Ashley van Waes specializes in refugees and humanitarian emergencies and has over five years of professional experience in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. She has an interest in program design and evaluation and currently works as a Research Assistant with the U.S. Institute of Peace on the learning, evaluation, and research team. Her capstone project with Jesuit Refugee Service focused on designing an effective mental health and psychosocial support program for asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. Through her time at GHD, she has received advanced training in data analysis and field operations, complemented by a solid theoretical background in the political, economic, and social forces at work in developing countries. Prior to GHD, she worked at the International Association for Feminist Economics, the American Red Cross, Women’s Microfinance Initiative, and Namati. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with a B.S. in International Business and minors in Economics and Spanish.