middle Eastern Studies and Political Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, Leo pursued internships in Kyiv, Ukraine and Ankara, Turkey, and performed research at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. His primary academic interests are Turkish-EU relations and European identity. Prior to starting at NYU, Leo worked at the U.S. Department of State's anti-trafficking office. He currently works at Google supporting engagement with European and Middle Eastern governments.
Konstantinos Marnelas is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. Originally from Litochoro, Greece, he received a Bachelor’s degree in History and Archaeology with a major in History from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. During his undergraduate studies, he explored the history of ancient Greece, and Roman, Medieval and European history up until the 1990s. He is particularly fascinated by the way a person, who is being taught history, can obtain a better understanding of today’s society in multiple aspects of life. At NYU, Konstantinos is focusing on Europe’s relations with its Mediterranean periphery. He is also researching U.S. perceptions of Greece as well as Transatlantic relations. Aside from Greek and English, he is also fluent in German. Konstantinos enjoys travelling to other countries and learning about different cultures. In his free time, he enjoys reading, watching movies and series, going out for walks and short excursions, and listening to music.
Zachary Rogers is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with a major in history and a minor in anthropology. Through his minor, he attended multiple academic conferences in Albuquerque, Cleveland, and Vancouver. In 2019, Zach and a group of students created a “react to the past” course for history and anthropology majors that put students in the role of Anthropologists and Historians faced with a humanitarian dilemma. They presented this at the AAA conference in Vancouver in November of 2019. In his major studies, he focused on the former USSR from the inception of the revolution until the death of Stalin. Zach’s senior paper was focused on Stalin’s rise to power in the USSR and how it culminated from the workings of Lenin and the early party movements. Having read numerous Russian texts in his undergrad, Zach used works such as Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, Solzhentisyn’s Gulag Archipelago and his writings on Lenin in Zurich as his main sources of influence. Zach is currently taking Russian language courses so that he can travel abroad and do research for his master's thesis. Zach has found a certain uniqueness and beauty in the slavic world and former USSR that he wishes to explore with the aim to better understand a world many do not take the time to glance at.
Hanyang Shen is a candidate of the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History at Miami University in Oxford, OH. An international student from China, his initial focus was on the history of communism in the Soviet Union. He then shifted his focus to the failed Communist movements during the early 20th century in Europe, with a particular focus on Germany, compared with the communist movements in China and Russia. Hanyang’s research investigates why the communist revolution did not succeed in Western industrial powers, as Marx predicted, unlike in countries like Russia and China. Outside his research, Hanyang enjoys playing computer games and console games and has built three computers. He listens to a wide range of music, from classical to modern, with a preference for Soviet and Chinese revolutionary music.
2020-2021 M.A. Students
Alena Arkhipov is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She received a B.A. from Syracuse University with a double major in Modern Foreign Languages and International Relations. Alena's major field of study focused on the European region and intercultural relations. At the master's level, she is interested in futher studying the structures and functioning of European and Mediterranean institutions, their relations, and how different cultures interact. Alena is fluent in English, Russian and French and has travelled to many European countries. She enjoys learning about different cultures through her travels.
Aaron Higgins is enrolled in the European and Mediterranean Studies M.A. program at New York University. Hailing from Virginia, Aaron double majored in History and English at the College of William & Mary, where he particularly enjoyed studying medieval and modern European societies and cultures. His general undergraduate research focused on nationalism and political identities, and his senior honors thesis examined the comprehensive political ideology of Terence O'Neill, the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Aaron has special interest regarding the development of national identities, and how nationalist movements use political institutions to develop and advance their ideas. He hopes to pursue additional research examining how the "nation-state" can conflict and harmonize with regional identities in Ireland and Great Britain. Immediately after pursuing his Master's degree, he plans to join Teach for America in Massachusetts. In his free time he loves reading English and Scandinavian literature, practicing his ocarina, and cooking delicious vegetarian cuisines.
Ebru Lettic is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She received her B.A. in Biology with a minor in English from the University of Washington. Born in Seattle, Washington she is fluent in both English and Turkish. She has traveled extensively and has lived in Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, and Turkey. During her undergraduate career she studied abroad in Rome, Italy, focusing on her studies in literature. Her academic interests include the forced migration of displaced persons from conflict areas and how those persons are marginalized and exploited by the host countries. Additional areas of interest include regional relations between Turkey and its bordering nations as well as the effect it has on Turkish identity.
Tristan Thorgersen is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. While studying at James Madison, he studied abroad in Ghana, participated in moot court competitions, and worked on an outreach team for the 2020 Census. His research interests include European migration, EU trade policy and law, the economic recovery of the Bosnian War, and the various political structures of Europe. Outside of his academic interests, he enjoys writing, political philosophy, and baseball.
