Undergraduate Research Assistant Program

Beyond Borders: Schar School Master's Student Redefines Security Through Human Experience

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 19:43:53 +0000

Beyond Borders: Schar School Master's Student Redefines Security Through Human Experience Andrew J Schappert Mon, 09/29/2025 - 15:43

Nathan Stolzenfeld frames their research around the lived experiences of people rather than just the borders of states. That is something the first-year student in �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government’s Master of International Security Program has been thinking about since their undergraduate years.

Nathan Stolzenfeld, with Associate Professor Lucas Núñez, accepts the Outstanding Senior in International Security and Law award in May. Photo by John Boal Photography

“If we keep our language to purely discussing the bordered nature of politics, we can't really effectively solve those problems,” they said. “It's incredibly important to remember that when we are having discussions about the entire body of Taiwan, or the entire body of China, or any other country, that there are people in these countries. They have real risks presented to them by things that are not state-based violence, like climate change or gender-based violence, disease, all of those issues—they cross borders.”

Stolzenfeld’s research focuses on East Asia, specifically the contested statehood of Taiwan, a longstanding issue that has taken on new importance in recent years.

As an undergraduate in the Schar School’s international security and law (ISL) program (Stolzenfeld finished in three years), they worked in the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) with renowned immigration expert Professor Justin Gest and Associate Professor Michael Hunzeker.

Stolzenfeld was one of the first five graduates with a bachelor of arts in international security and law from the Schar School, and they are expanding on the concept of security with their research and understanding of political theory. The draw of the ISL program was “the specificity of the major,” Stolzenfeld said, adding that Hunzeker, director of the Taiwan Security Monitor, successfully championed the program.

While the 2025 Outstanding Senior in International Security and Law might have graduated into a promising job in their chosen field, Stolzenfeld felt more knowledge and preparation was called for. In fact, the Honors College and University Scholars alum said the driving force to pursue a master’s degree in international security at the Schar School was the professors.

“All of my professors have been really engaged with helping me formulate ideas and making sure that I'm always heading in the right direction, even if I don't align with their beliefs or how they perceive the world,” Stolzenfeld said.

It was one of their Honors College courses, Ruins of the Apocalypse, taught by Assistant Professor Benjamin Renne, that provided further inspiration. The Honors College curriculum supplemented Stolzenfeld’s Schar School classes on international security “and it helped me take the concepts I learned in a more holistic way and apply them to the classes for my major,” they said.

“Different forms of media—be it video, video games, photography—can be used to make political statements, and they can be used as forms of representation, advocacy, or resistance if needed,” they said. Things as far flung as “climate fiction and apocalyptic fiction can be used to spur social change.”

A few weeks into their graduate program, Stolzenfeld knows what is next to achieve: self-discovery.

“I would like to experience more, travel more, read more, and just figure out myself,” they said.

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Michael Hunzeker

Justin Gest

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Graduating Schar student raises the bar with her professional experiences

Shayla Brown — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:59:20 +0000

Graduating Schar student raises the bar with her professional experiences Shayla Brown Mon, 12/16/2024 - 09:59

When Daksha Magesh came to �鶹��Ƶ as a freshman in 2021, she already had an impressive resumé.

“My first experience with government came from when I was working on senate campaigns in high school. I knocked on doors, answered phones, worked on advertisements and expenditure tracking. It made me really curious about what it was like to be in government,” said Magesh, a government and international politics major and government analytics minor.

The Honors College student was working for federal prosecutor Manka Dhingra of the 45th District from her hometown of Seattle, Washington. Magesh says that’s where her interest in law comes from.

“I figured that if I’m going to be a lawyer, I might as well know how the government really works, so that's part of the reason why I chose this major for my future,” she said.

Since then, she has also worked for the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign and legal nonprofits, such as the Seattle Clemency Project.

“I was working with people who were sentenced at a young age and have been in jail for a really long time. We were helping them to get clemency and rehabilitation for early releases because they've served 25 plus year sentences,” said Magesh. “They are now 50 to 60 years old and have served their sentences. It’s really time they come out and be productive members of society.”

Magesh has also worked for the South Asian Bar Association, a collective of all the major South Asian lawyers in the country.

