Students | USC SPEC Lab

Undergraduate Research Team Leads

Ashley Abadeer

Team Lead: Powersharing

Ashley Abadeer is a senior studying International Relations and the Global Economy with a minor in Architecture at USC. Her specific interests in the field of international relations are water security, climate change, and sustainable development. On campus, Ashley is the executive director for TEDxUSC, director for the Global Policy Institute, and is a member of Delta Phi Epsilon, USC’s international relations professional fraternity. In her free time, Ashley enjoys yoga, climbing, cooking, and photography.

Marie Zaragoza

Team Lead: CSC

Marie Zaragoza is a junior pursuing a dual degree in Economics and International Relations with interests in international political economy, agricultural economics, and housing policies. Within the SPEC lab, she leads the Consulting for Social Change team that provides data science consulting for organizations with a social progress focus including the National Foster Youth Institute and the LEWIS Registry. Her research experiences also include investigating the influence of power sharing institutions in shaping various educational, economic and civil liberty outcomes. Beyond SPEC, Marie is the Programming Director for the Global Policy Institute and is the captain of the USC Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team.

Emily Lieberman

Team Lead: EiE

Emily Lieberman is a Junior studying Political Science with a minor in Dance. She is the Team Lead of the Development, Education, and Equity Team, and a member of both the Consulting for Social Change Team and the Creative Media Team. Her research interests include elections and political participation, global health, international development, and environmental sustainability. Outside of the lab, Emily serves as a Programming Fellow at USC's Global Policy Institute. Additionally, she is an Associate Managing Editor and Correspondent at USC's Glimpse from the Globe in which she writes timely foreign affairs articles. For fun, Emily serves on the executive board of the USC Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team and is a mentor in APASS PEER. This past summer, Emily worked in the California Department of Justice as a Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellow in Government Service. Emily joined the SPEC lab in May 2020.

Jillian Glickman

Team Lead: Resource Curse

Jillian is a junior studying Political Economy with a minor in Environmental Studies. Her academic interests include international trade and sustainable economic development. Outside of the lab, Jillian is a student worker for USC’s Environmental Health and Safety department and is a member of Delta Phi Epsilon. She joined the Resource Curse team at SPEC in May 2020.

Luis Gruson

Team Lead: BC

Luis Gruson is a senior at USC studying Political Economy. His research interests include modern territorial conquest and military coercion as a means of seeking profit. Outside the lab his interests include playing soccer, traveling, and exploring LA. Luis joined SPEC in January of 2021 and is now the team lead for the Beyond Conquest team.

Alina Mehdi

Lab Manager

Alina is a senior at USC from South Pasadena, California majoring in International Relations and minoring in Business Finance. She is apart of the USC SPEC’s Development & Education Equity team and serves as lab manager. Her academic interests include Middle East politics and human rights. In addition to SPEC, Alina is an editor for the Southern California International Review, a writer for Glimpse From the Globe, and enjoys listening to music and sitting in the sun.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Clio Klapsis

Clio Klapsis is a sophomore majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Law with a minor in International Relations. Her academic interests include international law, climate change, and gender studies. Outside the lab, Clio is on the executive board of Model UN and tutors elementary school students through the ReadersPlus program at USC’s Joint Educational Project (JEP). Clio can be most frequently found at coffee shops, Trader Joe’s, and on her yoga mat. She joined the Gunboat Capitalism team at SPEC in January 2020.

Joe Jocas

Joe Jocas is a junior studying International Relations and Applied Analytics. He is part of the Resource Curse Team, in addition to being the Editor-in-Chief of the Southern California International Review and a student intern for the Dornsife Office of Admission. His main research interests are at the intersection of democracy and digital technology, as well as human rights, elections, and disinformation. His regional interests are Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and Central and South America. Outside of SPEC he enjoys hiking, skating, painting, and cooking!

