Zoe Stylianides (she/her) is a senior at the University of Washington majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. She created the Journal for students hoping to showcase their work in the Political Science field. For Zoe, the Journal is about access and opportunity; both for student submitters and students on the UWJPS team. In a world ever-growing and evolving, it is essential to highlight different voices and create opportunities in one’s community. She hopes the Journal will be a lasting outlet for students at the University of Washington and beyond to express themselves and be a part of a flourishing academic community. Zoe’s personal research interests lie in judicial politics, public law and American Politics.
Editor
Connor Swanson (he/him) is a senior political science student at the University of Washington who hails from Puyallup, Washington. Connor joined the journal because he firmly believes that expanding the current body of political science research will make the world a better place. His primary areas of interest are American constitutional law, judicial behavior, and electoral politics. Connor is passionate about indigent legal assistance and works as a volunteer legal assistant at the Housing Justice Project.
Editor
Luke McFadden (he/him) is a junior at the University of Washington pursuing a major in Political Science with a focus in Political Economy. He joined the Journal because of his passion for research and writing, elevating new ideas, and creating the space for people to make their voices heard. Luke’s personal research interests include economic development, trade policy, and international relations.
Editor
Kai Seidenberg (he/him) is a senior majoring in Political Science, Philosophy, and Law, Societies, and Justice. His academic interests center on political theory and critical theory, with a particular interest in the dynamics of American liberalism and democracy. Kai’s passion for these subjects has been fueled by his firsthand experiences working with Washington lawmakers at the local, state, and federal levels. He is eager to work for the political science journal to promote civic education and engagement on campus.
Erick Jacobsen
Editor
Erick Jacobsen (he/him) is a sophomore in the Political Science department pursuing a minor in Spanish. When he's not working with UWJPS, he is participating in the student government as a Senator and the Senate Membership Coordinator. He is from California and is especially passionate about American politics and judicial politics.
Kate Lawson
Editor
Kate Lawson (she/her) is a sophomore studying Political Economy. She is passionate about contemporary political economic issues, and studies the connection between media trends and political ideology. She is so excited to be a part of UWJPS, and is grateful for the opportunity to hold space for the work of UW Political Science students in her time at UW. In her free time, she takes pride in her campaign work, most recently working on Gallego for Arizona leading up to the 2024 election.
Isaac Grey
Assistant Editor
Isaac Grey (he/him) is a junior studying Political Science with a minor in Public Policy. He is deeply interested in the intersection of law and national economic systems, with a focus on promoting fair and equitable outcomes. Isaac is thrilled to contribute to UWJPS and values the opportunity to amplify the voices of his peers. Outside of academics, he is passionate about public service, having gained valuable experience through his work on both the official and grassroots side of policy.
Nora VanRees
Assistant Editor
Nora VanRees (she/her) is a sophomore studying International Studies and Law, Societies, and Justice. Nora is interested in legal anthropology, ethnography, and the international human rights of women and girls. Nora is also incredibly passionate about criminal justice reform, and is a dedicated part of the UW's Juvenile Parole Project. She is an undergraduate research assistant for the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and the Sociology department.
Julia Blount
Assistant Editor
Julia Blount (she/her) is a junior studying Political Science with a minor in Disability Studies. Julia is grateful to be joining the UWJPS team because she is passionate about independent journalism. She is also excited to learn from and interact with her incredible peers! Julia studies the criminal legal system, specifically its relationship with U.S. politics and American cultural values. Being from Sacramento, California, she is especially enthusiastic about prison reform in California. Since arriving at the University of Washington, she has managed an ASUW campaign and held multiple leadership positions within her sorority. Later this year, she will be studying disability and aging in Rome, Italy with the Law, Societies, and Justice department.
Kaitlyn O'Connor
Assistant Editor
Kaitlyn O'Connor (she/her) is a sophomore studing Political Economy. Kaitlyn is interested in how economic systems and trends intersect with political climates and elections. Passionate about empowering student involvement in the legislative process, Kaitlyn dedicates her time outside of UWJPS to lobbying for student interests through her work with ASUW. Kaitlyn is planning to continue her involvment with the legislative process through interning within the Colorado state government this summer, all while running and hiking the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
Anna Hull
Assistant Editor
Anna Hull (she/her) is a sophomore studying Journalism and Law, Societies, and Justice. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Anna is pasionate about studying the impacts of political polarization and mobilizing the college-aged vote. Outside of UWJPS, Anna writes for UW's student newspaper The Daily as the UWPD beat reporter and works as their Development Editor. Later this year, Anna will study disability, aging, and gender through an LSJ study abroad in Rome.
Dylan Bianchi
Assistant Editor
Dylan Bianchi (He/Him) is a first year student at UW majoring in Political Science. He is interested in the political landscape of Washington State, specifically the relationship between housing policy and homelessness. Outside of UWJPS he is involved in ASUW Student Senate and Huskies for Housing. Dylan is incredibly excited to start working as an Assistant Editor for UWJPS.
Public Relations Director
Angela LeDrew (she/her) is a sophomore at the University of Washington studying political science and philosophy. She is passionate about contemporary politics and especially interested in the judicial system. She is also the vice president of the University of Washington's mock trial team, and interested in a future in law. Angela is extremely excited to be a part of UWJPS.
Communications Director
Aidan Leffler (he/him), is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in Public Policy at the University of Washington, coming from right across the bridge in Bellevue, Washington. Aidan is the Communications Director for UWJPS, and joined the journal to collaborate with fellow politics-obsessed students and to create a space for future political science students who want to do the same. Aidan’s academic and political interest areas are in political communication, specifically how to counteract partisanship, and in public policy and policy design in healthcare and other areas, though he is happy to discuss any political topic.
Public Relations Director
Sumaiyah (she/her) is a junior at the University of Washington studying Political Science and LSJ with a minor in International Studies. She is from Seattle Washington but grew up and spent most of her life in Alanya Turkey. Sumaiyah’s research focuses on international diplomacy as well as environmental politics and policy. She joined the journal to help amplify the voices of emerging political science scholars. Aside from the journal she is also a part of her other club FGLL (First gen leaders in law) and is an undergraduate fellow for the center for environmental politics in the political science department.
Allie Goodman-Callender
Public Relations Assistant
Allie Goodman-Callender (she/her) is a junior studying Political Science and International Studies. She is passionate about US-East Asia relations, nuclear security, and international law. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons are reshaping global security frameworks and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Allie is excited to be joining the UWJPS team to engage with diverse perspectives and collaborate with her peers.
Bailey Moroson
Public Relations Assistant
Bailey Moroson (she/her) is a Junior at the University of Washington studying a double major in Law Societies and Justice and Cinema and media studies with a minor in International Studies. Bailey is enthusiastic and passionate about studying constitutional law, public policy and systemic racial injustices within American history, with a focus on driving forward meaningful reform and advocacy within the criminal justice system. She is excited to work with UWJPS and values the opportunity to engage in meaningful collaboration with her peers. This past summer Bailey participated in a Comparative Punishment LSJ Study Abroad program, researching rehabilitation practices and the International carceral system in England/Netherlands.