“I'm really grateful for all the people that I worked with while I was there. They were all very welcoming and it was the first time that I got to work with people that were of the same identity as me,” said Magesh.

“I love all of these experiences, but walking into a room and having everyone look like me in my field is incredibly rare. It was so cool,” said Magesh.

Magesh also worked with Schar associate professor Jennifer Victor on her Undergraduate Research Assistant Program team doing congressional caucus literature review as research for Victor’s new book.

Magesh worked with Victor again as a teaching assistant for her GOVT 103: Introduction to American Government course. “I taught recitations every Friday and my class was amazing. I tried to make recitations fun with a game or interactive experience, and I got really good feedback at the end of the year. It was a great experience,” said Magesh.

Daksha Magesh. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.

What’s your best memory at George �鶹��Ƶ?

George �鶹��Ƶ movie nights are my go-to. My friends and I just get a bunch of snacks, cuddle up on the couch, and watch something fun. I also love �鶹��Ƶ Day. My resident advisor and close friend Kennedi took me to my first one. The weather was perfect and I remember thinking ‘oh my God, there’s a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster.’ We had such a great time.

How have you grown at George �鶹��Ƶ?

I really came out of my shell. I'm such an introvert and I was so scared because George �鶹��Ƶ was very intimidating, and it was hard for me to make friends at first. But I've really impressed myself with the way that I was able to connect to new people. I’m also a Schar School Liaison and secretary of the Honors Recruitment Team, so connecting with people is one of the biggest things that you have to learn and that skill is definitely something I learned from my time at George �鶹��Ƶ.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

The biggest thing is time management. Organize your time by keeping a calendar or a planner and writing down your assignments. Also networking and meeting people. Don’t be afraid to go up and introduce yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or cold emailing. I’ve gotten two of my biggest internships through cold emailing. And another, with the [Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia] that I got through networking. Make sure you’re talking to people, whether that's professors or professionals, in your field.

What’s next for you?

I hope to pursue my legal career further. I'll definitely apply to law school in the future and be studying for the LSAT. I want to explore options on the East Coast, as I've really grown to love it. Ideally, I want to be able to work in a firm. It has always been my dream to be a lawyer and I will definitely achieve that.

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Two Schar School Students Receive Partnership for Public Service Award

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:13:52 +0000

Two Schar School Students Receive Partnership for Public Service Award Andrew J Schappert Mon, 03/18/2024 - 13:13

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Bonnie Stabile

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�鶹��Ƶ undergraduates Minh-Dy Pham and Kalkidan Zewdu share several similarities: Both are driven, passionate about volunteering, and hail from Virginia.

Minh-Dy Pham stands in the U.S. Department of Transportation office, where she works as an intern.

This year, the two Schar School of Policy and Government students were further connected by the receipt of a high federal honor: the U.S. Department of Transportation Partnership for Public Service Award. The award recognizes young leaders in federal government and is given by the Department of Transportation and Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides a wide variety of career training programs and leadership exercises to help build valuable skills for future federal leaders.

Pham, a junior public administration major, received the award in fall 2023 at the start of her internship with the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights. She has since accepted an offer to extend her internship. While she wears a lot of hats within the office, Pham focuses on compiling reports of diversity-, equity-, and inclusion-related misconduct and assisting the antiharassment coordinator.

Her involvement in DEI initiatives began in spring 2022 with the Schar School Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP). Within the program, she studied under Bonnie Stabile, associate professor and founder of the Gender and Policy Center (GAP), as they researched inclusivity within public administration curriculum—an area Pham continues to study in her position in the Office of Civil Rights. She later enrolled in GOV357, a class on urban planning, which included transportation infrastructure now relevant to her internship. Through the combination of her prior experience at �鶹��Ƶ, Pham now puts her passion for diversity and transportation policy toward the public good.

Minh-Dy Pham presents her Undergraduate Research Assistant Program poster in spring 2022.

The importance of the Partnership of Public Service Award cannot be overstated, Pham says. In addition to gaining experience in policy analysis—a career she hopes to pursue postgraduation—the award provides an opportunity for vital youth voices in the federal government.