Alec Monico is enrolled in the European and Mediterranean Studies Master program. Alec studied at Rutgers University in New Brunswick where he received his B.A. with a major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and a minor in Spanish. While at Rutgers University, Alec started an at-home and online personal training business, which he continued after graduation and which has provided him with an opportunity to meet and work with people from all different walks of life. His academic interests include right-wing populism, nationalism, economics, and European policy and its connection to the Americas. Coming from an Italian and Mexican familial immigrant background, Alec has been exposed to a mix of culture in addition to having lived in the greater New York area and having been exposed to its endless diversity. Alec speaks Spanish, Italian, and French. He enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures, reading, watching Netflix series and staying physically active and healthy.
Jaxson T. J. Moore was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from the University of North Texas in Spring 2020 with a B.S. in Integrative Studies, where his focus was International Studies, European History, and Political Science. In addition to his degree, he has also received the certification in Jewish and Israeli studies. His general academic focus includes modern British, Eastern European, Russian, and German history, as well as British, French, and German imperial and revolutionary history. Outside of historical interests, he has studied the development of globalizing societies, judicial and police systems, domestic and international terrorism, and international relations. On the periphery of his academic focus he has enjoyed courses in feminist issues, Japanese, and Holocaust related film. Outside of academic research he enjoys music (especially R&B), movies (especially Grease), video games, and comics (especially Batman). He is also a diehard Cowboys fan.
Daniel Ortiz is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS. He received a B.A. in History from the University of Vermont, where he focused on contemporary Europe. In addition to his interest in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, Daniel has additional research interests in German and Austrian studies, transnational studies, foreign policy, and military history. He also studies the colonial relationship between Africa and Europe—his honors thesis examined the experience of Africans in the colonial armed forces of England, France, and Germany. Originally from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Daniel hopes to continue his studies in Europe following the completion of his MA.
Dane Smith has recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in History, and a minor in Classics. His academic interests lie in medieval law and governance in the Eastern Mediterranean, but the medieval Mediterranean world as a whole is a broader field of interest. He intends to further explore the survivorship of classical Roman conceptions of law and government through the medieval period and how these notions changed to suit the times. Following his time at NYU he intends to earn a PhD in Medieval History and enter the academic field. He is proficient in Latin, and is presently studying both Ancient and Modern Greek.Outside of his academic interests, he is an avid fan of reading, watching movies, and gratuitous use of Pittsburghese.
Anna Lee Sadocha is enrolled in the master of European and Mediterranean Studies program. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University at Buffalo Honors College, where she double majored in Political Science and Spanish language studies. During her junior year, she studied abroad at the Universidad de Salamanca, in Salamanca, Spain. With her time in Spain, Anna Lee perfected her Spanish language skills and discovered an interest in the History of the Spanish Civil War. Some of Anna Lee’s other research interests include human rights and migration within Europe, conflict studies, and contemporary European history, specifically in Spain. In addition to Spanish, Anna Lee is currently learning German. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys playing instruments; Anna Lee plays the piano, clarinet, and the mandolin. She also enjoys staying physically active and hiking.
Evando Thompson is enrolled in the Joint Master’s program in European Studies and Journalism at NYU. He has recently graduated from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in German. Evando hails from Atlanta, but he was born in Jamaica, which instigated his interest in foreign news coverage. He is very interested in podcasting and has completed a series of podcasts for Seton Hall’s Institute of Communication and Religion, an interest he also plans to pursue during his Master studies at NYU. In addition to podcasting, he is passionate about writing feature stories or reporting on pressing issues that go overlooked. He plans to focus his graduate research on the unifying role soccer has played in Germany throughout its history, especially after and before the fall of the Berlin Wall, by examining landmarks that have cultivated the perception of Germany and its people, as well as the effect the idea of national pride (Nationalstolz) had on German youth. He is particularly interested in investigating the financial and emotional impact of socio-economic issues on Germany, by examining it through the lens of some of Germany’s most populated cities. Upon graduation from the Master’s program, Evando plans to work abroad in Germany.
Aaron Uranga is enrolled in the master of European and Mediterranean Studies program. He earned his bachelor's degree from Florida International University where he double majored in International Relations and Political Science, while also obtaining a German Language and Culture certificate and a European and Euroasian studies certificate. Aaron's senior research focused on the German political parties, the AfD and the Greens, and how they use the theory of securitization to secure votes for the German elections. Going forward, he would like to expand his research into studying nationalism in Spain and Germany and to see how the parties gain voters for their respective elections. His academic and professional interests include European politics, with a focus on Germany and Spain, the rise of nationalism and populism, voter behaviour, and political sociology.
2019-2020 M.A. Students
Darren Colbourne is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. He received his Bachelor's in Philosophy from Columbia University and focused his studies in the fields of Metaethics and Political Philosophy. Both at Columbia and during subsequent travels, his historical research has centered on the intersections of domestic conflicts, militant left-wing resistance, and the wider 1968 Movements in Western Europe. His primary areas of focus are Northern Ireland and Germany, and his work looks to explore the links between radical student movements and the implementation of armed conflict. He has spent time in Derry/Londonderry, Belfast, and Berlin pursuing these goals. His other academic interests are post-imperial politics, gender equality within radical movements, and the politics of language education. Outside of research, Darren has taught English and History at the secondary-school level. He enjoys creative writing, punk rock, and Formula 1.
