Staff Members

Catherine Pfaffenroth, Editor-in-Chief
Catherine focuses on public diplomacy through the field of international information and communication and that of international negotiation and conflict resolution. She spent the summer of 2007 working for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Previously, Catherine worked in New York for CDS International, a non-profit organization committed to providing professional experiences abroad for Americans and international visitors; taught English and American culture in Vienna, Austria; and wrote her bachelor’s thesis at Amherst College on Art Nouveau architecture and design.

Julia Faith Bennett, Managing Editor
Julia concentrates on Middle East affairs, and she is a research assistant at The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies. Previously, she supported the Middle East Program and the Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC, where she coordinated public programming, publications, and international workshops on family law, conflict resolution, and political participation. Julia received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Bucknell University.

Justin Valentine, Director of Sales and Marketing
Justin focuses on international negotiation and business relations. He is also a management consultant in Novantas’ Travel Practice, specializing in airline industry sourcing. He has focused on technology and outsourcing initiatives, including CRS management, telecommunications, and finance and accounting staff offshoring. Previously, Justin spent over four years in the sourcing organizations of United Airlines and Lufthansa German Airlines, where he managed joint sourcing with international airline partners. Justin obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

Nathanial Arguelles, Associate Director of Sales and Marketing
Nathaniel’s studies focus on international business and Islamic civilization. He has taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan. Nathaniel graduated from Colby College with a bachelor’s degree in government.

Shalindra Mylvaganam, Senior Editor
Shal’s areas of focus are public international law and development economics. He has worked as an analyst for AOL Time Warner and as a research associate in the legal and constitutional unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Sri Lanka. Shal graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Corey O'Hara, Senior Editor
Corey is pursuing joint degrees at The Fletcher School and The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. He has supported agricultural development programs in Nepal, served with the U.S. Department of State as a liaison for Italian guests of state, worked as a freelance food and travel writer, and taught linguistics at the university level in the United States. Corey earned his bachelor’s degree at Harvard University.

Bjoern H. Seibert, Senior Editor
Bjoern focuses on security studies. He has worked as an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) in Washington, DC, and he is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Bjoern has studied at and graduated from Erfurt University and Georgetown University.

Eleni A. Tsolakis, Senior Editor
Eleni concentrates on human rights law and forced migration, and she is a project associate for the Program in Southwest Asia and Islamic Civilization. Eleni spent the summer of 2007 with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) working with Iraqi refugees in Cyprus, and her master’s thesis focuses on the continued human displacement in the region. Previously, she worked at a non-governmental organization for refugees and asylum seekers in Greece. Eleni received her bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University.

Saminaz Zaman, Senior Editor
Saminaz concentrates on international organizations, with a focus on Southwest Asia and Islamic civilizations. Previously, she worked as a health policy analyst at JSI Research and Training in Boston. Saminaz completed a master’s degree in Islamic law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and a bachelor’s degree at Williams College.

Iris Abraham, Staff Editor
Iris is pursuing a certificate in diplomatic studies, with one focus on international negotiation and conflict resolution, and another in Middle East affairs. She is also a research assistant at the Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies. Previously, Iris was a political affairs officer with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), where she focused on political, electoral, and security-related issues. She has also served as a political advisor at the Mission of the European Union to the United Nations in New York, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Secretariat. Iris completed a bachelor’s degree in European and comparative law at the University of Maastricht.

Dana Binnendijk, Staff Editor
Dana is pursuing a certificate in international development, while focusing on law and development as well as international negotiation and conflict resolution. Previously, she worked at Freedom House, where she helped launch an office in South Africa. Dana earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Bucknell University. During that time she studied in France for one year, taught French to fellow undergraduates, and served as a reporter for a local newspaper in central Pennsylvania.

Justin Ginnetti, Staff Editor
Justin focuses on the connection between global climate change and mass migration. An editor for the past six years, he has worked with New Directions and Harcourt Trade Publishers, Scholastic, Inc., and Grand Street magazine. Specifically, he has edited fiction by Robert Bolaño, José Saramago, and Enrique Vila-Matas, as well as the poetry of Inger Christensen, Wislawa Szymborska, and Paul Farley. Justin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in English literature.

Joshua Goldstein, Staff Editor
Joshua concentrates on development economics, human security, and international information and communication. He is also a researcher at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, as well as a writer and editor of Harvard University’s IDBlog. Joshua has been a program officer for USAID’s Northern Uganda Peace Initiative, helping to advise the Government of Uganda on a comprehensive plan for post-conflict reconciliation. He has also created and led international development conferences in Uganda and Cameroon for the Global Youth Partnership for Africa. Joshua earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Erik Iverson, Staff Editor
Erik focuses on security studies, and he is currently researching the role of leadership in the promotion of extremist ideology. He has been an analyst supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he worked on a variety of issues related to homeland security operations research, catastrophic event response and recovery, preparedness policy, and improvised explosive device security. Erik received his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Rebecca Levy, Staff Editor
Rebecca concentrates on development economics and human security. Previously, she supported the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in advancing Liberian repatriation and refugee resettlement, served as a research analyst for Communications Workers of America, taught English in France, and contributed to CARE programming that strengthened local governance in Mali. Rebecca obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science from Haverford College.

Nicholas Marwell, Staff Editor
Nicholas is pursuing joint degrees at The Fletcher School and Boston College Law School. Previously, he worked as a photo editor for The Associated Press in New York and as a manager for new media business development at Magnum Photos, a documentary photography agency. He has also worked for the American Bar Association, supporting global rule of law initiatives in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Nicholas received his bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College.

Justine Treadwell, Staff Editor
Justine focuses on development economics and international environment and resource policy. She is currently a consultant to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and she has worked extensively in Africa through the Peace Corps, as well as through the public and non-profit sectors. Justine earned her bachelor’s degree at Hollins University, where she was editor-in-chief of the university literary journal.

Tihomir Tsenkulovski, Staff Editor
Tihomir is currently a Fulbright student at The Fletcher School, where he focuses on international business relations. He has worked in the Audit Department at KPMG and as a journalist, translator, and newscaster in the English Service of the Bulgarian National Radio. Tihomir has studied political science, Romance and German languages, and economics at Sofia University, the University of Arizona, and Humboldt University in Berlin.

Mackinnon Webster, Staff Editor
Mackinnon concentrates on humanitarian assistance and policy analysis. She has worked with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs addressing coordination and response issues for humanitarian emergencies, and with non-governmental organizations and the UN on strategic planning and humanitarian operations. She also served as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs focusing on urban issues and community leadership. Mackinnon received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and international affairs from Washington University in St. Louis.