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Executive Board Members
Chair Jessica Thompson
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GWIAS Executive BoardChair Jessica ThompsonOffice Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM  Hello and thank you for visiting the IAS website! I am a senior in the Elliott school, majoring in international affairs and minoring in French. Within the vast field of international affairs, my specific interests include African studies, regional integration issues, and human rights law. I was born in the US outside of Chicago, but attended high school in Geneva, Switzerland. Living overseas transformed me into an avid traveler and I spent my junior year abroad in Dakar, Senegal and Vietnam. Attending university in Washington, DC has been a roundly rewarding and exciting experience. This city affords us so many opportunities for internships, community involvement, and expanding our cultural horizons and as the IAS we are lucky to have so many great resources at our disposal.
I’ve been heavily involved in the IAS since the beginning of my freshman year and I’m so anxious to commit to our organization again this year in the capacity of chair. I formerly served on the executive board as the GWUPIE director and really enjoyed applying my passion for global issues in the public schools of the DC community. The IAS has been my home away from home at GW and it has given me the chance to grow intellectually, professionally, and to develop some of the best friendships of my university experience. The IAS welcomes students of any major or undergraduate college; our members simply share a common desire to explore the plethora of international political, economic, social, cultural, and historical issues that impact our world, our local communities, and our lives. Moreover, through our outreach programming and intellectual development, we hope to contribute positively to expansion of international knowledge and understanding. I encourage you to contact any of our programming officers or myself, or visit our office at Marvin Center 428 to learn more about our activities and find a way the IAS can enhance your time at GW. I hope you’ll join the IAS for a fun-filled, stimulating year! Vice Chair Trish PuttmannOffice Hours: Wednesdays, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM; Sundays, 8 PM to 9 PM  Hey everyone! My name is Trish Puttmann, and I am currently a junior in the Elliott School working towards my degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict & Security, and a minor in History. Although I’m an American citizen, I call Brussels, Belgium home! I attended SHAPE International High School at the NATO military headquarters outside Brussels, and my family continues to live there today. My dad was in the US Army and consequently I have moved over 10 times, growing up in Australia, Germany, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, and DC.
International Affairs is close to my heart and I cannot wait to serve you all as Vice-Chair of the IAS! This will be my third year involved in the organization – my involvement included serving as Secretary General of GWCIA XIII my freshman and sophomore year. I am also a proud teammate of our Model UN team, affording me the opportunity to travel domestically and internationally! Off-campus, I am a research intern for the Institute for the Study of War, and I’ve spent time interning on the Hill. I am confident this year’s programming, both academic and social, will be a great addition to your time spent at GW. Never hesitate to shoot me an email or give me a ring should you have any questions about the IAS and our initiatives. Cheers! Treasurer Daniel BoehmerOffice Hours: Mondays, 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM; Wednesdays, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PMContact Daniel  Welcome to the IAS. I am a senior majoring in the Elliott School seeking a major in International Affairs with a concentration in International Politics and a minor in Linguistics. I hail from Marblehead, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the American Navy in good old New England. My academic interests have seen me study German and for the past three years Arabic. I have had the good fortune to study the Arabic language in Egypt, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates. I have been actively involved in the IAS for some time, especially on the Model UN team and by chairing committees at our WAMUNC and GWCIA conferences. At GW I have variously participated in the student government as Assistant Vice President of Judicial and Legislative Affairs and as a member of the Joint Elections Committee responsible for the first online student elections on campus. I look forward to collaborating with the Executive Board this year to support the important work of this organization in the academic, competitive, and social spheres. If you have any questions as to why the IAS, in addition to being the largest non-partisan political organization on campus, is also GW’s best, feel free to ask!
MUN Coordinator Alison DieringerOffice Hours: Mondays, 4 PM to 5 PM; Sundays, 9 PM to 10 PMContact Alison  Welcome to the IAS!
I'm Alison Dieringer, a senior from the small town of Parkesburg in southeastern Pennsylvania, double majoring in International Affairs and Economics with concentrations in Asia and International Economics. I am extremely excited to be your Model UN Coordinator for this year and have been actively participating in Model UN for more than seven years and the IAS for the past three.
I had an absolutely wonderful study abroad semester in Kunming, China last fall, but there is no place quite like the District of Colombia. My other activities here include Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority, GW Club Field Hockey, the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), and the IAS's other programming, especially GWCIA and WAMUNC.