Tatiana Ferrara is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. Born in Canada, she received her Honours B.A. in European Studies and Italian from the University of Toronto. While there, she was an Analyst for the G7 and G20 Research Groups housed at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Her research has focused on trade relations and policies of the EU. Her academic and professional interests include examining trade relations, European politics, international relations with the EU, and Italian affairs. In addition, she is fluent in French and Italian. Outside of her professional interests, she is a classically trained singer and pianist and enjoys traveling.
Jason Ford is enrolled in the master of European and Mediterranean Studies program. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University, where he double majored in Political Science and History. Jason’s research focuses on the intersection of politics and sport with a specific concentration on the English Premier League. His current project examines the future of the Premier League after Brexit by taking a quantitative approach to the league’s demographic composition, EU football governance, and UK immigration structures. Other research interests include rhetorical and political connections between nationalism and football in Western Europe. Aside from his studies, Jason is a teaching assistant at NYU Steinhardt and enjoys surfing at home in California.
Valerie Kerner is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. She completed her BA in International Studies at Vassar College and has spent most of her life in scenic Upstate New York. During her junior year, she studied abroad in the fall through the Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Paris and then spent the spring and summer with the Duke in Berlin Program, studying at the Freie Universität. While in Paris, she completed a stage at the Mona Bismarck American Center and grew to love contemporary art and film. In addition, she’s a classically trained pianist. Her research has focused on contemporary European History, French and German Studies, Gender Studies, and populism in a variety of combinations. She speaks both French and German. She completed her undergraduate senior thesis on populism and the rise of the AfD in Germany and plans to continue this research while at NYU.
Steven Marchesano is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean studies program. He received his B.A. in History at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. Steven studies European history, with a specific concentration in German history during the late 19th century and early 20th century, examining Germany's foreign policy, military policy, and economic policy with regards to its relations with Europe and the world before the First World War. He also studies post World War II Germany; his Senior Seminar thesis paper was on the role of the Stasi Propaganda in East Germany. Steven also minored in German Studies and International Studies at Rowan University. He was Vice President of the Psi Iota branch of Phi Alpha Theta at Rowan, and studied abroad in Germany.
Brianna Paglia is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS. She holds a B.A. from Queens University, majoring in history and minoring in human biology. She has been a research assistant for multiple projects, domestic and abroad, working with the Gullah-Geechee and the Ceredigion archives in Wales. Her research interests focus the concept of witches and witchcraft and medical practices and advancements from Medieval to Early Modern Europe, specifically Britain.
Clayton Rowe is enrolled in the Master's in European and Mediterranean Studies program. He received his BA in History from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia - Athens (UGA). As part of his undergraduate studies, Clayton studied in the UGA at Oxford Program for one semester, completing four courses in European history and political philosophy. His research interests focus in general on contemporary European history and politics, and more specifically on contemporary France. Following his MA studies, Clayton intends to earn a PhD in European history and become a history professor. Originally from White Plains, New York, he grew up in Roswell, Georgia and spends frequent time in Maine.
Lorenzo R.S. Sanchez is enrolled in the European and Mediterranean Studies master's program with a Fulbright Scholarship. Lorenzo studied at La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, and received his Bachelor’s in Languages and Culture. He then graduated at Business School 24 Ore (Milan, Italy), majoring in journalism with a specialization in politics and economy. Lorenzo has worked as a communication strategist for members of the Italian government. His academic interests are centered around European identities, gender & sexuality and right-wing populism in the Mediterranean Area. Born in Venezuela, Lorenzo is deeply interested in links between different cultures. He speaks Italian, Spanish, Russian and a little of French and Portuguese. He enjoys traveling, reading, and writing fictional pieces.
Shreya Srinath is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program. She received her undergraduate degree in history from the State University of New York, at Geneseo. Following her graduation, she worked as a qualitative analyst and a field-researcher with Ernst & Young in India on a World Bank-funded project exploring the constraints that young females face in enrolling and participating in skill-building programs and accessing the Indian labour market. Her academic research interests include nationalism and modern state-building in central Europe, the Roma in the context of modern Europe, ethnic conflict, comparative genocide, and cultural history. Shreya also enjoys writing about food traditions and Indian cultural heritage preservation and restoration. She is particularly interested in exploring the relevance of Indian handicraft and handloom traditions in the context of modern India.
2018-2019 M.A. Students
Katerina Barton is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. She received her undergraduate degree in Global Studies at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Following graduation, Katerina received a Fulbright award to teach English in a remote city on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Upon return, Katerina worked for a community newspaper just south of Austin. Because Katerina was born in the Czech Republic and is half Czech, she holds a deep curiosity for European politics, history and culture. Favoring long-form journalism and storytelling, she is interested in studying and writing about Europe as modern-day politics and conflict influence the region.
