Executive Officers | Senators

Executive Officers

Ben Schmidt - President
Benjamin Schmidt is a dual-degree Master’s candidate at the School of International Service and at the Kogod School of Business at American University where he studies U.S. Foreign Policy and Finance.  His focus is on the energy security and political climate of Russia, as well as the Russian language.  Ben is from Madison, Wisconsin and in 2004 he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a B.A. in Spanish.  He has traveled extensively throughout Europe, spent time in both Russia and China, and spent the winter of 2006 as a snowcat operator on Vail Mountain in Colorado.

Will Meeker - Vice President
William is a second year M.A. Candidate in International Peace and Conflict Resolution with a focus on Peacebuilding and Development. He has worked as a paralegal, a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and as a program implementation intern with a Ugandan NGO.  He is particularly interested in the Great Lakes region of Africa and furthered this interest last summer while interning and conducting research concerning the reintegration of formerly abducted persons in northern Uganda. He hopes to make a career with the U.S. Government or a multilateral organization.  William enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, exercising and learning about things both interesting and mundane. William looks forward to working to improve the SIS experience for the student body during the upcoming year.

LaChelle Amos - Treasurer
LaChelle Amos is a second year Master’s candidate in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.  Her focus is on human rights and refugee/migration issues.  During her first year at American University, she served on the Graduate Student Council Networking Committee.  Her work experience includes human rights consulting for a small non-profit organization and business sales support at a large corporation, in addition to other positions.  In 2002, she received a B.A. in International Studies and a B.A. in German from Colorado State University with cum laude honors.  Having grown up in Colorado, she enjoys hiking and snow boarding.  She also enjoys traveling and spending quality time with friends.

Heather Broberg - Secretary
Heather Broberg is a dual-degree Master’s candidate at the School of International Service and at the Kogod School of Business at American University where she studies International Communication and International Business. She is from Boston, Massachusetts and is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan. In 2003, she graduated from Boston College where she received her B.A. in German Studies and Economics. She was a 2003 -2004 Fulbright recipient to Mainz, Germany. She speaks fluent German and has spent time both studying and working in Germany. She is a 2003 Munich Oktoberfest veteran. Heather enjoys traveling, party planning, learning new German words and watching the Red Sox beat the Yankees at Fenway Park.

---

Senators

Comparative and Regional Studies

Shannon Leary
After completing her Bachelor's degree in Sociology at the University of Delaware, Shannon moved to Washington and began the Comparative and Regional Studies Master's program at SIS.  Currently in her second year of CRS, she is interning at the Department of State, and hopes to work on U.S.-Latin American relations after graduation.  In the meantime, she is very excited to serve as the 2007-2008 CRS Senator.

Global Environmental Politics

Larke Williams
Larke completed her undergraduate degree in 2003 at the University of California, San Diego where she majored in Chemical Engineering. Since then, she has worked at a variety of jobs from polymer engineering, technical writer, environmental engineer, and most recently as an English teacher in China. She has also volunteered as an associate producer for the Artvisits Film Festival in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. She is currently a first year Master's candidate in Global Environmental Politics at SIS and is interested in the air pollution of China. When Larke is not busy interning at the Department of Commerce or studying in the Mudbox, she enjoys trail running and swimming. Her aspiration is to complete a triathlon before she graduates.

International Communications

Kate Bartosik
Kate Bartosik is in her second year as a Master’s Candidate in the International Communication Program.  She spent the summer working as a Communication Assistant in the Grassroots Department of the National Association of Realtors and relearning how to speak french at Alliance Francaise.  She is always looking for a French conversation partner, but you must promise not to laugh at her grammatical mistakes!  Kate is from Michigan, where she received her bachelors’ degrees in Communication and International Relations from Michigan State University.  Kate especially enjoys things in D.C. for $5 such as the Amsterdam Falafelshop, shoe shops in Chinatown, Nat’s games and searching for novels with kitschy cover art at used book stores.

International Economic Relations

Elizabeth Diebold
Elizabeth Diebold is a first year M.A. candidate in International Economic Relations with a focus in International Business. She earned her B.A. in English, Peace Studies and Women's Studies from the University of Missouri in 2004. Elizabeth completed fellowships in the Hague, Netherlands and Berlin, Germany concentrating on international mediation and conflict resolution and international human rights, respectively. She has also worked as an English instructor throughout Spain and is currently interning for a company in microfinance and microenterprise. Elizabeth is a go-getter from Kansas City, Missouri and loves learning, traveling, and competing.

International Development

Rachel Gordon
Rachel Gordon is first year M.A. Candidate in the International Development Program with a focus on development economics.  Although originally from Maryland, Rachel spent the last six years living in Boston, MA where she completed her B.S. in International Business, Marketing and Accounting from Northeastern University.  During this time she spent a year living in Spain studying at ICADE.  Currently, Rachel works as an auditor specializing in financial service audits and, in her spare time, enjoys teaching ballroom dancing and training for marathons.

International Peace and Conflict Resolution

Shezaad Dastoor
Senator Shezaad Dastoor is a second year Masters candidate in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. His focus is on Negotiation and Post-Conflict Reconstruction. He worked at the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy as a peacebuilding program officer concentrating on South Asia. He is an International student and received his B.A. in Political Science from St Xavier's College of Mumbai, India. He enjoys cooking, cricket, problem solving and learning Persian. Shezaad is looking forward to working with the IPCR community in maintaining the high standards of the program and of SIS itself.

International Politics

Miguel Vieira
Senator Miguel Vieira is a first year Master’s candidate in International Politics with interests in ethnic conflict, state violence, and American Foreign Policy.  He has coordinated successful political campaigns in New Jersey, and in 2005 received his B.A. in History and Political Science from Rutgers University. Miguel hopes to become a foreign policy advisor to a Senator, or work as part of a National Security team in the White House. Having witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center and London metro firsthand, he is also very interested in exploring the social, cultural, and political roots of modern non-state terrorism in the Arab world. Miguel is an avid cook, writer, and traveler, and has played in several bands throughout his life. He currently works on Capitol Hill and looks forward to improving the academic and recreational experience of his fellow students at SIS.

U.S. Foreign Policy

Jenn Zewin
Jenn is a second-year Master's candidate in U.S. Foreign Policy, where she is focusing on the Middle East and security issues.  She was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She received her B.A. in philosophy and political science from Seattle University. Jenn is currently serving as a research assistant to Professor Weinberger. In her free time Jenn enjoys traveling, reading, watching good movies, and dancing to 80s music.

E-mail the GSC: sisgsc@gmail.com

Back to the Top of Page