“We are the future,” she said.

Pham’s future, in particular, looks exceptionally bright—and the Schar School has helped guide her.

“This internship would have not been possible without the Schar School,” she said. “As someone who aspires to work in the federal government after graduation, the school has immensely supported me in my career and educational pursuits.”

Kalkidan Zewdu, who received the award and began her portion of the internship in spring 2024, views leadership as integral to the role. As a Schar School senior, she has explored various options within her major, ranging from public administration to international relations. Above all, one principle has guided Zewdu through her journey: Government is a form of leadership.

“Working at the Department of Transportation has provided invaluable opportunities for me to cultivate leadership skills within government institutions—tools I plan to take with me wherever I land in public service,” she said.

Kalkidan Zewdu mans her desk at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In particular, Zewdu credits the internship with immense educational benefit, adding the professional and intrapersonal skills provided in workshops were an attractive feature of the job.

As for the Schar School, it offered her the opportunity to explore her interests in government in broad strokes—eventually exploring diplomacy courses, law school preparation, and �鶹��Ƶ’s study abroad programs. �鶹��Ƶ also provided the chance for Zewdu to explore cultural initiatives in addition to academic ones. As a junior, she founded the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) Campus Ministry with the goal of connecting with other Ethiopian students through shared faith. Through EOTC, which now has 36 members, Zedwu cultivates her leadership skills both in and out of government.

“As president and cofounder, I wanted to create a place where other Ethiopian students who grew up speaking English could find each other,” she said.

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What Drives a Sports Fan? Researching the Rise of ‘Ultras’ in European Soccer

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:11:03 +0000

What Drives a Sports Fan? Researching the Rise of ‘Ultras’ in European Soccer Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/27/2022 - 11:11

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Eric McGlinchey

Jennifer N. Victor

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Andrew Strasberg. ‘His work has the potential to become integrated into a broader body of literature,’ said mentor Jennifer N. Victor.

For Andrew Strasberg, the game of soccer has always been a focal point of his life. When the Schar School senior was tasked with completing a research project for a graduate level research class, his topic of choice was a rather easy decision.

Strasberg, a bachelor of science in public administration major, combined his love of soccer with his interest in politics in a unique way. His project, “Hooligans or Honchos? Developing a Political Theory of European Ultra-ism,” explores the sociopolitical phenomenon of ultras, a type of sports fan renowned for ultra-fanatical support. Strasberg explores the existing research on ultras and proposes new methods of analysis to develop “a causal explanation of ultra-ism and its associated violence in Europe,” he said.

Strasberg’s project came into fruition with the help of Schar School Associate Professors Eric McGlinchey and Jennifer N. Victor. Strasberg created his proposal in fall 2021 while taking GOVT 500, a graduate scientific method and research design class taught by McGlinchey, who offered valuable mentorship. (�鶹��Ƶ allows undergraduates to take 500- and 600-level courses with an instructor’s permission. “I was just interested in the class,” Strasberg said.)

While working for Victor in the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP), she encouraged him to submit his proposal to the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) for consideration and served as his mentor throughout the latter half of the year.

Victor says that Strasberg’s timely work is important, now and in the future.

“The study of political violence and the ways in which humans get attracted to groups that become violent is a very important topic,” she said. “His work has the potential to become integrated into a broader body of literature that helps us understand the conditions under which people turn to violence to achieve political goals.”

After his project was accepted, Strasberg joined Victor and other Schar School faculty in Chicago at the MPSA conference in April 2022. He presented his research during an undergraduate poster session and met other like-minded students also exhibiting important work.

Victor says it is rare for undergraduates to present at political science conferences such as the MPSA meeting. Strasberg said the experience allowed him to meet informed academics who offered invaluable feedback on his work.

He advises prospective or current Schar School students interested in research opportunities to pursue them.

“Do it!” he said. “Look for projects that allow you to push the boundaries of what you know and can do already. A lot of people don’t realize how willing and able professors are to help, and will go out of their way to see you succeed.”

Strasberg is now including his successful proposal in his personal statement for PhD applications. He said his class with McGlinchey and the entire URAP program provided “professionalizing resources” and gave him confidence in future endeavors.