Eirini Papastergiou Courtney is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She studied at San Francisco State University, where she double-majored in Comparative Literature and Classics. Her academic interests focus on ethnic and hybrid identities in the ancient and contemporary world, female representation in Classical and modern literatures and histories, Jewish culture and history in Greece and Europe, as well as nationalism in European societies and politics. Originally from Greece, Eirini has been teaching Greek at the Saturday school of her local community in San Francisco and, other than Greek, she speaks a little Bulgarian and she is currently learning Italian. In her free time she enjoys reading Mediterranean noir fiction, rock climbing, cooking, and taking long walks with her dog, Zoe.
Maura Deering is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She received her B.A. in Contemporary European Studies and Political Science with a minor in French at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While completing her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in France and Malawi. In Malawi, she also interned at an NGO, the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation. Her research interests include the consequences of colonialism and post-colonialism, the expansion of the European Union, and the international relations between the EU and its global neighbor
Liburna Deva is enrolled in the European and Mediterranean Studies master's degree program at CEMS. She earned her bachelor's degree at Hunter College, majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. She received a Master in History from Lehman college, where she focused her thesis on Yugoslavia and the Cold War. Her academic interests focus on the Balkans nations and state building.
Adam Fitch is enrolled in the European and Mediterranean Studies master's program at CEMS. Adam studied at Loyola University, New Orleans as an undergraduate, and received his M.A. from California State University, East Bay, where his focus was on gender and sexuality during the First World War. His academic interests are centered around European identities in the modern world, as well as social history and nationalism in European societies. Originally from the Bay Area, Adam has worked with the GLBT historical society in San Francisco towards preserving the heritage of its gay community. He speaks Spanish, and is currently learning German. He enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time on his boat, and aims to complete a Ph.D. program at NYU.
Emilia Otte is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. She received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College, where she studied English with a minor in Italian Studies. While there, she also took several journalism courses at the University of Pennsylvania. Her undergraduate thesis centered around the power of literary journalism to evoke empathy. Her academic interests include human rights issues, particularly with regard to the current refugee crisis, cultural and religious identity, E.U. economies, and European literature.
Kiersten Remster is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS. She holds a B.A. in Art History and German from the University of Dayton. Her interest in Baroque Art and German led her to study in Salzburg for a semester during undergraduate and later she completed a summer of research at the University of Oxford, focusing on communist architecture in Eastern Europe. During her time at UD, she finished an honors thesis on recollective outsider art by German ex-patriots in America during the Postwar Era. Upon graduation, she was awarded an Austrian Ministry of Education Teaching Assistantship, administered by Fulbright Austria. She taught English for the following school year in Vienna.
Kristen Sandmeier is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. Originally from Orange County, New York, she earned a B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Global Issues from Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. Her academic and professional interests focus on violations of human rights and, more specifically, women's and children's rights in underdeveloped or war-torn countries. Her undergraduate thesis examined the Syrian conflict and civil war through a lens of conflict resolution, exploring all causes, players and dynamics of the hostility. Her studies also focused on French language and the Francophone diaspora.
Andrew Smith is currently pursuing a second M.A. through the European & Mediterranean Studies program. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, he received his B.A. and his first M.A. in World History from Georgia State University. Andrew specializes in the "Global Sixties," the decade's impact on the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc states, and the broader history of international communist, socialist, anarchist, labor, and national liberation movements. His first M.A. thesis was a survey of underground Maoist movements during the 1960's and 1970's in the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. He has been published in the New Georgia Encyclopedia in an entry concerning the communist-led Mead Wildcat Strike of 1972 in Atlanta. He has traveled to Russia, China, and Turkey for his studies, and plans further ventures to Russia and other former Soviet republics in the near future. After his second M.A. program, he plans to move onward to the PhD program in History at NYU.
Jacob Stock is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. He receivec his B.A. in Economics from Saint John's University (MN) where he focused his research in European labor markets, development, and environmental economics. While at SJU, Jacob participated in two semester study abroad programs: one in Cannes, France, and another in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. He has also spent two summer semesters at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Following graduation from SJU, Jacob spent six months in France studying at the University of Grenoble, working on a farm in Normandy, and interning at a winery in Southern Burgundy. With "Frexit" looming over the far left and right in France, Jacob is increasingly interested in the cross split between the North and South, and East and West of Europe, and how a fluid labor market and an increasing number of refugees will impact the structure of the EU. Jacob's other interests include WWI, reading about American international relations, baseball, and enjoying any one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes.
2017-2018 M.A. Students
Hannah Beckler is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. She earned her undergraduate degree in Humanities from the University of Colorado Boulder with emphasis in comparative literatures and foreign languages. Her academic and professional interests include examining shifting identities in the Mediterranean region and their interplay with traditional norms and culture.
