Our Faculty and Collaborators
Our faculty are leading scholars and practitioners specializing in our four thematic tracks.
Select Area : -> Global Systems, International Institutions, and Politics - Diplomacy & Public Service - Defense and Security - Private Sector, Practitioners, & Nonprofit Leadership
Global Systems, International Institutions, and Politics
Fernando Lopez-Alves, Ph.D.
CEO,
GeoRisk Solutions
Professor, University of California, Santa
Barbara
Fernando Lopez-Alves is Professor of Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and CEO of GR Solutions. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Political Science from UCLA, as well as a Master’s degree in Philosophy. For five years he directed the University of California Washington Center in Washington, D.C., and over the past fifteen years he has founded and led research centers and think tanks across Latin America and Europe.
Ángela Suarez Collado, Ph.D.
Migration and Environment
University of Salamanca
Dr. Ángela Suárez Collado holds a BA in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Granada, a MA in International Mediterranean Studies and a PhD in Arab and Islamic Studies from the Autonomous University of Madrid.
Before joining Salamanca University, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg-Centre for Global Cooperation Research (Germany).
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Mikhail Molchanov, Ph.D.
Academia & Research
International Relations Analyst | Policy Advisor
Dr. Mikhail A. Molchanov is an independent international relations analyst with broad experience in research, teaching, and policy work. He has worked as a senior policy analyst and professor of political science in Canada, held a visiting professorship at the American University of Sharjah, UAE, and several visiting research appointments at the UN University, Waseda University and Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, Japan, and at the UN University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) in Brugge, Belgium.
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Iván Llamazares, Ph.D.
Academia & Research
University of Salamanca
Iván Llamazares is a distinguished professor of Political Science at the Universidad de Salamanca, where he actively engages in teaching and academic research. His main research interests lie in the party-political articulation of sociopolitical divisions and conflicts in Europe and Latin America, with a particular focus on their historical roots and contemporary transformations.
Sergio D. Jalil, Ph.D.
Academia & Research
CELIBAL | Specialist in Middle Eastern Studies
Holds B.A. degrees in Political Science and International Relations from the Catholic University of Cordoba, and a M.A. degree in Arab Studies from the Center of Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. He is a member of the Argentine National Academy of the Arts and Sciences of Communications and actively linked to several study and academic groups focusing on the Middle East.
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Emily Carty, M.A.
Academia & Research
University of Salamanca
Emily Carty is currently a member of the faculty in the Center for Global and International Studies at the University of Salamanca. She holds a PhD in Political Science at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where she also obtained a Certificate in Survey Methodology from the Odum Institute.
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Dr. Miriam Borham-Puyal, Ph.D.
University of Salamanca | English Department
Dr. Miriam Borham-Puyal is a senior lecturer at the Department of English, and specializes in eighteenth and nineteenth-century literature, popular culture as socio-ideological construct, and women’s studies.She has also studied the systems of censure and control in the digital sphere, with publications such as “Strategies of (In)Visibility and Resilience: Women Writers in a Digital Era”
Raúl Moreno Almendral, Ph.D.
University of Salamanca | Nationalism & History
Raúl Moreno Almendral is Assistant Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at the USAL, where he earned his BA (Hons) in History, his MA in Advanced Historical Studies and Research, as well as his PhD in Modern History. He conducts research on comparative nation-building history in the early 19th century Atlantic world, but he has also published on theory of nationalism, global and imperial history and 20th century nationalism.
Francisco Rodríguez-Jiménez, Ph.d.
University of Extremadura | Visiting Scholar
Dr. Francisco Rodríguez-Jiménez is a professor at the University of Extremadura and currently conducts research at the Instituto de Ciências Sociais in Lisbon. He was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University and a twice-awarded Fulbright Scholar at George Washington University and American University. His academic career includes visiting scholar positions at Università di Bergamo, Wake Forest University, and Johns Hopkins University–Bologna.
Isabel Roldán Gómez, Ph.D.
University of Salamanca | Global Religion
Isabel Roldán Gómez is a Lecturer in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Salamanca. She earned her PhD in Philosophy (Cum Laude, international mention) with a dissertation on Bioethics in a Postsecular Perspective. Her research explores the influence of religion in the public sphere—particularly within bioethics, Judaism, and feminist theology—combining philosophical, political, and anthropological approaches.
Javier Sierra Pierna, Ph.D.
