Doctoral Students

Lilya Arakelyan

Lilya Arakelyan is a Ph.D. candidate in International Studies at the University of Miami. Originally from Yerevan, Armenia, Lilya Arakelyan holds B.A. degree in Russian Language and Literature, with a minor in journalism from the Yerevan State University, and a M.A. in Russian & Slavic Studies from the University of Arizona. After graduation from Yerevan State University, Lilya worked as a journalist for major Russian-Armenian newspapers in Yerevan. In 2001, she received a state award for a series of articles in The Voice of Armenia newspaper. Lilya taught Russian at the University of Arizona in 2007-2009, she also served as a Russian translator for the U.S. Census 2010. Her Master’s thesis was devoted to a preliminary study of Armenian immigration to the United States after the Soviet Union collapsed. She designed a micro study based on a longitudinal collection technique that involved interviewing Armenian immigrants during different periods of their migration. The goal of her study was to achieve an understanding of the problems of Armenian immigration to the U.S. that will lead to changes in international laws in both the sending and receiving countries. Lilya’s current research interests focus on Soviet/Russia foreign policy, on problems of gender inequalities in post-communist Europe, on different aspects of nationalism, and on ethno-national conflicts in the former Soviet empire, and international security. 

Beverly Barrett

Prior to beginning the doctoral program during the autumn 2009, Beverly Barrett most recently worked in economic and public affairs with the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.  These responsibilities included education for financial literacy, which continued upon her previous experience in nonprofit management for a network literacy education programs throughout Texas.  Following the M.A. program at Johns Hopkins University SAIS in Bologna, Italy and Washington, D.C, where she specialized in International Economics and American Foreign Policy, she spent several years working with the U.S. Government in the House of Representatives, the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, and the State Department as Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador in Helsinki, Finland.  She graduated from Vanderbilt University, B.S. cum laude in Human & Organizational Development, with minors in Art History and Spanish.

Jorge Rebolledo Flores

Originally from Mexico, Jorge is a PhD candidate in International Studies at the University of Miami. He holds a BA in International Relations from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and a MA in Government and International Relations from Georgetown University.  He has been a consultant for the Washington Office for Latin America (WOLA) and Georgetown-Clas’ Mexico Project Coordinator.

Prior to joining the University of Miami INS doctoral program Jorge served in Mexico’s Center for Investigation and National Security (CISEN), the Ministry of Foreign Relations (SRE), and Mexico’s City Public Security Secretariat.  Jorge has been a visiting scholar at Carleton University (Canada), Pontificia Universidad Católica (Chile), University of California, San Diego (U.S.) and a Professor of International Relations at the Universidad del Mar (UMAR) in Huatulco, Oaxaca, México.

His research interests include drug-trafficking, policy making, policing, public/national security in Latin America, U.S.-Latin American relations and the experience of the left in Latin America.

Karina Gutierrez

Karina Gutierrez is currently in the International Studies Masters Program at the University of Miami. She grew up in Canada, Mexico, Australia and the US, and completed undergraduate studies at the University of Miami. While at the University of Miami for her undergraduate studies she majored in Political Science and was an intern with the US Department of Treasury in the office of the White House Liaison. During the 2008 elections, she was a volunteer for the Republican Party of Florida in Miami, FL. Her research interests include the Middle East and US-Cuba relations.

Cathinka Lerstad

Originally from Norway, Cathinka has spent the past 12 years studying and working abroad - in Israel, England, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia, Ukraine, Italy and the United States.  She holds a B.S. in Economics and Development from the University of Bath (England) and an M.A. in International Affairs from the Australian National University (ANU).  Her professional experience includes work on peacebuilding in the Balkans and UN internal reform.  Cathinka is a Fulbright Scholar and third year PhD student in the Department of International Studies.  She is a recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Summer Fellowship for 2009 and the College of Arts and Sciences Dissertation Award for 2010-2011.  Cathinka's primary research interests include normative political theory, ethics and morality in international relations, and collective security responses to situations of massive human rights violations (R2P).

