Violence & Identity Lab

Lab Manager

Caitlin Williams

I am a junior at Emory University, double majoring in Political Science and Economics. I spent this summer as an international elections observation intern with the democracy program at The Carter Center, supporting international election observation missions. I am involved in various campus organizations, including being president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, vice president of sustainability for the Residence Hall Association, an editor for the Emory Economics Review, and a member of Break Free from Plastic Task Force.

Research Assistant

Maryam Ahmed

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Research Assistant

Katya Burklin

Katya is an undergraduate student studying political science whose interests focus on security studies, counterterrorism, and the intersection of ideology and political violence. Her honors research examines the effectiveness of U.S. counterterrorism strategies, particularly leadership decapitation, and its impact on the operational capacity, survival, and attack patterns of jihadist organizations. However, she is also interested in broader questions of how religious and racial language influences predispositions toward violence across traditions.

Research Assistant

Olivia Chamorro

I am a junior studying Political Science and Economics. My academic interests include criminal justice and economic policy as a means of advancing social justice. This past summer, I interned at Clark Smith Villazor LLP, where I conducted legal research and supported attorneys in both criminal defense and regulatory enforcement matters. After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in law, particularly in criminal defense or civil rights litigation.

Research Assistant

Piper Domsch

Piper Domsch is a second-year student studying Quantitative Sciences on a History track, with a minor in Public Policy Analysis. Outside of research, Piper is involved in policy advocacy through Sunrise Emory and Emory Young Dems. After Emory, she hopes to pursue further education in history, public policy, and/or law.

Research Assistant

Conor Feldman

I am a third-year student at Emory University from Westchester, New York, on the pre-law track, double-majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. I compete for Emory’s debate team and serve as the Vice President of the Jewish life fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. I am interested in constitutional law and civil rights, and I am excited to work with the Violence and Identity Lab this semester.

Research Assistant

Harry Lonergan

Harry Lonergan is a third-year undergraduate student from Cambridge, MA double majoring in International Studies and Spanish at Emory University. His interests center on public policy, with a specific focus on the implementation of political theory. This past summer, Harry worked for O'Neill and Associates, a governmental relations firm in Boston, MA and helped manage a local campaign for Cambridge City Council. At Emory, he is a member of the Franklin Fellows Program in Democracy and Citizenship and serves on the Student Programming Council. After college, he hopes to continue his education in public policy or law.

Research Assistant

Kaitlyn Llerena

Kaitlyn Llerena is a senior at Emory University, double majoring in Political Science and Psychology, with a focus on law and human rights. In the past, she has served as a Legal Advocate at Partnership Against Domestic Violence and as a Human Rights Research Intern at L’Osservatorio in Italy, where she authored reports on civilian harm in armed conflicts. She has also volunteered with the ACLU, working on increasing civic engagement and voter education initiatives.

At Emory, Kaitlyn is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Emory Undergraduate Law Review and Political Director for the Young Democrats of Emory. Her work and research center on state violence, repression, and international human rights law, and she intends to pursue a career in public interest law, advancing civil rights both in the U.S. and abroad.

Outside of academics, you can find Kaitlyn drinking coffee, practicing Pilates, or listening to music with friends!

Research Assistant

Catherine Macenka

I am a junior studying political science and religion. I am also pre-law with a particular interest in the criminal justice system. This lab serves as a incredible opportunity to learn more about the history of the criminal justice system, its imperfections, and how we are still seeing those consequences today.

Research Assistant

Chan-Hyuk Park

Hi, I'm Chan! I am a current student at Emory University studying Political Science. I'm from Tampa, Florida, and my academic interests are political violence and international politics. In my free time, I like to read philosophy and cook pasta!

Research Assistant

Gina Park

Gina is a student at Emory University (class of 2026), double majoring in Political Science and Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies with an interest in exploring the intersection of law, policy, and media. She is a returning intern at CNN, reporting/writing for their Digital Features Department (health/wellness, space/science, travel, and style).

Research Assistant

AAliyah Williams

AAliyah is a third-year student double majoring in Political Science and African-American Studies on the pre-law track. While at Emory, she has had the opportunity to pursue her interests through her roles such as Internal Vice President of the Emory Chapter of the NAACP, Vice President of Inspire Z, an organization founded to uplift youth coming from marginalized communities, and as Secretary of the Black and Latinx Pre-Law Society. Recently, she interned for the Innocence Project in their New York office as a Neighborhood Project Intern, analyzing the impact of surveillance technology on marginalized communities. She is deeply interested in the intersection of race and identity within politics and the role this plays within society. After college she hopes to pursue a career in law.

Research Assistant

Cequyia (Cece) York

Cequyia is a junior at Emory University from South Alabama. She is double-majoring in International Studies and Religion/Philosophy, with a focus on how religion and belief systems influence society, politics, and laws. This past summer, as an Emory Pathways Scholar, she interned with the Pew Research Center's religion team. She is also an Undergraduate Law and Religion Fellow, studying the links between Black liberation theology and the Civil Rights Movement. Outside of academics, she is involved in several campus groups, including the Varsity Swim and Dive team, the Emory Library Ambassadors as co-president, vice president of RUF, and a member of Kappa Alpha Pi, the pre-law fraternity. After college, she hopes to build a career in law, focusing on human rights and policies related to religious freedoms.