Emily Edwards is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She received her B.A. in History from Loyola University of New Orleans where she focused her research on the intersection of culture and identity-formation through an analysis of the production and significance of cultural texts such as folk music, film, and other medias in both an American and Middle-Eastern context. While at Loyola, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant studying the American folk musician Woody Guthrie, the topic of her senior thesis. She is concerned with the negotiation of identity and power through various cultural forms. Emily’s current research interests include gender, migration, and identity-formation as related to the diasporic condition, specifically the way in which female members of diaspora communities define themselves politically and culturally within European landscapes.
Paul Elliott is a US Army Major, and is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. He obtained a Bachelor Degree in Political Science from Armstrong State University in 2007. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, he earned his commission into the Ordnance Corps of the US Army, and is currently enjoying his 18th year of service. As a newly minted Foreign Area Officer, he completed Greek language training at the Defense Language Institute in August 2017, and will conduct language immersion/in region training in Europe following graduation from NYU. He has both combat and peacekeeping experience in the Middle East and southwest Asia, as well as operational experience with coalition partners from all over the world. He is a husband, and a proud father of 1.5 year old Evelyn.
Noëlie Frix is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She obtained Bachelor Degrees in European History and Political Science from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in 2015, where she also completed her M.A. in Political Science in 2016. Originally from Belgium, she is fluent in French and English, conversational in Spanish, and is currently learning German and Russian. Her M.A. thesis focused on the historical and current relations between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, along with the cultural and historical ties that bind Russia and Ukraine, and examined how these factors affected and contributed to the Ukraine Crisis of 2014. This sparked her desire to complete more thorough research on the diplomatic history of Ukrainian and Russian relations. Imperial Russia and Russia’s Secret Police, as well as World War II-era Germany, are among additional subjects of academic interest to Noëlie. In her downtime, she enjoys indoor rock climbing and creative writing, which led her to self-publish a teen fantasy novel in 2015.
Mara Lasky earned an MA in European and Mediterranean Studies at NYU in 2018. She holds a B.A. Honors in French and Francophone Studies from UCLA as well. Her research interests include French and Mediterranean studies, migration and diaspora studies, cultural memory, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and critical and social theory. As of Fall 2022, Mara is pursuing a PhD in Cultural Anthropology at the Graduate Center, CUNY.
Margaret Miller is a master’s student in the European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She is from St. Louis, MO and earned her undergraduate degree in Anthropology and History with a Religion minor from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. During her undergraduate degree, Margaret participated in several study abroad programs, as well as interned at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. Following graduation, Margaret taught English in the Czech Republic. Her primary research interests include the history and culture of Central Europe from the l9th century to the present.
Tim O'Donnell is enrolled in the joint master’s degree program in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. He earned his undergraduate degree in history from Occidental College in Los Angeles. Much of his academic work centered on nationalist movements in 19th and 20th century Europe, including his undergraduate thesis on the rise of the Irish nationalist movement in the 1840s. Tim studied abroad in Ireland, New Zealand, and Italy during his undergraduate career. He is primarily interested in how media affected, and continues to affect, the formation of distinct national identities, in Europe and around the globe, throughout history.
Anna Pazos is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. Originally from Barcelona, Spain, she received a B.A. in Journalism in 2014. She has lived in Barcelona, Thessaloniki and Jerusalem, and covered current events in Turkey and Kazakhstan. She’s interested in audiovisual narratives: she coordinated film workshops in Greece’s refugee camps, and in 2016 she took part in a round-the-world sailing film project. Most recently, she worked as a writer at PlayGround, a Spain-based magazine. Her freelance work has appeared in El País, La Vanguardia, The Jerusalem Post, Vice and others. She speaks Spanish, Catalan, Greek and French.
Tahmina Salmanova is pursuing a master’s degree in European and Mediterranean Studies at NYU. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, where she focused her coursework on the fields of Quantitative Analysis in Politics and Democratization, Economics and International Finance, and International Relations. Through her master's studies, Tahmina intends to gain a deeper comprehension of international relations and the economy. Her current research interests include distinct effects of globalization, causal mechanisms behind war, and interstate peacekeeping. Tahmina speaks English, Russian, Azerbaijani, and Turkish.
Jessa Sinott is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine. She focused her studies on cultures with a history of ethnic conflict and violence. As an undergraduate she studied abroad in Berlin and Utrecht, where she studied European history and politics. Her research interests include the anthropology of genocide, comparative genocide, transgenerational trauma, collective identity, and the politics of memory. After completing her studies at NYU she plans to pursue a PhD in Holocaust and genocide studies.
Alice Wu is enrolled in the European and Mediterranean Studies master’s degree program. She is originally from Southern California and received her Bachelor of Arts in History from California State University, Fullerton. She holds an additional Masters of Science, Library and Information Science from SUNY, University at Buffalo. Her primary interests are British Victorian history, particularly, societal, cultural and gender history during that period. Her most recent research focused on the British compulsory education system, its establishment, and the impact that the establishment of a compulsory education system had in the reinforcement of a national British identity during the Victorian period. After graduating from the program, she will be pursuing a PhD in history.
