Latest Intern Blog Posts

I first became interested in START in February 2014 after discussing Dr. Gary LaFree’s lecture, “Black Swans and Burstiness: Countering Myths about Terrorism” in my Deterring Terrorism class at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). After hearing Gary speak, I knew that interning at START was something I wanted to pursue, and so far, the experience has been well worth it.

I am currently a political science major at UMBC expected to graduate in May 2017, and an intern on the Dataverse team under the supervision of Michael Distler. As one of the two Dataverse Assistant Editors this semester, I am responsible for archiving data and preparing it to be uploaded onto the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) for dissemination to the public. Using software such as the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word, I edit data in order to create codebooks and metadata. This semester, I am focusing on a project analyzing a study of… read entire post

As the 2014 spring semester wound down, I found myself considering where I would intern in the fall. Luckily, I was taking Complex Organizational Communication, a course at the University of Maryland with Dr. Elizabeth Petrun. In addition to Dr. Petrun being a professor at the University of Maryland, she is also the associate director of the Risk Communication and Resilience program at START. At her urging I decided to apply for a risk communication internship and now, here I am!

As a junior public relations student, I am only beginning to build a foundation of experience for my future career. Prior to this, I had interned at a local newspaper, but my risk communication internship was my first experience in a professional, research-focused institution.

When I first started, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was daunting to know that the work done here is for funders who are typically government entities. However, the overall culture at START helped to alleviate some of… read entire post

When I applied to the Government and Politics program at the University of Maryland, I did not know which of the paths within the major I would follow. My interest in terrorism, however, emerged early in my college career after participating in a program called Destination London.

The study abroad program, offered only to incoming freshman, greatly expanded my perspective on the world. While abroad I attended a student Peace Conference in Northern Ireland, and for the first time, I experienced a region torn by terrorism. I realized how interested I was in conflict after witnessing the long-term effects terrorism can have on cultures and lifestyles.

My second direct experience with terrorism came during my semester abroad last spring in San Sebastian, a metropolitan city in the Basque Country of Northern Spain. Again, similar to my time in Northern Ireland, I was in a region torn from a history of nationalist terrorism. During the semester I took a class on terrorism… read entire post

I had no idea what to expect when I walked into START on my first day. There was a tangible buzz of energy and I watched groups of interns working intently at their desks; I wondered if I would enjoy the work as much as they did. I settled down in front of my dual monitors and began a series of internships that grew into my most enjoyable and rewarding professional experience to date.

Prior to START, my background consisted of experiences in the political, legal, and immigration fields, with little exposure to terrorism research or counterterrorism studies. In May 2012, I graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in Political Science.

Two years later, I graduated from American University’s School of Public Affairs with a M.S. in Justice, Law and Criminology and a concentration in Terrorism and Security Policy. While at American University, I learned about the internship program at START through a lecture given by START’s Internship… read entire post