Executive Officers

Megan McCune, President

Megan McCune - President
Megan McCune is currently a second year student in AU's International Politics (IP) program at SIS. Her substantive area of study is Human Rights with an Africa regional focus. An Oklahoma native, Megan enjoys adventure travel, fattening up her friends with her baking prowess, reading, music, art, languages, wine, lively debate, and crazy DC nights filled with dancing. Megan graduated with Honors in Communications/Spanish with International Studies from the University of Tulsa in 2007. Recently, Megan has worked with Domestic Violence Intervention Services/Call Rape in Tulsa, Oklahoma (2006-2007); HakiElimu, Inc. in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2006) on East African human rights and education advocacy; with Animus Association in Sofia, Bulgaria (2007) on Eastern European anti-human trafficking initiatives; and with the Crisis Prevention & Response/Government Relations section of Amnesty International USA in Washington DC (2007-2008). To contact Megan directly, please email her at mccune.megan@gmail.com.

Caitlin Potratz, Vice President

Caitlin Potratz - Vice President
Caitlin Potratz is in her second year at American University. She is enrolled in the JD/MA dual degree program in Law and International Affairs. Her concentration within International Politics (IP) is International Security. In her first year at SIS, Caitlin served as the graduate student representative on the SIS Rank and Tenure Committee from 2007-08. Caitlin worked her spring semester as a program associate for the Henry L. Stimson Center's Security for a New Century Study Group. This past summer, she worked as a public policy analyst for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP. Before coming to D.C., Caitlin received an A.B in Government-IR from Dartmouth College in 2007. At Dartmouth, she wrote an honors thesis on anti-Americanism and changing foreign public opinion towards the United States. She also studied abroad in the U.K. at the London School of Economics in 2005, and in Toulouse, France at the Université de Mirail in 2006. She is proficient in both Spanish and French. Previously, Caitlin worked with the State Department at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid in 2006 and for Congressman Lloyd Doggett in Austin, Texas in 2007. Caitlin is currently training for the US Marine Corps Marathon and is running with the charity, Asha for Education. She also enjoys sailing, hiking/camping, photography, and cooking.

Alex Kapitanskaya, Treasurer

Alex Kapitanskaya - Treasurer
Alex Kapitanskaya is a first year graduate student in the International Politics program. Alex graduated from the St. Petersburg State University with a degree in Political Science and Comparative Politics. Fluent in Russian, English and French, Alex currently works for the Global Public Media and Internet Freedom Project as a researcher of Russian online citizen media and civil society development initiatives.

Alex Kizer, Communications Coordinator

Alex Kizer - Communications Coordinator
Alex Kizer is in his second year studying International Politics with a focus on international security and energy policy. Alex graduated from Ohio University with a degree in public administration and currently works as a staff writer and project manager for the Organization for International Cooperation (OIC), as well as a freelance writer for the Energy Seeds Blog and AARP The Magazine.