Joseph Zeballos-Roig is enrolled in the joint M.A. program in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. He earned a B.S. from Florida State University, where he studied international affairs and media and communication studies. At FSU, Joseph spent a semester in London and traveled throughout Europe to absorb its history and culture, deepening his interest in France. While overseas, his writing was published in The Guardian and USA Today College. He later reported for Tallahassee Magazine and his local NPR-affiliate WFSU News, where he covered local news, state politics and culture. Joseph is also a proud alum of The New York Times Student Journalism Institute. His academic interests include the role of nationalism in European politics, the dynamics of U.S. and E.U. foreign policy and analyzing the political and cultural effects of European conflicts.
2016—2017 M.A. Students
Kelly Davis is pursuing a master’s degree in European and Mediterranean Studies in completion of the BA/MA program at NYU. As an undergraduate she minored in German and studied abroad in Berlin, Paris and Dublin, where she studied cultural identity and national narrative. She has a number of different passions that have led her to grasp an understanding of environmental and social issues and fueled her role in student activism on NYU’s campus. Her other intellectual passions are reflected in her undergraduate thesis on perceptions of guns and security in Ireland and Germany, and her desire to pursue research on community gardens in Berlin. With her Master’s she aims to explore the accessibility and promise of higher education in Europe as well as increase her expertise in understanding the structure and impact of grassroots organizing. Through these topics, she hopes to foster a developing interest in transatlantic relations on both policy and community organizing levels.
David Eichert is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. Originally from Northern California, he graduated with university honors from Brigham Young University, where he double-majored in Political Science and French Studies. His honors thesis took him to Belgium, where he was privileged to research European separatist party politics with the European Free Alliance. Furthermore, after graduation he interned at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society under Professor Jonathan Zittrain, and studied international human rights law at the Riga Graduate School of Law in Latvia. He has spent a considerable amount of time living & working in Francophone Europe and thinks that Belgian waffles and fries are better than French baguettes, but just barely. David's research interests include Europe's overlapping legal regimes, genocide studies, and human rights promotion (including the rights of historically oppressed ethnic groups, minority religions, and LGBTQ+ people). After completing his studies at NYU, David plans to enroll in a joint JD-PhD program and study international human rights law.
Daniel Hoffman is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. He holds a B.A and M.A. in Journalism from Sciences Po Paris. Fluent in French, English and Hebrew, he has lived in Paris, Washington D.C. and Jerusalem. Most recently, while in Israel, he served as editor-in-chief of Haaretz’s French-speaking culture and lifestyle magazine, Essence. His freelance work has appeared in La Vie, Le Parisien, RTL and RTL-TVI. His academic interests include religious trends in the Middle East, the history of Jerusalem, and various aspects of modern Israeli society.
Alec Newell is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS. He received a B.A. in History from Bard College in 2015. He specialized in early 20th century British cultural history, focusing his research on the impact of the First World War on the English modernist art movement, Vorticism. While studying at Bard College, Alec also acted as a history and writing tutor in the Bard Prison Initiative program, aiding incarcerated students in working towards an Associates or Bachelors degree. In the future, he intends to continue studying the dynamics between pop culture and visual art in post World War I England.
Simone Somekh is enrolled in the joint M.A. program in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. Born and raised in Italy, he has pursued a B.A. at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, Israel. He’s worked with publications based in Milan, Jerusalem, New York, Tokyo, and Berlin, covering a wide range of topics. His byline has appeared in Wired Italy, Jerusalem Post, The Forward and many more. He is currently working on his thesis on Arab-Israeli start-ups in Israel.
Alexander Vlachakis is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. He worked on issues of trans femininity as part of his Sociology Master's at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris. Originally from Greece, he moved to Paris in 2012 and graduated from the University of ParisSorbonne where he received a B.A in English with a minor in General Linguistics. He speaks French and Greek fluently and has been occasionally working as a language assistant for immigrants in Athens and Paris. Over the past two years, he was briefly involved in several initiatives concerning reception and housing of refugees in Europe a subject he wishes to work on as part of his graduate studies in Journalism at NYU.
Kyle Walker hails from the dusty lands of the Rio Grande valley and calls Albuquerque, New Mexico home. He left at 18 to study physics and philosophy at the University of Tulsa, but the most important thing he learned at the university was how to dance. This came in handy when, studying abroad in Vienna, he attended a ball at the former winter palace of the Habsburgs. Now, Kyle is pursuing the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterreanean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. The former editor in chief of his college newspaper, he has also written for the Overseas Press Club Bulletin, the Bigheart Times, and This Land magazine. Despite the many challenges of standing six feet and seven inches tall, Kyle still makes time for dancing and playing the accordion. His interests include the politics of European integration; international law and criminal justice; poetry, literature, and the arts; and the modern-day fallout of erstwhile European empires.
