Laura Josephine McNeil

Laura Josephine McNeil is a graduate student at Columbia University, where she is obtaining an M.A  in political science, specializing in American politics, from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Ms. McNeil's research interests are primarily in American politics: especially foreign policy and state elections. Her research has included various areas, including but not limited to: world history, international relations of the Middle East, Italian politics, and European politics.

Ms. McNeil previously obtained her M.Sc. in Theory and History of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She wrote her dissertation on the Carter administration's approach to U.S. foreign policy, under the supervision of Professor Steven Casey from the Department of International History at LSE.

Ms. McNeil obtained her bachelor's degree, Laurea di 1o livello, in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Pisa. She wrote and defended her thesis on Georgia's absentee voting system and its ties to voter suppression, under the supervision of Professor Rino Casella. For her work, Ms. McNeil was awarded her Laurea with a 110/110 cum laude.

In 2021 Ms. McNeil served as a student intern for the U.S.Consulate General in Florence for which she was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the U.S. State Department. In 2018, Ms. McNeil attended the Change the World Model United Nations conference in New York and was awarded the Delegates Award for her work.

Ms. McNeil's background in student organizing has enabled her to participate in many local organizing activities. In 2023, she helped establish the Rejoin Stonewall Campaign at LSE, which was awarded "campaign group of the year" by the LSE students union.

In her future, she wishes to pursue a career in American politics and help strengthen American democracy, with a particular focus on voting rights. Furthermore, she is deeply invested in the American foreign policy apparatus and the role of the U.S. government on the world stage, with a particular focus on human rights and European-American relations.

In her free time, Ms. McNeil enjoys writing and directing short films, cooking pasta with her friends and family, and sipping espressos at the park.