University of Salamanca | Economics
Javier Sierra Pierna holds a PhD in Economics (University of Salamanca) and a MA in Evaluation of Legal Issues and Public Policies (University of Salamanca). He has also been student at the Università di Roma II Tor Vergata (Italy) and the London School of Economics (United Kingdom). He has been visiting fellow at the Center for European Research in Microfinance (CERMi) at the Université de Mons (Belgium), and has undertaking fieldwork research in Bolivia and Peru.
Peter Kuznick, Ph.D.
American University | Cold War & Atomic History
Peter Kuznick Is author of Beyond the Laboratory: Scientists As Political Activists in 1930s America, co-author with Akira Kimura of Rethinking the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Japanese and American Perspectives, co-author with Yuki Tanaka of Nuclear Power and Hiroshima: The Truth Behind the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Power, and co-editor with James Gilbert of Rethinking Cold War Culture.
Hugo Marcos Marné, Ph.D.
University of Salamanca
Political Science
Hugo Marcos Marné holds a B.A in Law, a B.A. in Political Science, a M.A in Political Science, a M.A in Applied Statistics, and a PhD in Political Science. Before joining the University of Salamanca as an Assistant Professor he worked in Cuzco as a lecturer (International Studies Abroad), and a postdoctoral researcher at SUPSI-Lugano (SNSF project fellow), the University of St.Gallen (International Postdoctoral Fellow), and UNED in Madrid (Talento Junior Fellow).
Susana Lagüela, Ph.D.
University
of Salamanca
Engineering & Environmental Studies
Dr. Susana Lagüela holds a Degree in Mining and Energy Engineering, a MA in Environmental Technology and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Vigo.
During her predoctoral studies, she was a visiting researcher in the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain), in University of California – Berkeley (USA) and in ITC-CNR sede di Padova (Italy). After her PhD, she was a postdoctoral invited researcher in ETH Zurich and in Delft University of Technology.
C. Dionisio Pérez-Blanco, Ph.D.
IMDEA, University of Alcalá de Henares, Faculty
Climate Change
C. Dionisio Pérez-Blanco, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Salamanca and Research Associate at the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change. Principal Investigator of major EU and national projects including TRANSCEND, TALANOA-WATER, and IRENE, A Marie Sklodowska-Curie, AXA, and Ikerbasque fellow, hecoordinates the Economic Instruments of Water Security group within the Global Water Assessment network. His research, published in leading journals such as Nature Sustainability, focuses on water policy, climate resilience, and sustainable land use.
Jonathan Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Academia & Research
Illinois Institute of Technology, Environmental Policy
At the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, USA. He holds a PhD and Masters of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Before joining the IIT faculty he spent 20 years in Department of Political Science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he served multiple terms as department chair.
Miguel Carrera Troyano, Ph.D.
Academia & Research
University of Salamanca | Economics
Miguel Carrera Troyano holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid.
He is tenure track professor and researcher in Economics at the Applied Economics Department at the University of Salamanca.
Lourdes Casanova, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Emerging Markets Institute
Formerly at INSEAD, specializes in international business with focus on emerging markets multinationals. Faculty Fellow at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Fulbright Scholar with Masters degree from University of Southern California and a PhD from University of Barcelona. Visiting professor, Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley: Judge Business School, University of Cambridge and at atin American Centre, University of Oxford; University of Zurich, and Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and consultant of Inter-American Development Bank.
Elena Gil, Ph.D.
Academia & Research. Methdology
University of Salamanca
Elena Gil Moreno holds the position of Adjunct Professor in Political Science at the University of Salamanca. She completed her PhD in Social Science and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the same institution. Her master’s degree in Territorial Policies and Cross-Border Cooperation was accomplished at the University of Vigo and the University of Minho (Portugal).
Carolina Plaza Colodro, Ph.D.
Academia & Research. Methdology
University of Salamanca
Carolina Plaza Colodro is a postdoctoral researcher fellow at the Area of Political Science at the University of Salamanca, Spain. She is Sociologist by the University of Barcelona and holds a PhD in Comparative Politics from the University of Salamanca. She has been a visiting researcher at Università degli Studi di Milano (2016), University of Leicester (2016) and Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2020). Her academic interests are related to party systems and populism, and Euroscepticism, both at the supply and demand side of electoral competition.
Mar Martínez Rosón, Ph.D.
Academia & Research
University of Salamanca, Public Opinion
She holds a BA in Political Science and Public Administration, a MA in Latin American Studies and a PhD in Political Science from University of Salamanca. Before, she was a professor at the University of Burgos (2014-2016) and postdoctoral fellow at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2012-2014) and also at Tulane University (2009-2010). She has been visiting scholar at the Kellogg Institute (University of Notre Dame), Boston University and University of Michigan.