Carlotta Dalal Alaai

Carlotta Dalal Alaai is a junior double majoring in International Relations and Global Studies at USC. Her academic interests include peace and conflict studies with a regional focus on the Middle East. Outside of SPEC, she tutors with Kinder2College, a program that strives to improve literacy and academic skills among local LA elementary school students. In her free time, she can be found baking, reading, and convincing her family to adopt stray cats. Carlotta Dalal joined the lab in the Summer of 2020.

Zoe Peach-Riley

Zoe Peach-Riley is a junior pursuing a major in Intelligence & Cyber-Operations. Her primary academic interests include counterterrorism studies, power projection, and the intersections of national security and cyberspace. Zoe joined the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation team at SPEC in January of 2020, and currently works on the Beyond Conquest team. She is also an ambassador for the Dornsife Office of Admissions, and enjoys surfing, skiing, running, and playing piano.

Affan Rahman

Affan Rahman is a junior studying International Relations with a minor in Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence. He is currently part of the Talus/IPE team, and his research interests include security studies, post-war reconstruction, and humanitarian crises. Outside of the lab, he enjoys taking pictures and watching Netflix. Affan joined the SPEC Lab in June 2020.

Logan Terry

Logan Terry is a Junior studying International Relations and Philosophy, Politics & Law. Since June 2021, Logan has been a member of the Resource Curse and the Consulting for Social Change teams. Her research interest include: Human Rights, Sustainable International Development, Global Public Policy, and Critical Feminist Theories. Outside of the lab, Logan is a member of USC's Undergraduate Student Government, the Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment, and the Marshall School of Business Social Media Team.

Elijah Bakam

Elijah Bakam is a sophomore studying International Relations at the University of Southern California. He is a part of the SPEC EiE team as well as the Consulting for Social Change team. Elijah's academic interests include African politics, French literature, and global social justice initiatives. Outside of the SPEC Lab, Elijah enjoys playing tennis, studying geography, and cooking. Elijah joined the SPEC Lab in January of 2021.

Elena Polo

Serish Thakker

Serish Thakker is an undergraduate senior at USC and is a research assistant for Alix Ziff's Development and Education Equity team. She is currently pursuing a dual degree in International Relations and Public Policy. Serish is from Nairobi and has research interests including African development, social innovation and enterprise in developing countries, and equitable economic growth. Outside of research, Serish enjoys wildlife photography and is learning how to surf!

Hunter Hinson

Hunter Hinson is a junior double majoring in Political Science and Communication. His research interests include international power projection, narrative-building for military conflict, and the role of mass media in politics. Outside of the lab, Hunter serves on the executive board of Model United Nations of Southern California, is a senator in the Undergraduate Student Government, and enjoys exploring LA with friends. Hunter joined the SPEC Lab in January of 2020.

Elizabeth Squires

Elizabeth Squires is a senior majoring in Philosophy, Politics & Law with a minor in International Relations. Her research interests include international security and defense, with a focus on natural resources and conflict—particularly in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Outside of the lab, Elizabeth is involved with the Teaching International Relations Program, Glimpse From the Globe, and the Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women. She joined the Gunboat Capitalism team in May 2020 and thereafter the Resource Curse team in January 2021.

Mekdi Theodros-Gebreyes

Mekdi is a sophomore at USC studying International Relations and the Global Economy. Her research interests include development in East Africa, Human Rights, Middle Eastern politics, and more. Outside of the lab, her interests include Model UN, travelling, and playing tennis. Mekdi joined SPEC in June 2021 and became a member of the Education, Conflict, and Aid Allocation team as well as the Consulting for Social Change team.

Nivea Krishnan

Nivea Krishnan is a sophomore double-majoring in Public Policy and Economics. Her academic interests include criminal justice reform, housing policy, and international economic development. In the lab she researches for the Development and Education Equity team. In addition to SPEC, she is a member of Model United Nations of Southern California, Trojan Consulting Group, and Undergraduate Student Government. Outside of USC, she serves as the Director of Policy at New Voters, a national student-led nonpartisan 501(c)3 committed to high school civic engagement. In her free time, Nivea enjoys choreographing dances, going to concerts, watching movies, and spending time with friends. Nivea joined the SPEC lab in September 2020.

