Research

As an undergraduate, I have had multiple research assistantship positions at Pitt and in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, I have also pursued my own independent research project to fulfill the thesis requirement for my degree in International Area Studies.

My first exposure to research was my second semester in college when I participated in First Experiences in Research. I conducted research on refugees which directly complimented my concentration area as refugees are often considered a threat to security and peace. I also conducted research for a professor in History on the diplomatic efforts of John Adams in Great Britain.

In Summer 2018, I was hired at the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C. to work with a former ambassador to Turkey. I conducted research on various political and economic issues in Turkey and translated Turkish newspapers into English for his future book project. This semester I have done some research for a Pitt affiliate member on the Battle of Mosul. Furthermore, this summer and semester I have conducted my own research on Turkey and global authoritarianism to write and defend a thesis. Please see the tabs below for more information on these projects.

All of these experiences have contributed in some way to my concentration in Peace, Security, and Conflict. Learning more about refugees and how they are more usually the victims of violence and not the perpetrators has given me a different perspective on how politicians use refugees to exaggerate security concerns. My research on diplomacy in the 1700s was also illuminating because it gave me more information on how countries, and especially post-colonial countries, figure out how to create and maintain peace with each other. The research I conducted this summer pertains to my concentration because I got to focus on how economic crises and gender politics have played a large role in how peace is threatened and security is maintained in Turkey. Furthermore, my research on the Battle of Mosul has allowed me to learn more about militias and how non-state actors function when the state falls apart. These experiences combined with my thesis on how security concerns have fueled increasing authoritarianism in Turkey and worldwide have enriched my understanding of my classes and concentration.

Research Projects

  • Violence Against Refugees

    Why do refugees face violence in the countries they flee to?

    I conducted research on behalf of a political science professor at Pitt who was researching why refugees face violence in the countries that they flee to. I gathered newspaper articles and state publications on violence against refugees to supplement the quantitative research my professor was conducting. I presented the results at a research symposium at the end of the semester. The poster below was for my presentation at the symposium.

    Poster

  • John Adams's Diplomacy in Great Britain

    How did John Adams maintain diplomacy with Great Britain after the American Revolutionary War?

    I read diaries from John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and other key politicians at the time to examine how Adams interacted with Great Britain and the other countries he was assigned to. I categorized his interactions with the various nations and identified the most pressing concerns he had to deal with as ambassador. I especially focused on sovereignty issues stemming from Great Britain attacking the United States from Canada, and economic issues stemming from a new, weak currency and a large amount of debt.

  • Middle East Institute: Turkey in the early 2000s

    What factors contributed to the rise of the current political party in Turkey?

    This summer I conducted research for a former ambassador to Turkey to contribute to his book on the rise of the current government in Turkey. I was able to look at various variables including the economic crisis of 2001 and how this created instability in the country. I also examined the role of labor unions, how women played a role in the rise of the government, and how newspapers characterized the government and its leaders. This was invaluable information for my thesis project on Turkey and gave me the opportunity to learn more about the conditions in Turkey during the early 2000s. For a complete summary of the work I did this summer please reference the link below.

    Summary of MEI work

  • The Battle of Mosul

    Who were the main players and what was the historical context for the Battle of Mosul in 2016?

    I examined multiple areas of the Battle of Mosul to supplement a book that will consist of interviews with three doctors who took care of the wounded during the Battle of Mosul in 2016. I researched the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the influence of the United States, the Iraqi Army, and the Yazidis among many other topics. I also conducted a comprehensive newspaper review for every month of the battle to identify troop movement and humanitarian concerns such as abuses perpetrated by ISIS and food and water scarcity.

  • Examining Authoritarianism: Perceptions of Voting Efficacy and Satisfaction with Democracy in Turkey

    How is increasing authoritarianism in Turkey affecting indicators of democracy?

    I created my own research project on increasing authoritarianism in the world and how it is manifesting itself in Turkey as a competitive authoritarian regime. This close to 70 page thesis was successfully defended in November 2018, and the final version can be found on Pitt’s database of thesis papers. I used data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems to look at how perceptions of voting efficacy and satisfaction with democracy changed between 2011 and 2015. I examined these two dates because Turkey transitioned to a competitive authoritarian regime around 2013 or 2014. Therefore by looking at how people perceived voting and democracy before it transitioned and after it transitioned gave me a better idea of how people are reacting to increased authoritarianism.