I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions and/or wish to be involved. We have a great year of conferences planned, taking us to the West Coast, up and down the East Coast, Mid-West, as well as Canada and beyond!
Academic Coordinator Behnam 'Ben' TalebluOffice Hours: Mondays, 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM; Tuesdays, 9 PM to 10 PMContact Behnam  Welcome to the International Affairs Society! My name is Behnam Ben Taleblu, I’m a sophomore hailing from New York City, literally one block up from the United Nations and am originally of Persian origin. I am double majoring in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies with a minor in Religion. I’ve joined the International Affairs Society last year and have loved every minute of it since. It’s the one true organization that I can call my home. This year I will be serving as your Academic Coordinator; working hard to book interesting speakers, host a thematic week or two, and take you to embassies and politically affiliated organizations around the DC metro area. Within the IAS I have done my best to go on a fair share of Model UN conferences as a freshman whilst serving as a Vice-Chair for GWCIA and a Chair for the Security Council at WAMUNC this past year. If you see me bustling about campus it might be because I am also the SA’s Director of Multi-Religious Affairs and the Cultural Advisor to the Iranian Cultural Society. Regardless, I hope you are looking forward to a sensational year of Academic events and feel free to email me if you have questions.
Social Coordinator Ben BloomfieldOffice Hours: By Appointment
I hope to get the chance to meet and talk with everybody very soon. Please contact me by email or come by my office hours if you have any questions or just want to shoot the breeze for a while. Im really looking forward to this year and hope you are too! Outreach Coordinator Kirsten OrtegaOffice Hours: Tuesdays, 10 AM to 11 AMContact Kirsten 
Hey everyone and welcome to the IAS! My name is Kirsten Ortega and I am ecstatic to be your Outreach Coordinator for the 2009-2010 Academic Year! I am currently a junior in the Elliott School, majoring in International Affairs with a double concentration in Latin America and International Development Studies and a minor in Spanish.
Originally from San Diego, CA, I moved to Littleton Colorado during my high school years and am now happy to call the Rocky Mountains my beautiful home. I have been actively participating in the IAS since my first days at GW and have enjoyed every minute of it. I have participated in a number of Model UN conferences, served as Vice Chair for the UNHCR at WAMUNC XI, attended and helped organize numerous academic and social events, and will continue my involvement this coming semester. Last year I was selected to be Mount Vernon Representative to the IAS, making this my second time serving the International Affairs Society on its Executive Board. When I am not spending time with my IAS pals (which is almost never!), I play for GW Club Softball and carry out my duties as House Proctor. As Outreach Coordinator, it is my duty to organize community services and outreach activities that spread awareness and raise funds to assist those less fortunate in the local and greater international community. This upcoming school year is going to be exciting as we add new energy to this aspect of our programming and work to find innovative and fun ways to not only reach out to the community, but build friendships, create compassion, and experience the world in a different way. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, feel free to contact me and I look forward to meeting you and having a fun-filled year of outreach and community service! Director of Communications Paul StephenOffice Hours: Mondays, 2:15 PM to 3:15 PM; Tuesdays, 5 PM to 6 PMContact Paul  Hello and welcome to the IAS! My name is Paul Stephen and I am a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs, double majoring in International Affairs and Asian Studies. I’m from Buffalo, New York—proudly one of the few Western New Yorkers at GW. My interests include politics, modern history, and photography. I’m currently studying Chinese and will be traveling to Beijing this summer as part of an internship program. I also currently am on the eboard of the GW chapter of Global China Connections, and will be serving as a justice for Student Judicial Services next year. I participated in many IAS events last year, including most embassy visits, many MUN conferences, and served as a Vice Chair at WAMUNC. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work with the other members of this year’s executive board to make sure the IAS remains the greatest student organization at GW, and I will work to make sure everyone is informed about upcoming events and activities. Please feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions about the IAS, I look forward to getting to know all of our new members next year!