Robert J. Guttman, M.A.
Academia & Media
George Mason University | Media & Politics
Robert J. Guttman is the Editor-in-Chief of the Mason Monitor and Director of the George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, Center on Politics & Foreign Relations (CP&FR) where he co-hosts a series of conferences, speeches, and events on politics and foreign policy with the Financial Times newspaper group.
Zulima Sánchez Sánchez, Ph.D.
Academia & Research
University of Salamanca
Zulima Sánchez is an associate Professor in the Department of Administrative Law at the University of Salamanca. She received her PhD in Administrative Law by the same university. She works in Salamanca University since 2002. She worked as a Substitute Judge for 11 years. Doctor Sánchez has been a visiting scholar among others at the University of Columbia, University of Malta, Newberry Library in Chicago, and Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public law in Heidelberg, Germany.
Polly Ruth Polak, Ph.D.
Environment, Politics ,International Relations
University of Salamanca
Dr Polly Ruth Polak is Assistant Professor of Public International Law and International Relations at the University of Salamanca. She teaches EU Law, Public International Law, International Relations, Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, and Human Rights Law. Her academic research is focused mainly on European Union Law. More specifically, her areas of interest cover Brexit, EU values, EU citizenship and Human Rights in Europe.
Carmelo Buscema, Ph,D.
University of Calabria, Faculty
Carmelo Buscema, Ph.D. is Senior Assistant Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Calabria, where he teaches Geopolitics and Political Relations and directs the Laboratory of International Cooperation, Development, and Peace. He serves on the doctoral board in Politics, Society and Development, collaborates with the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla in Mexico, and is an active member of international research networks such as EuPeace and REEDES. His work explores world-systems analysis, capitalism’s historical transformations, international cooperation, and global social conflicts.
Luca Manucci
University of Lisbon, Faculty
Luca Manucci is a research fellow at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon. His work focuses on populism, the far right, political parties, the media, and authoritarian legacies.
Select Area : Global Systems, International Institutions, and Politics -> Diplomacy & Public Service - Defense and Security - Private Sector, Practitioners, & Nonprofit Leadership
Diplomacy & Public Service
Mark L. Asquino
Diplomacy
Former U.S. Ambassador | Career Foreign Service
Ambassador Mark Asquino is a career Foreign Service officer with the rank of Minister Counselor. He retired from the U.S. Department of State in November 2015. Ambassador Asquino’s three decades plus career included postings in Latin America, Europe, Central Asia and Africa. During 2012-2015, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Upon completing his assignment there, the Government of Equatorial Guinea awarded him the country’s highest decoration, “The Grand Cross of the Order of Independence.
Robin L. Raphel
Diplomacy & Public Service
Former U.S. Ambassador | South Asia Expert
Ambassador Robin Raphel is an expert in political, security and economic development issues in South Asia and the Middle East. As a career foreign service officer, she served nearly 40 years in U.S. foreign affairs agencies, including the Department of State, USAID, and DoD. She was the first Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Ambassador to Tunisia, Vice President of the National Defense University, and Deputy Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
Zoran Jolevski
Diplomacy & Public Service
Ambassador | National Security & Trade Expert
Ambassador Zoran Jolevski, Ph.D. is a former Minister of Defense and Ambassador to the United States, with over three decades of experience in diplomacy, international trade, and national security. He has served as Chief Negotiator under the UN, Secretary General to the Macedonian President, and advisor on WTO accession. A former Harvard Fellow and Vice Rector for International Cooperation at the European University Skopje, Dr. Jolevski now leads the Institute for Strategic Initiatives and Policies and chairs the Ambassador’s Round Table in San Diego.
Salma Yusuf
Diplomacy & Public Service | Nonprofit
United Nations | Commonwealth Secretariat | Transitional Justice
With an extensive track record encompassing diverse sectors nationally, regionally and internationally, she has served and continues to serve the United Nations, Commonwealth, international and national private and corporate sectors, national and foreign governments, civil society, academia, media and journalism, and international institutions. She was also selected as a Salzburg Global Fellow, further reflecting her recognition and engagement at the highest levels of global leadership and collaboration.
Nicholas J. Cull, Ph.D.
