The RCID Lab consists of a core management team, temporary fellows, and affiliated student and faculty members. Most of our lab team and members are from our host institution, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. However, we also have affiliates and fellows from other GMU departments, other universities, and non-academic institutions.
Our Team
Dr. Karina Korostelina, RCID Lab Director
Dr. Karina V. Korostelina is Professor of Conflict Analysis & Resolution at the Carter School. As Director of the RCID Lab, Dr. Korostelina oversees and contributes to all aspects of the lab’s work drawing upon her expertise as a leading scholar on identity-based conflict and dynamics of power in the context of social conflicts. Within this theoretical framework, she conducts research in several areas: (1) social identity and identity-based conflicts, including mass violence and civilian devastation, nation-building processes, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and reconciliation in post-conflict societies; (2) the role of history in conflict and post-conflict societies; and (3) resilience in communities affected by chronic conflict and violence and critical infrastructure resilience. Since the mid-1990s, she has led and contributed to various conflict resolution education, policy and other community-level projects in various contexts, particularly in the states of the former Soviet Union.
Michael Sweigart, RCID Lab Manager
Michael (Mike) Sweigart is a PhD Candidate at the Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. Mike manages all of the lab’s work, including research design and implementation, business development, and supervising the work of research assistants and fellows. His work for the lab builds upon his own research focused on how to foster the social and political inclusion of stigmatized minority groups. More specifically, his interests center on ways to resolve tensions between global and domestic norms that often produce backlash to transnational movements for the rights of stigmatized minorities. Within this framework, he is implementing a line of research focused on how to advance the inclusion of sexual and gender minorities in contexts where movements for their rights are perceived as a foreign-driven threat. His research is interdisciplinary, drawing upon and contributing to theories from social psychology and international relations. Mike’s scholarship and practice are informed by more than 10 years working in international democracy & governance development and post-conflict reconciliation across 5 global regions. Learn more about Mike’s experience and skills on his Linkedin page. Mike may be reached at msweigar@gmu.edu.
Beltina Gjeloshi is a PhD Candidate at the Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. As a fellow with the RCID Lab, Beltina is supporting communications and outreach to raise awareness of the RCID Lab’s work – particularly among conflict resolution and reconciliation practitioners – and assist with business development activities. A particular focus of Beltina’s work has been to develop the RCID Lab’s website in a way that engages both academic and practitioner audiences. Outside of her work as a fellow, Beltina is an active student affiliate of the RCID Lab and her research examines the functions of socio-psychological dynamics of social conflicts.
Karaam Zaanin is a Fellow with the RCID Lab, supported by the IREX Community Solutions Program. Karaam’s work is focused on aggregating social and behavior change practices and tools for supporting constructive conflict behavior and reducing violence within communities affected by conflict and intergroup divisons. His work with the RCID Lab draws upon his work as a Communication for Development Officer for the MAAN Development Center in the West Bank/Palestinian Territories, where he implements social and behavioral change communication strategies designed to mobilize civil society organizations.
Simona Marcinkova is a Fellow with the RCID Lab, supported by the IREX Community Solutions Program. During her fellowship, Simona will work to aggregate reconciliation tools and best practices for practitioners engaged in humanitarian and education work. As a Participant Teacher for Teach for Slovakia, Simona has experience as an elementary school teacher in the largest Roma settlement in Slovakia.
Students & Alumni Affiliates
Dr. Mathieu Bere, PhD Alumnus, Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. Mathieu is a scholar-practitioner in international peacebuilding, security, and conflict resolution. A graduate from the Carter school for Peace and Conflict Resolution (George Mason University), and a former Fulbright Scholar at the Kroc School for Peace Studies (University of San Diego, California), Mathieu contributed to joint efforts by the United States and African governments to prevent and counter violent extremism in the Sahara-Sahel region, as a project development/peace and governance specialist at USAID. At George Mason University, he contributed to several research projects while completing his doctoral studies. His research interests and areas of expertise include the Sahara-Sahel region, preventing and countering violent extremism, civilian security in conflict zones, interfaith relations, climate change and human security, and the development of governance, analytical, and technological tools to advance peace and security or to promote social innovation. Mathieu also holds a research Master’s degree in Theology and Social Ethics from the University of Toronto, a training which makes him inclined to probe the anthropological and ethical dimensions of violence in conflict analysis and intervention. He is the author of Le Terrorisme au Sahel and several articles published in peer-reviewed journals. Learn more about Mathieu and his work on LinkedIn. Mathieu can be reached at mbere@gmu.edu.
