Biography Iris joins Penn Washington following a distinguished career spanning the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Senate. Most recently, she served as the inaugural Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience (2022–2025), where she advised the Secretary of Defense on protecting U.S. and allied interests in the…
Penn Washington is pleased to welcome Iris Ferguson as a Visiting Scholar focused on Arctic strategic competition and advancing stability and security in the region. Iris joins Penn Washington following a distinguished career spanning the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Senate. Most recently, she served as the inaugural Deputy Assistant…
Biography Dunya Afshar is a junior from San Francisco, California, majoring in Political Science and Consumer Psychology at UPenn. She is interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, and public policy, particularly how institutions and emerging technologies shape economic and healthcare outcomes. At Penn, she serves as social chair of the Penn Persian Society and Sigma Delta Tau.…
Penn Washington has joined Ground Shift, a new cross-partisan initiative dedicated to developing bold ideas for the future stewardship of America’s public lands and waters. Ground Shift brings together thought-leaders, scholars, and advocates from across the political spectrum to generate dialogue and fresh thinking about how the United States should manage its public lands and…
Penn Washington is excited to announce that Sasha Nicholas has joined the team as Domestic Policy Programs Coordinator. Nicholas brings experience spanning AI policy, early childhood education, and federal program administration. Most recently, she served as Manager of Policy and Programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, where she led AI-focused initiatives for small…
Contact Biography Sasha S. Nicholas is the Domestic Policy Programs Coordinator at Penn Washington. Previously, she worked on AI-focused initiatives for small businesses and led early childhood education programs as Manager of Policy and Programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. In that role, she oversaw a portfolio connecting child care to broader national…
Penn Washington is pleased to welcome Daniel Schneiderman as our new Director of Global Policy Programs. In this role, Daniel will lead the development and execution of Penn Washington’s global policy initiatives, connecting the University’s intellectual resources with policymakers and policy influencers working on pressing international challenges. Daniel arrives following a distinguished career spanning the…
Contact Biography Daniel Schneiderman is the Director of Global Policy Programs at Penn Washington. He also serves as an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Most recently, Daniel served as the Senior Coordinator for Afghanistan. He reported directly to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy…
Biography Luka Jacobi-Krohn is a sophomore from Edina, Minnesota, studying political science in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. Luka’s policy interests include public benefits, national security, government operations, unions, and sustainable energy. He enjoys watching movies, hiking, and visiting museums.
Biography Isabelle Kong is a junior from California, pursuing a major in Political Science and a minor in Survey Research & Data Analytics. Her interests lie in education policy, public opinion research, and the governance of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. At Penn, Isabelle is involved with Penn Appétit and Sound Politicks. She enjoys long walks and trying every iced latte in the city.