Academia & Public Diplomacy
University of Southern California | Public Diplomacy Studies
He directs the Master’s Program in Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. Originally from the UK, he is a historian of the media and its impact on international relations. He trained at the University of Leeds (BA, 1986; PhD, 1992) and studied as a Harkness Fellow and visiting lecturer at Princeton University (1988-1992).
Claudia de Windt, LL.M. Lawyer
International Institutions
IUCN | UNEP
Adjunct Associate Professor at American University, Washington College of Law (Human Rights and the Environment. Member of the Steering Committee of the World Commission on Environmental Law of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), of the group of experts of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Select Area : Global Systems, International Institutions, and Politics - Diplomacy & Public Service -> Defense and Security - Private Sector, Practitioners, & Nonprofit Leadership
Defense, Security and Strategy
John Kiriakou
Defense, Intelligance, & Security
Former CIA Officer | Whistleblower | Author
John Kiriakou is a journalist, former CIA counter-terrorism officer, former senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former counter-terrorism consultant for ABC News. In 2007, Kiriakou blew the whistle on the CIA’s torture program, telling ABC News that the CIA tortured prisoners, that torture was official U.S. government policy. He became the sixth whistleblower indicted by the Obama administration under the Espionage Act. He served 23 months in prison as a result of the revelation.
Adam D.M. Svendsen, Ph.D.
Defense & Security
Intelligence and Defense Strategy Consultant
An international intelligence and defence strategist, educator, researcher, analyst and consultant. Amongst many roles, he co-runs the Bridgehead Institute (Research & Consulting), is an affiliated scientist and visiting guest at the Collective Intelligence Group at the IT University of Copenhagen (ITU) – https://ci.itu.dk/ – as well as an Associate Consultant at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (CIFS/IFF), Denmark.
Alfredo Langa-Herrero, Ph.D.
Conflict Resolution & Research | Nonprofit
IECAH, Berlin
Alfredo Langa-Herrero is an economist (International PhD) and has a master degree in International Co-operation. He is a lecturer at the Alice Salomon University in Berlin and researcher at the Institute of Studies on Conflict and Humanitarian Action (IECAH).
He also lectures at several universities in Europe and Latin America.
Tammy Bombardier
Defense & Security | Private Sector
Supply Chain Risk & Strategy | Co-Founder, Waller Global
Professor Bombardier is a global strategist and co-founder of Waller Global. With two decades of experience across Asia and Europe, she is recognized as a trusted advisor in supply chain risk management, economic diplomacy, and international market strategy. She combines her academic role in Canada with published thought leadership and executive training worldwide, equipping leaders and students alike to navigate global complexity with confidence.
Fulton T. Armstrong
Defense & Security
Former U.S. Intelligence Analyst | Faculty, American University
Fulton T. Armstrong is a writer, analyst and adjunct professor at American University and Syracuse University’s Maxwell School Program in Washington, DC. He teaches about intelligence, foreign policy, and Latin America. He is also aguest lecturer at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid. He has conducted workshops in intelligence analysis in Latin America as well. He is author of A Guide to Producing Actionable Intelligence: Drivers, Scenarios, and Policy (2023).
Alejandro Amigo Tossi, Ph.D.
Nationalism, Terrorism, Defense & Security
Professor, U.S. Army War College | Former UN Peacekeeper
Alejandro Amigo is Visiting Professor in the Master in Global Studies, where he teaches the course on Terrorism and supervises theses. He has also taught Strategic Leadership and Latin American Studies at the United States Army War College, as well as security and defense courses in Chile. A former Army officer and UN peacekeeper, he holds a Master in Security Studies from Georgetown University and is pursuing a PhD in Political Science at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Paul D. Escott, Ph.D.
Wake Forest University | War Historian
Paul D. Escott is the Reynolds Professor of History at Wake Forest University and a specialist in the history of the American Civil War. He has published nine books exploring the causes, effects, and aftermath of that civil war and has edited and contributed to eight additional volumes.
Select Area : Global Systems, International Institutions, and Politics - Diplomacy & Public Service - Defense and Security -> Private Sector, Practitioners, & Nonprofit Leadership
Private Sector, Practitioners, & Nonprofit Leadership
Jesica Lindgren, J.D.
General Counsel, Blue Star Strategies
Jesica Lindgren is General Counsel at Blue Star Strategies, LLC. She previously held senior roles at ResCare, Inc. and the International Labour Organization (ILO), leading international workforce and development initiatives. A graduate of Georgetown and the University of Chicago, she serves as President of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
Ignacio Domínguez, J.D.