Director of Web Communications Sheng ZhouOffice Hours: VirtualContact Sheng 
Hey everyone. I am the Director of Web Communications/Web Tsar of the International Affairs Society website. I was born in Shanghai in China and moved to the United States when I was seven. As your Director of Web Communications, I manage and update all of our websites and make sure that the most up-to-date and accurate information is available for our visitors and members to see. I am currently a sophomore in the Elliot School of International Affairs, with a view to double major in Economics and Asian Studies. My interests range from anything to do with computers and technology [aka geek things] to history (my current niche is in the late Roman Republic) and current affairs and politics. One of my biggest achievements, which combined my experience in technology with my love of history, was the game modification Rome: Total Realism, for the highly successfull real time battle game Rome: Total War. As one of the project managers for this, I helped develop and oversee a historical realism modification which witnessed over a million downloads worldwide.
I've been an active member of IAS since my freshmen year, and have participated in numerous events and activities. From embassy visits, guest speakers, social functions, WAMUNC/GWCIA, and Model United Nations conferences, I have enjoyed my time with IAS. I am highly excited about being Director of Web Communications again for the 2008-2009 school year and look forward to making the site as interactive and user-friendly as possible, while retaining all the useful information bulletins! If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding the IAS website, or the Globe, WAMUNC, or GWCIA websites, don't hesitate to contact me! Director of Operations Tom LuleyOffice Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 PM to 8 PMContact Tom  Hi guys, my name is Tom Luley and I will be serving as the Director of Operations of the IAS for the 2009-2010 school year. While many of you will never see me doing actual work for the organization I promise you I actually am. I will be responsible for making sure all of our events have the space and equipment they require as well as maintaining the official organization calendar. It may not sound like a challenging or glorious job but let me assure you it is both. :) Other than that I am a Junior, hailing from the notoriously awesome Utica, NY, majoring in International Affairs and concentrating in Conflict and Security Studies here at GW. I am a huge sports fan for the greatest teams in all of the major sports, the Yankees, Giants (football), Rangers, Knicks, and Man U. I do actually enjoy discussing politics and current international affairs. If anyone wants to have an awesome discussion about my favorite Maoist revolutionary/narcoterrorist group, the Shining Path, let me know I'm down. With the IAS I am a very active member, participating in most everything we do especially our baller MUN team. In my two years I've traveled to 8 conferences in 4 different countries been part of an award winning delegation and managed to bring home a few awards myself. I also have served as a staffer for our middle school MUN conference, GWCIA, and our high school conference, WAMUNC, and you all should too! I look forward to meeting everyone and having tons of fun throughout the school year.
GWUPIE Director Kiran NatarajanOffice Hours: Mondays, 10:45 AM to 11:45 AM; Tuesdays, 1 PM to 2 PMContact Kiran  Hey there! My name is Kiran Natarajan and I’m a sophomore in the Elliott School of International Affairs, majoring in International Affairs and Economics. Originally from Chennai, India, I went to Torrey Pines High School in San Diego and I now call Lake Charles, Louisiana my hometown. I have been involved in MUN since high school and I have gone to several conferences with the wonderful GW Model UN team. My specific areas of interest in the international field are conflict and economic development in South Asia and the Persian Gulf. I think GW is an incredible place to study and DC the best place to interact with the international affairs community.
The George Washington University Program for International Education (or GWUPIE for short) is a major arm of the IAS’ community service initiative. I was a Global Classrooms DC Model UN trainer in the Spring of ’09 and I am committed to developing and improving the GWUPIE program here in GW. If you would like to volunteer or want more information about the program, please feel free to email me. WAMUNC Secretary General Alison SalisburyOffice Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 PM to 8 PMContact Alison 
Welcome to the IAS! My name is Alison Salisbury, and I am proud to serve as the Secretary General of the Washington Area Model United Nations Conference XII. I am a junior studying International Affairs with concentrations in Conflict and Security and Global Public Health, and a minor in Political Science. I hail from Corning, New York- a small town Upstate- and now call Washington, DC my home away from home.
Since joining the IAS my freshman year, I have been involved with our glorious MUN team, been a vice-chair and chair for GWCIA and WAMUNC, and this past year had the opportunity to serve on the Secretariat of WAMUNC XI. Besides my interests in the IAS, I work on campus as a Student Editor on the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project, and am excited to say I have helped to research and edit materials in archives all over DC- ranging from 1950s McCarthy era FBI files to doing research at the Library of Congress.
The IAS is my GW family, and I look forward to helping make WAMUNC XII one of the most exciting parts of the IAS calendar this year. If you have any questions, or are interested in staffing WAMUNC XII, don’t hesitate to drop me an e-mail or visit me during office hours!