2015—2016 M.A. Students
Anna Bokun is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Chicago. After graduation, she has worked as a Research Fellow at the Illinois State Board of Education, analyzing data pertaining to school districts and education legislation. She has also studied at La Fundación José Ortega y Gasset in Toledo, Spain, where she gained interest in European cultural identity. Her research interests include post-communist divergence, border creation, and collective memory in Central and Eastern Europe. On a grander scale, she is curious about the relationship between revolution and power, most notably in the Russian Revolution and early 20th century movements.
Laura Bright is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS, with a concentration in European Politics and Policy. She attended Texas State University as a recipient of the Terry Foundation Scholarship, earning a B.A. in International Studies with a European focus and a minor in Spanish and Honors Studies. Her passion for European history led her to attend the University of Leeds and travel extensively throughout the United Kingdom studying medieval history. Laura also spent time in France conducting research to determine the exact position from which Claude Monet observed the landscape painted in The Cliff, Étretat, Sunset, using it to calculate the date and time of the scene depicted. Her research team’s work was published in multiple scholarly journals and respected sources worldwide. Her academic interests include cultural policy and diplomacy, as well as the interrelationship between politics and cultural institutions.
Amanda Carter is enrolled in the European Policy and Politics master’s program at CEMS. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University in International Relations with a concentration in International Organizations and a regional Europe track. She spent part of her junior year in Geneva, Switzerland studying international organizations and international law. While in Geneva, she also held a position at an NGO, Global Social Observatory, for which she attended and reported on the meetings of the ILO, the UNHRC and the WTO. Having a passion for women’s studies coupled with extensive European travel, she was inspired to write a research paper on the effects of the European integration on the proliferation of human trafficking and impunity of traffickers. Since graduation, Amanda has been working as an International Program Manager at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Her current academic research interests include European integration and its impact on social structure, international law, and governance of marginalized groups in the EU.
Jesse Coburn is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University. He has also studied at the Freie Universität Berlin, where he conducted research on the spatial politics of Cold War Berlin on a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). His writing has appeared in Time Out New York, PIN—UP, and Stadtaspekte. Jesse is an editor-at-large at the German architecture magazine ARCH+, where he previously served as an assistant editor. His research interests include mass housing and urban peripheries, border disputes in recent European history, and informal and disruptive practices in cities.
Amanda Islambouli is pursuing a master’s degree at CEMS, in her final year of NYU’s accelerated BA/MA program, and received her undergraduate degree in Global Liberal Studies, with a concentration in Politics, Rights, and Development. She minored in both French and Arabic/Middle-Eastern studies, and wrote her undergraduate thesis on the Syrian refugee crisis response in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan. She also spent her junior year living in Paris, taking classes at NYU Paris and Sciences Po, during which time she traveled to Lebanon to conduct research for her thesis. She is a volunteer interpreter working with refugees at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and is also a member of the NGO Committee on Migration at the United Nations, where she works mainly on migrant children rights. Her academic interests include supranational governmental bodies, humanitarian studies, and foreign relations.
Jon Meyer is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. He holds a B.A. in European and Mediterranean Studies and Political Science from New York University. During this time, he studied abroad in Germany and interned with the American Friends of Bucerius, an organization that works closely with other German-American institutions to bring awareness to transatlantic issues. His undergraduate research focused on the preservation of degenerate art during World War II, illustrating the dynamics between the enforcement of cultural policies and weaknesses of the Nazi regime. Jon’s current interests explore German politics, minority groups in Germany, cultural schisms between East and West Europe, and the use of visual arts as political statements.
Qiyao Pan is enrolled in the European and Mediterranean Studies master’s program at CEMS. She received her B.A. in Romanian Language and Literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University in China. She has also studied at the University of Bucharest and has extensive travel experience in Europe. Her primary research involves Holocaust in Romania during the Second World War. Her other research interests include European culture studies, modern European history, and cross-cultural studies. After completing her M.A. degree, Qiyao will pursue a PhD in History.
Carol Schaeffer is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. She earned a B.A. in History of Art from Whitman College and an M.A. also in Art History at University College London. An ardent linguist, she speaks fluent French after living in Paris as well as German and smatterings of some Slavic languages. Following her M.A., she travelled throughout much of Europe. She began moving towards journalism following her travels, as she freelanced on issues relating to policing in the US. She is interested in policing, human rights and the region vaguely mapped as east of Berlin.
Katherine Whittaker is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. She earned a B.A. in English and Spanish with a minor in art at Elon University. During this time she studied abroad in Peru, India, and Argentina. After graduating, she was hired to teach English and work in a dormitory in Thessaloniki, Greece. Katie has been published in the Susquehanna Review; she has also written numerous articles for art organizations in Philadelphia. She is interested in issues of art and public and collective memory in the Mediterranean, and the way art is used as a vehicle for social change.