Alberto Lozano

Alberto Lozano-Vázquez holds a BA in International Relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Campus Acatlán).  From 1998 to 2008 his labor experience developed within both, private and public sectors in México. He is currently studying the PhD in IR in the Department of International Studies at the University of Miami. His scholarly interests mainly include IR theory and security studies, but also he has special interest in subjects as: revolutions, democracy, culture, political philosophy, gender studies, and international trade.  Particularly, he is focused on the US-Mexico bilateral relationship in terms of national security, taking into account different possible theories from the field of IR and enriching the analysis with some elements derived from Comparative Politics and International Political Economy.  Alberto receives support from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) in Mexico and from the INS Department at UM.

Menaka Mahajan

Menaka Mahajan is a second-year graduate student. She holds a BA in International Studies from the University of California, Irvine. After graduation, she performed content analysis and developed research reports for a communications research firm in San Francisco. She has also been employed by the City & County of San Francisco in the area of campaign finance ethics. Her interests include poverty, inequality, and crime, particularly in Latin America.

Rumbidzai Mufuka

Rumbidzai Mufuka is a second-year PhD student, a McKnight Fellow and a Teaching Assistant at the University of Miami in the Department of International Studies. Her research interests include the evaluation and assessment mechanisms of non-governmental organizations involved in development aid and the role of civil society and NGOs in transitional justice. In her spare time, she tutors student-athletes and avoids cars while on her bike.

Marsha Pacheco

Originally from the nation-state of Trinidad and Tobago, Marsha is a second year PhD student, McKnight Fellow, and Teaching assistant, concentrating on International Political Economy. Her research interests include Distributional Conflict within Regional Integration Arrangements, Structural Cohesion Funds, and Economic and Political Integration. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Leadership Development from Johns Hopkins University (2005), a Masters of Art in International Development from Brandeis University (2002), and a Bachelors of Art in English: Media Arts from Coppin State University (2000). Prior to pursuing doctoral studies she worked for several years within the government and non-profit sectors in the Maryland/Washington DC metro areas. In her spare time Marsha enjoys travelling, volunteering, and exercising.

Angela Puentes

Angela Puentes is a first year graduate student from Bogotá, Colombia.   She has a B.A. in Political Science and a M.A. in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá.  Her research interests include illicit economies and their connection with armed conflict, and corporate social responsibility in armed conflict and post-conflict scenarios.

Andrea Sanchez

Andrea graduated with a Master of Arts in International Relations from St. John’s University.  She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in International Studies at the University of Miami, with a focus on trafficking in persons and the sexual exploitation of women and children between U.S. and Mexico.  She also works as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Miami’s Toppel Career Center where she critiques students’ career development documents conducts workshops and helps organize events for students.

John (Jack) Twichell

Originally from New York, Jack is a Ph.D. candidate in comparative politics and international relations and he is a Fulbright scholar. His research interests are in comparative political economy and in methodology, and his dissertation will analyze the political economy of hydrocarbon sector development policy among Latin American countries. Jack holds a B.S. in Accounting from State University of New York at Fredonia and an M.A. in Liberal Studies from University of Miami. His professional experience includes work in the areas of finance and real estate. Since joining the department, Jack has served as both Teaching Assistant and as Instructor. In this capacity, he was honored as Outstanding Teaching Assistant by the College of Arts and Sciences in 2007. Jack is also a 2010 graduate of the Institute for Qualitative and Multi-method Research at Syracuse University. In addition, he has been awarded multiple summer research grants from the Center for Latin American Studies at University of Miami (2006, 2008 and 2010), and he is a recipient of the department's Morrison Scholarship Award for 2010-2011.

Master of Arts Students

Rebecca Brooks

Rebecca Brooks is currently in the International Studies Masters Program at the University of Miami.  She grew up in a small town in Massachusetts and completed undergraduate studies at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina.  While at Guilford, she majored in Political Science and International Studies, with a focus on East Asia. During this time she was able to study abroad in Beijing China for a semester, as well as intern with Save the Children in Washington D.C.  Her research interests include Latin America and or East Asia, specifically Brazil and China relations.  Upon completing the program at University of Miami she hopes to go to Brazil and to eventually attain a position in international diplomacy.