GWCIA Secretary General Kelsey KingOffice Hours: Mondays, 7 PM to 8 PM; Tuesdays, 6 PM to 7 PMContact Kelsey  Hi everyone! I am a sophomore in the Elliot School of International Affairs with a regional concentration in European and Eurasian Studies. I have a n unrequited love for all things Russian and I hope to study abroad in Saint Petersburg. I was born in Florida, raised in Denver, Colorado, and call DC home. I have been involved with IAS since my freshman year helping with GWCIA and WAMUN, competing in Model UN, serving as GWUPIE Director, and serving as Chief-of-Staff for GWCIA XIII. In addition to IAS I am an alumna of the Women's Leadership Program, a member of College Democrats, and last semester I interned at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. When I'm not busy with IAS and other activities, I spend my free time studying Russian, drinking coffee, reading, or drinking more coffee.
I am very excited to be serving as Secretary General of GWCIA XIV! I have no doubt that GWCIA XIV, held in the fall, will be a great success. If you have
any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me! Globe Editor Lauren JacobsonOffice Hours: Fridays, 2 PM to 4PMContact Lauren 
Hey everybody! I am very excited to be serving as the Globe Editor-in-Chief for the 2009-2010 Academic Year! I am in the Elliott School of International Affairs majoring in International Affairs. I'm originally from Cleveland, OH in the great Midwest, but I am now happy to call DC home! I have been an active IAS member since day one, and other than this wonderful organization, I am involved in STAR, the Hatchet, and my job in the GWU Admissions Office. I am thrilled to be a part of the executive board of this truly honorable organization and I hope this year will bring lots of new experiences and a greater knowledge of the GWU, DC, and the international community.
As Globe Editor, I will strive to assimilate the IAS members to express themselves through this truly admirable academic journal, an essential part of this organization and will do all I can to build a strong group of IAS lovers! As Editor in Chief, I am accepting submissions for The Globe, the International Affairs Society’s truly admirable academic journal. This is a completely student-run publication, and it's the only publication at GW solely devoted to international affairs. I encourage all who are interested in writing for The Globe to do so. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for or about The Globe, please feel free to e-mail me.. Mt. Vernon Rep Ferdinand MaubreyOffice Hours: Thursdays, 10 AM to 11 AM on the VERNContact Ferdinand  Hello Mount Vernon Residents, I will be your Mount Vernon Representative to the IAS this year. I am a Freshman in International Affairs at GW. I believe that the IAS is truly the most influential student group on this very diverse campus and I am proud to be part of this great team. As the MV Rep, I would ask all Vern Residents members of or aspiring members of the IAS to email me so that we can incorporate those Freshmen into the organization and help them get involved.
I was born of a Franco-American father and a German mother in 1988 in West Berlin. In 2005/06 I was on an exchange program for one year in the North of France with the American Field Service (AFS). I received my Abitur at the German-American community school John F.Kennedy School in Berlin. After this, I took part in the German Development Service's (DED) voluntary program "weltwaerts" in Bénin, West Africa, for one year. In Bénin, I worked with the student press at the national university just outside of Cotonou. Together, we developed several very fruitful projects, for example a woman empowerment project, a project against gender violence and an extremely succesful AIDS-sensitization project. This gap year was truly the best experience in my life and I am more than glad that I took that decision and I would be happy to tell anyone more who is interested. I also worked at the Berlin International Film Festival and at the German public TV.I currently work for the Mount Vernon Campus Life office both as an event staffer and an office assistant. I can't live without music, love to watch and play soccer and have participated in several MUN conferences in high school. I wish to place my experiences entirely at the IAS' disposal and hope that my involvement will be of mutual benefit. |
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Hi! My name is Richard “Ben” Bloomfield and I am super excited to be your new social coordinator. We have great programming lined up for this year and I hope to see you all our awesome events. I am a sophomore studying International Affairs with a concentration in Global Public Health and a secondary field of study in Public Health. I am from Truckee California which is in the Sierra Nevada mountains in northern California. I love living in the mountains but we have an awesome time here at GW! I have been active in the IAS for a year and have loved it! I am a member of the Model UN team and have had the awesome experience of going to Montreal and Chicago with the team. I also served as the chair for “The French Revolution”, one of this year’s WAMUNC committees. I studied in northern France during high school and I really like French culture and food! Im very into music, I currently have a radio show called Sharks Are Crying, which features lots of independent and contemporary bands.