Staff

Meet the Staff of AIDemocracy!

SPRING 2012

Patrick McDermott | Global Peace and Security Coordinator
Before rejoining AIDemocracy, Patrick was a Legislative Aide for PA State Senator Lisa M. Boscola for about a year-and-a-half. After spending some time “inside the beltway” he decided he wanted to try some “outside the beltway” work, which brought him to Washington, D.C., oddly enough. Click here for full bio. Email Patrick McDermott.

Khushbu Patel | Sex and Justice Fellow

Khushbu has a great desire to explore and better understand global health issues. She has taught courses on the political, social, ecological, economical and cultural affects of globalization and technology. Her international experience includes research field visits to India, Bolivia and Bangladesh, where she conducted research on gender issues, socio-economic inequalities, HIV/AIDS transmission rates, and sustainable rural development. Click here for full bio. Email Khushbu Patel.

Ronald Barba | Business and Program Development Fellow

Ronald is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he served as an active advocate for social issues and civic engagement, focusing particularly on access to education on national and global scales, racial/ethnic social and political equalities, and positive male identity development (and its effect on women’s reproductive and economic rights). Click here for full bio. Email Ronald Barba.

Ernie Ji | Fellow

My name is Ernie Ji and I attend Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. I wanted to be a part of AIDemocracy and more specifically the security campaign team because I would like to apply what I have learned in school. I also want to continue doing political science research and participate in dialogue on US foreign policy. I am especially excited about the growth and progress Latin America is currently undergoing. Read Ernie’s full bio and posts.

Mike Sease | Communications Fellow

Mike moved from the Bay Area to the Washington Metro Area in 2005 and is currently finishing high school in the Commonwealth Governor’s School program. Interested in international economics and environmental policy, he has a passion for investigating how institutions and individuals can collaboratively address critical public issues. Click here for full bio. Email Mike Sease.

Tiffany Pryce | Sex & Justice Fellow

Tiffany brings her experience and passion for public health and education to AIDemocracy’s Global Health team. She has been involved with public health organizations from an early age, beginning as a sexual health peer educator and growing to planning and executing campus events bringing to light international human rights injustices. Most noted was her study abroad trip to Guam in the summer of 2008. She traveled with a team to the beautiful island and partnered with an HIV/AIDS awareness organization to address the growing transmission of HIV among the Micronesian population. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of her life and she knew she wanted to help address health issues in a community closer to home. Click here for full bio. Email Tiffany Pryce.

Ron Mattson | Security Fellow

Ron Mattson is a Global Security Fellow with AID. Ron brings with him five years of experience in the intelligence field, serving as a Human Intelligence Collector with the US Army. Ron served for five years and completed two tours to Iraq, including a tour during the surge. Ron is finishing his bachelors degree in International Studies at American University and currently holds an associates degree in Intelligence Operations. Ron has interned with Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee in the Fall/Spring of 2010/2011 and enjoyed the experience of learning about the political process. Click here for full bio. Email Ron Mattson.

Emma Peterson | Climate Change and Hunger Fellow

Emma is a student at American University in Washington DC where she is studying International Relations, International Business and French. She is especially excited about working with the campaign teams for Hunger and Climate Change to get other students interested and involved in the issues that she cares so much about. Emma became interested in international policy through Model United Nations in high school, and she came to DC to get involved with environmental and human rights issues in the center of US politics. She believes students have a strong voice in politics, and by becoming informed voters and activists, we can create a better future for ourselves now. Click here for full bio. Email Emma Peterson.

Kasturi Puntambekar | Marketing and Fundraising Fellow

Kasturi is a senior at American University in Washington, D. C. and is majoring in History with a minor in Psychology. Originally from a rural town in Massachusetts, she has worked in the development sector of non-profit organizations around the Capital and has enjoyed learning new and innovative ways of communicating with donors and foundations. She is looking forward to exploring new methods of promoting the cause of Americans for Informed Democracy and reaching out to the greater D. C. community in the process. Click here for full bio. Email Kasturi Puntambekar.