Natia Chankvetadze, PhD Candidate, Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. Natia has experience in teaching, consultancy, and program management related to peacebuilding and conflict transformation. She has led and implemented research projects on Everyday Peace, Conflict Transformation, Trade Facilitation, Youth Engagement, Trauma Narratives, and Track I dialogue within the context of Georgia. Natia co-authored a book “Women During and After War”, as well as two handbooks on Peace and Conflict Transformation in Georgia. Drawing upon this work, Natia also writes policy research and analytical articles for local and international organizations and think tanks. Natia is also an experienced instructor, with experience teaching “Peace Policy Analysis” at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (2017-2021) and working as a non-resident scholar for the Frontier Europe program at the Middle East Institute. Learn more about Natia and her work on LinkedIn. Natia can be reached at nchankve@gmu.edu.
Beltina Gjeloshi, PhD Candidate, Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. Beltina is a Research Officer at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation at George Mason University and the Research Director at the Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue. Her research work focuses on the socio-psychological dynamics of migrant integration strategies, post-war justice conceptions, activating curiosity as a conflict de-escalator, and experiences of insider partials in peacebuilding. Beltina combines +12 years of international experience in administration, proposal management, communication, and event management. She holds an MA in Global Development and Peace and a BA in International Political Economy and Diplomacy from the University of Bridgeport. Her native language is Albanian and she is fluent in English and Italian. Learn more about Beltina and her work on LinkedIn. Beltina can be reached at bgjelosh@gmu.edu.
Alexander Jones, MW Student, at the Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. Originally from Massachusetts, Alexander has worked in museums and libraries for over 6 years and his main research interests are public history, peace education, and atrocity prevention. For his M.S. thesis, Alexander is studying how museum visitors in the U.S. experience difficult histories in a time of heightened political polarization.
Naomi Kraenbring, PhD Student, Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. Naomi lives and works in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Her research is focused on this geographic area, dubbed by the BBC in 2017 as “America’s refugee capital,” and Naomi is specifically interested in how religious social identity might inform Lancaster’s welcoming posture towards refugee resettlement. Naomi is a graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Indiana, and is deeply connected to the Church of the Brethren, one of the three Historical Peace Church traditions. She is passionate about interfaith peacebuilding, as well as spaces that invoke the creative, sacred act and art of peacebuilding in non-religious contexts. Learn more about Naomi and her work on LinkedIn. Naomi can be reached at nkraenbr@gmu.edu.
Engy Said, PhD Candidate, Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. Engy holds an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, and a BSc in Economics and Political Science from Cairo University. She has more than 13 years of experience in government affairs and foreign policy with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) as well as Europe and the Mediterranean. She also has experience working on the environment, climate change, and sustainable development. Her current research interests include structural violence, the political economy of conflicts, identity, and conflict transformation. Engy can be reached at esaid@gmu.edu.
Nicholas Sherwood, PhD Candidate, Carter School for Peace & Conflict Resolution. How can peacebuilders maintain and improve psychological resilience while operating in conflict zones? This and other related questions shape Nick’s research and practice agenda, which draws from a transdisciplinary array of scholars and practitioners in peace and conflict studies; clinical, health, and social psychology, medical and cultural anthropology; and international relations. Nick is currently working on his dissertation project, examining psychological resilience within a global sample of peacebuilders supporting reconciliation in their own communities. Nick has conducted fieldwork throughout the United States and in the Middle East / North Africa region. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, policy briefs, and other public scholarly publications. A 4th-year Ph.D. candidate at the Carter School, Nick also serves as the Associate Director of the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation. Finally, Nick sits on the Board of Directors of The Parachute People, an NGO conducting mental health promotion and community-building at music festivals and live music events worldwide. Nick plans to defend his dissertation in the summer of 2023 and is currently on the job market. Learn more about his professional knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies on his LinkedIn page. Nick can be reached at nsherwo@gmu.edu.
Faculty Affiliates
George Mason University Faculty
Dr. Steven Barnes
Dr. Charles Chavis
Dr. Marc Gopin
Dr. Mark Helmsing
Dr. Karina Korostelina
Dr. Alison Landsberg
Antti Pentikainen
Dr. Daniel Rothbart
Dr. Mara Schoeny
Dr. Peter Stearns
Dr. Mills Kelly
Other Faculty
Dr. Tamra d’Estree, University of Denver
Dr. Hope Harrison, George Washington University
Dr. Christine R Henry, Mary Washington University
Dr. Maria Repoussé, Greece.
Dr. Daqing Yang, George Washington University
Collaborations
The RCID lab collaborates with centers and labs at the Carter School and externally that have expertise on reconciliation. Partners include:
- Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation
- Center for World Religion, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution
- Program for History, Memory, and Conflict
- Department of History and Art History
- Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
- John Mitchell, Jr Program for History, Justice, and Race
- Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies, Jena, Germany.
- The Georg Eckeret Institute for International Textbook Research, Braunschweig, Germany.
- Center for Reconciliation Studies, Waseda University, Japan.