Director, Justice Programs Office

Caroline Cooper has been involved with the provision of technical assistance, evaluation, and training services to courts and other adjudication system agencies engaged in judicial improvement efforts. She has also been a practicing attorney, an assi... [More]

Associate Director, Justice Programs Office

Joseph Trotter, an attorney, is a Research Professor on the faculty of American University's School of Public Affairs, and is the founder, in 1989, and associate director of SPA's Justice Programs Office. He received a BS in International Relations f... [More]

Technical Assistance Specialist, Justice Program Office, Spa

Steven Collins is a Technical Assistance Specialist for the Justice Programs Office. Prior to joining the JPO he worked as an Intern Investigator for the Public Defenders Service for the District of Columbia. Steve has a B.A. in Political Science fro... [More]

Technical Assistance Specialist

Tenzing Lahdon Graduated with M.S degree in Criminal Justice (Justice, Law and Society Program) from American University and has received her bachelors in International Business Management from Luther College. She works primarily on the JPO’s Drug Co... [More]

Office Coordinator

Heather Smith is a Program Specialist for the Justice Programs Office. Prior to joining JPO she worked for the Department of Justice as an Office Services Assistant. Heather has a B.A. in Anthropology from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. In ... [More]

Budget Officer

Technical Assistance Specialist

Stephen Welker is a Technical Assistance Specialist for the Justice Programs Office. Prior to joining the JPO he worked as a Marshal’s Aide at the US Supreme Court. Steve has a BA in Government from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and is currently a... [More]

Carlo Fiorio is currently a freshman at American University and is majoring in International Studies with a minor in Cinema Studies and International Business. At the Justice Program Office, he contributes mainly to the Drug Court and Criminal Courts... [More]

Brent Franklin is a graduate assistant working with the JPO on drug court research and, specifically, the application of drug court structures in international settings. He is currently a first year student in the Masters in Public Policy program at ... [More]

John D. Mateus is a Master of International Affairs Candidate at the School of International Service focusing on U.S. foreign policy issues in the Europe/Eurasia region.In May 2008, John graduated from Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island w... [More]

Part Time Staff

I am a research assistant at the Justice Programs Office. I graduated from the University of Miami in 2010 with a major in political science. I formerly interned for two summers at the DC Public Defender Services as an intern investigator. I also int... [More]

Part Time Staff

Vanessa is a student research assistant at the Justice Programs Office. Originally from Cameroon, Vanessa is currently a junior and majors in Business and International Studies in the Kogod School of Business at American University. Before working in... [More]

Jun Li Zhong is a student research assistant at the JPO. She is currently an undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a specialization in International Business, and a minor in Chinese. She is an optimist fr... [More]