Latham & Watkins LLP | Pro Bono Leadership
Ignacio Domínguez is a counsel of the US law firm Latham & Watkins LLP in the Madrid office. Mr. Domínguez focuses his practice on international M&A, capital markets and corporate restructurings, being continuously involved in international business negotiations. He also heads Latham & Watkins’ pro bono practice in Spain.
George Benaroya, M.B.A.
Finance Executive | Adjunct Professor, New York University
George Benaroya is a Global Financial Executive who managed operations at Procter & Gamble, Tetra Pak, Beiersdorf/Nivea and currently a Private Equity firm. His executive positions include Vice President Finance, Global Controller & CFO. During his career, he has served as Member of the Global Marketing Committee and led 26 M&As. S.
Guido Schmidt, Ph.D.
Fresh Thoughts Consulting | Climate & Policy Specialist
Guido Schmidt works as a senior expert at Fresh Thoughts Consulting GmbH. He is a German PhD with more than 30 years of experience as a key expert, team leader, project/portfolio manager and evaluator in water, climate adaptation and environmental policy, planning and implementation. His areas of competence include Water, Climate change adaptation and resilience, Nexus, Innovation, Ecosystems, Monitoring & Evaluation, Communications and Knowledge Management, etc.
José Ignacio Sanchez-Macias, Ph.D.
University of Salamanca | University of Chicago
Professor of Applied Economics, MA-ABD (U. Chicago), Ph.D., MBA, LL.M. (U. Salamanca).
Chairman of the Department of Applied Economics and Director of Master of Taxation Program in the University of Salamanca, where he has served as Vice-Rector for Economics and Management.
Nathalia Berkowitz, J.D.
Private Sector & Nonprofit
Law Reform | NGOs | Government Consul
As an experienced lawyer, law reform and strategic management professional Nathalia has worked in many countries and legal systems working with governments, international organisations and NGOs.
Nathalia has worked in legal and legislative reform in post conflict and transitional countries across four continents.
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Francesco Sapino, Ph.D.
University of Salamanca | Economics & Engineering
Dr. Francesco Sapino earned a Bachelor’s degree in Energetic Engineering from the Polytechnic of Turin and a Baster’s degree in Environmental Economics (with honors) from the University of Turin. After a a visiting research period for his master’s thesis at the University of Salamanca (USAL), he joined the research group led by Dionisio Pérez-Blanco at USAL, initiating his Ph.D. in Economics.
Joanna Kozlowski, M.A.
Consultant | Coaching & Business Development
Joanna Kozlowski is a teacher, trainer, coach, and consultant based in Washington DC. Through her practice (Resolute Consulting LLC), she brings together her first career in teaching and training and her second in marketing and business development.
Ewa Staworzynska, M.A.
USCIB | Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability
Ewa Staworzynska is currently the Head of the Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs practice at the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), leading the organization’s work on business and human rights, corporate social responsibility as well as labour policy. Ms. Staworzynska is a member of the US Federal Responsible Business Conduct Advisory Committee, advising the government on their efforts to promote responsible business conduct.
Tatiana Eremenko
University of Salamanca, Faculty
Dr Tatiana Eremenko is Associate Professor at the University of Salamanca, teaching Sociology, Migration, and Quantitative Research Methods. Her research addresses international migration and mobility in Europe, focusing on families and children and how public policies shape their experiences. She completed the European Doctoral School of Demography (2009) and obtained a PhD in Demography at the University of Bordeaux (2015). She has previously worked at the French Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the National University of Distance Education (UNED).
Dr Blanca Ausín
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Researcher
Distinguished Researcher at IRNASA–CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) and leader of the Emerging Group on Biogeosciences & Climate Change. Her research focuses on the present carbon cycle and Earth’s long-term climate variability. She held postdoctoral positions at ETH Zürich, the University of Oxford, and OCCR, and received major grants including ETH–MSCA, SNSF, and an ERC Starting Grant. Former faculty at USAL, her science communication has been nationally recognized, including the “Joven Talento Femenino 2023” award from the Real Academia de Ciencias & Mastercard.
Paula Arana Barbier
University of Heidelberg, Faculty
Dr Arana Barbier is a postdoctoral fellow at the Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies at the University of Heidelberg, under the mentorship of Prof. Dr Motta. She is a political scientist with a bachelor's degree from the University of Freiburg (B.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Major in Governance) and a master’s and PhD from the University of Salamanca (M.A. in Political Science and PhD in Rule of Law and Global Governance, specialised in Comparative Politics).
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