People
CENTER LEADERS
Katrina Powell
Center Director
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing
Brett Shadle
Associate Director of Outreach
Professor and Chair of History
Rebecca Hester
Associate Director of Education
Assistant Professor in Science, Technology, and Society
Georgeta Pourchot
Center Co-Founder and Liason
Associate Director of the Center for European Union, Transatlantic, and Trans-European Space Studies
CENTER TEAM
Deirdre Hand
Community Engagement Specialist
Marianne Hawthorne
Office Administrator
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS AND INTERNS
Graduate Research Assistants
Lois Nguyen, Science, Technology, and Society PhD CRMDS GRA — (Fall 2021 - present)
Molly Todd, ASPECT PhD NEH/SSRC GRA — (Summer 2021, Summer 2022 - present)
Margaret Webb, Engineering Education PhD ACLS/4VA GRA — (Summer 2022 - present)
Interns
Christeanna Williams — ACLS Digital Justice Grant Intern (Fall 2022 - present)
Ashlyn East — ACLS Digital Justice Grant Intern (Fall 2022 - present)
Chris Jayasinghe — ACLS Digital Justice Grant Intern (Fall 2022 - present)
Eric Kim — 4VA Digital Justice Grant Intern (Fall 2022 - present)
Aida Shakeri — Elimisha Kakuma (Fall 2022 - present)
Maha Shoaib — Elimisha Kakuma Intern (Fall 2022 - present)
Sara Tamirat — Elimisha Kakuma Intern (Fall 2022 - present)
GRA and Intern Alumni
Reagan Price, Policy and Governance (Summer 2022)
Jonathan Kobongo, English (Fall 2021)
Ashley Canter, University of Massachusetts — VCRMDS Survey (Summer 2021)
Ke Hu, Science, Technology, and Society — In Place (Summer 2021)
Katherine Randall, English (2020-2021)
Leslie Robertson Foncette, Sociology — TAPPR Grant Proposal (Summer 2021, Summer 2022)
Zuleka Woods, Institute for Policy and Governance — Roots and Resettlement (Summer 2021, Summer 2022)
Grace Cutsinger — In Place Podcast (Summer 2021)
Deepa Gajulapalli — In Place Podcast (Summer 2021)
Julia Greenman — Elimisha Kakuma (Fall 2020 - Spring 2022)
Mackenzie Williams — Elimisha Kakuma (Fall 2020 - Spring 2022)
AFFILIATED FACULTY & STAFF
College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Faculty
Andrea Baldwin, Sociology
Sweta Baniya, English
Shannon Bell, Sociology
Daniel Breslau, Science, Technology, and Society (Advisory Board Emeritus)
Katie Carmichael, Linguistics/English
Sam Cook, American Indian Studies/Sociology
Nick Copeland, History
Amanda Demmer, History
Carmen Gitre, History
Ellington Graves, Africana Studies and Strategic Affairs
Saul Halfon, Science, Technology, and Society (Advisory Board)
Anthony Kwame Harrision, Sociology and Africana Studies
James Hawdon, Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention/Sociology
Mae Hey, American Indian Studies/Strategic Affairs
Cana Itchuaqiyak, English
Sylvester Johnson, Center for Humanities, Religion and Culture
Jennifer Lawrence, Political Science
Shaila Mehra, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Deborah Milly, Political Science
Wornie Reed, Center for Race and Social Policy
Audrey Reeves, Political Science
Emily Satterwhite, Religion and Culture
Nadine Sinno, Arabic, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
Yannis Stivachtis, Political Science/International Relations
Jessica Taylor, History
Pamela Teaster, Center for Gerontology
Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq, English
Edward Weisband, Political Science
LaDale Winling, History
Laura Zanotti, Political Science
Bonnie Zare, Women’s and Gender Studies
College of Architecture and Urban Studies Faculty
Ariel Ahram, School of Public and International Affairs
C.L. Bohannon, Architecture and Design
Mehrzad Bouroujerdi, School of Public and International Affairs
Terry Clements, Architecture
Jake Keyel, Institute for Policy and Governance
Susan Piedmont-Palladino, Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center
Max Stephenson, Institute for Policy and Governance (Advisory Board)
Gerard Toal, School of Public and International Affairs
Sharone Tomer, Architecture
Rachel Weaver, School of Visual Arts
Raymond Zuniga, CPAP
College of Engineering Faculty
Mel Jones, Center for Housing Research
Theadore Koebel, Center for Housing Research
Freddy Paige, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Marie Paretti, Engineering Education
College of Natural Resources and Environment Faculty
Anamaria Bukvic, Geography
Lynn Resler, Geography
Pamplin College of Business Faculty
Eli Jamieson, Management
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Faculty
David Trinkle, MD, Associate Dean for Community and Culture
ADVISORY BOARD
The Advisory Board of the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies provides the center with essential support and guidance.
Laura Belmonte, a professor of history, is also dean of the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Guru Ghosh is vice president for outreach and international affairs at Virginia Tech.
Karen Roberto is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and the director of the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment at Virginia Tech.
Michele Deramo is the assistant provost for diversity education at Virginia Tech.
Saul Halfon is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Science, Technology, and Society at Virginia Tech.
Farida Jalalzai, a professor of political science, is also the associate dean for global initiatives and engagement in the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Max Stephenson is a professor of urban affairs and planning and the director of the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance.
Rebecca Weaver-Hightower is a professor of English and chair of the Department of English at Virginia Tech.
ADVISORY BOARD EMERITUS
Daniel Breslau is an associate professor in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society at Virginia Tech.