Valeria Flores-Cadena

Valeria Flores-Cadena is a junior pursuing a degree in International Relations and Global Economy with a minor in Global Health. Her interests include topics regarding international economic development and political economy, especially focusing on how it relates to public health and human rights. Outside the lab, she interns for Ray United FC, a non-profit organization focusing on implementing public health education where she helps with research and program management. Valeria joined SPEC in August 2021 and is part of the TALUS team.

Kwaku Rogers

Kwaku Rogers is a senior at USC studying International Relations/Global Business with a minor in Applied Analytics . He joined SPEC in February 2021 and is currently part of the Talus Team. His academic interests are in international economic development, and data analytics. Outside of the lab, Kwaku enjoys playing basketball, piano, and exploring LA.

William Ortell

Will Ortell is a sophomore at USC studying International Relations. His research interests include violence and institution building in developing countries with a regional specificity in Latin America. Outside of the lab, Will is a part of DPE and Trojan Scholar Society. His non-academic interests include cooking, exploring, and hip hop music. Will joined SPEC in June 2021 as a member of the Resource Curse team.

Robert Huang

Robert Huang is a sophomore studying Economics and Data Science with a minor in Environmental Studies at USC. He is currently part of the Powersharing team. His academic interests include public policymaking, international trade, and environmental economics. Outside of the lab, he enjoys running, traveling, playing the violin, and watching Netflix.

Lingaire Ofosuhene

Lingaire Ofosuhene is a junior at the University of Southern California. She is on the Education in Emergencies team. On campus, she participates in clubs such as the Aeneid Theatre Company and The Prison Education Project. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks and writing poetry.

Apurvi Bhartia

Apurvi Bhartia is a senior at USC studying Economics, Applied Analytics, and Business Finance. Her research interests include business optimization, social problems, and more. Outside of the lab, her interests include volunteering, traveling, and playing Basketball. Apurvi joined SPEC in August 2020 and became a member of the Talus Analytics team as well as the Consulting for Social Change team.

Spencer Dee

Spencer Dee is a sophomore studying International Relations and East Asian Area Studies at the University of Southern California. His research interests currently include conflict resolution, humanitarian crises, democratic governance and international law. Outside of the SPEC Lab, he enjoys spending time watching movies with family and friends. He joined the Resource Curse team at the SPEC Lab in June 2021.

Micaela Mengen

Micaela Mengen is a sophomore studying International Relations Global Business and Environmental Studies. Her research interests are centered around weapons of mass destruction. Outside of the lab, Micaela serves on the executive board of Reggaeton Obsesión, is a member of the figure skating team and enjoys going out to explore LA with friends. Micaela joined the SPEC Lab in January 2020.

Graduate Students

Alix Ziff

Alix Ziff is a PhD candidate in the Political Science and International Relations department and the Lab Manager at SPEC. She also oversees the Power-sharing Project Team with Professor Graham. Alix has a M.A. in African Studies from Stanford University and a B.A. in Political Science & International relations from UCSD. Her research interests focus on how different groups are affected by conflict, instability and political contention differently. She is specifically interested in the roles of both governments and external actors in access to education in conflict-affected areas.

Miriam Barnum

Miriam is a doctoral student in Political Science and International Relations and Provost's Fellow in the Social Sciences at the University of Southern California. Her primary research focuses on nuclear politics, arms control, and treaty commitments, as well as the intersection between international security and political economy. She is also interested in quantitative political methodology, particularly text-as-data, machine learning, and network analysis.

Gaea Morales

Gaea Morales is a Ph.D. student in Political Science and International Relations at USC. She joined the SPEC Lab in Summer 2020 to support the development of training for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and now serves as the Director of Data Science. Her own research is focused on environmental security and conflict prevention, and local-global governance and institutional linkages in the pursuit of sustainability. Outside of the lab, she is co-chair of the USC Keck Institute on Inequalities in Global Health Student Advisory Council. She holds a BA in Diplomacy and World Affairs and French Studies, and a minor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies from Occidental College.