2014—2015 M.A. Students
Nicholas Beck is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS. He is an active duty Army officer with over 13 years of professional experience. His past assignments include a one-year tour of duty in the Republic of Korea, two deployments to Iraq at both the tactical and strategic levels, and most recently, a year of professional training at the US Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Nicholas has extensive travel experience in Europe, having visited 24 countries there in both official and unofficial capacities. His academic research interests include the influence of Catholic culture on European society, as well as the role of religion in the secular public sphere. Upon completion of the CEMS M.A. program, Nicholas will be assigned to the United States Embassy in London.
Jesse Coburn is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University. He has also studied at the Freie Universität Berlin, where he conducted research on the spatial politics of Cold War Berlin on a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). His writing has appeared in Time Out New York, PIN—UP, and Stadtaspekte. Jesse is an editor-at-large at the German architecture magazine ARCH+, where he previously served as an assistant editor. His research interests include mass housing and urban peripheries, border disputes in recent European history, and informal and disruptive practices in cities.
Meichen (Paris) Liu received a joint bachelor’s degree in English and Finance from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou, China. She taught English in Poland and travelled extensively in Europe during her senior year in college. She is now a graduate student in the joint program of Journalism/European and Mediterranean studies, where she expects to receive her master's degree in 2015. Her primary research interests involve the interactions between Europe and Asia, and especially those that have emerged during the past century. She has a particular interest in the history of European Jewry during the Holocaust, and is currently studying the effects of Jewish immigration to Shanghai during World War II on more recent interactions between China and Europe.
Mary Rogers-Szolc is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS, with a concentration in European Culture and Society. She holds a B.A. in French and German from the University of Oklahoma. She spent part of her sophomore year studying archeology in Oxford, England where she gained interest in the effects of cultural identity through European colonization. She also studied European languages and literature in Stuttgart, Germany and traveled extensively throughout Europe as a junior. Her academic interests include globalization, nationalism, law, and cultural identity in Western Europe, particularly in Germany. After completing her M.A. degree, Mary will pursue a law degree.
Adrija Roychowdhury is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS. She holds a Bachelors degree in History from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Modern Indian History from Department of History, Delhi University. Most of her research papers during undergraduate and postgraduate years have focused upon European colonization of India and the ripples they have left behind. Her current research interests include European cohabitation in India over 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and the kind of multicultural space created by them, focusing mainly on the Armenian, Portuguese, Scottish and British settlements.
Kavitha Surana holds a B.A. in Modern European History from Columbia University. She is currently pursuing the two-year Global and Joint Program Studies degree with the Center for European and Mediterranean Studies and the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Over summer 2014 she interned in the print and TV departments of The Associated Press' Rome bureau, where her work was published in The Guardian, Washington Post, Businessweek, ABC and Euronews, among others. During her time at CEMS she has also interned at CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS and Storyhunter.tv, a video journalism startup. She is currently the co-editor of Europe·NYC, the monthly newsletter of The New York Consortium for European Studies. Her academic interests include E.U. institutions; governance & regulations; and comparative capitalism, labor markets & welfare state research, with a special focus on Southern Europe. On the journalism side, she specializes in multimedia storytelling.
Athanasios G Taskas is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies program at CEMS, with a concentration in European Culture and Society. He holds a B.A. in history from Michigan State University, where his undergraduate research focused on modern European Culture and Migration, European Nationalism, and the history of modern Hellas. His primary research interests include the Macedonian Question, nation-building in the Balkan Peninsula, Transnationalism and Diaspora Studies tied to the Macedonian Issue, and Cultural Identity in the Balkans.
Emily C. Tchir is enrolled in the Master in European and Mediterranean Studies at CEMS, with a concentration in European Culture and Society. She earned two bachelor's degrees from Pace University, the first being in Adolescent Education with a concentration in Social Studies, and the second being in History. She spent her undergraduate years as a student researcher and utilized her thesis to focused upon Elizabethan Era educational systems for the everyday people and how it formed the strong English nationalism. Her research on the achievement gap in two Hudson Valley Communities was published in the academic journal, Afro-Americans in New York Life and History in 2013. Additionally her student teaching was spent focusing on European History in both middle and high school. Her strong cultural and familial ties to Poland led her to attend Jagiellonian University in Krakow in a summer program where she studied Polish language, literature and history. Her research focus is in Polish history and the formation of it's cultural identity between the time periods of World War I and World War II. Her strong interests in individual European countries and the evolving EU drive her love to travel and gain cultural appreciation for individual nations.
Katherine Whittaker is enrolled in the joint Master in Journalism and European and Mediterranean Studies at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and CEMS. She earned a B.A. in English and Spanish with a minor in art at Elon University. During this time she studied abroad in Peru, India, and Argentina. After graduating, she was hired to teach English and work in a dormitory in Thessaloniki, Greece. Katie has been published in the Susquehanna Review; she has also written numerous articles for art organizations in Philadelphia. She is interested in issues of art and public and collective memory in the Mediterranean, and the way art is used as a vehicle for social change.