The staff at APSA work diligently to provide members with high quality resources, tools, and other materials relevant to the discipline. In this “Meet the Staff” section, we aim to showcase the individuals behind the American Political Science Association and the responsibilities of each role. Most of the APSA staff are based in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area while other staff remain remote.
NATHANIEL BADER
Nathan Bader serves as the Program Associate for governance and the Congressional Fellowship Program. He began with APSA in 2019 as an Operations Assistant before being promoted to Program Associate in 2021. In this role, he supports all elements of the Congressional Fellowship Program and manages various aspects of organizational governance. Nathan holds a BA in history and nonprofit administration from Dakota Wesleyan University. He holds an MA in statecraft and national security affairs from the Institute of World Politics. Nathan is also an adjunct professor of history at Dakota Wesleyan University. He is originally from South Dakota and enjoys hiking, playing trivia, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.
ANA DIAZ
Ana began in May 2021 as a program/research assistant for APSA. Before joining APSA, she obtained her master’s degree in international affairs from the George Washington University. In 2019, Ana earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Florida. As Ronald E. McNair scholar, Ana presented her research regarding the 2015 refugee crisis at various conferences and served as a junior fellow in the political science department at the University of Florida. Previously, Ana worked at the Cisneros Hispanic Institute as a graduate fellow and served as a research assistant for the School of Media and Public Affairs at GWU. Ana also worked as a foreign affairs trainee at the European Parliament Liaison Office. Ana’s areas of interest are migration and security issues in Eastern Europe and the United States.
KRISTIN KESSLER
Kristin Kessler has been with APSA for four and a half years and currently serves as the director of APSA’s meetings and events department. Her responsibilities include programing and logistics for APSA’s Annual Meeting, APSA’s Teaching and Learning Conference, and other small meetings. Prior to joining APSA in 2019, Kristin was the meetings manager at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She received her BA in sociology from Elon University. A native to the DC metro area, Kristin enjoys live music, rock climbing, traveling, and spending time with her husband and son.
LYNANNE LOWRY
Lynanne Lowry has served as APSA’s Virtual Meetings Specialist since 2021. She manages all virtual APSA events, including webinars and the upcoming inaugural Virtual Research Meeting, and supports all aspects of the APSA Annual Meeting. Prior to joining APSA, Lynanne organized event logistics for academic programs and conferences at the Institute for Humane Studies. In 2016, she received a BA in history and minor in political science from Florida Gulf Coast University. A Florida native and DC transplant, Lynanne enjoys traveling, video games, beach days, playing with her cat Tali, and petting every dog she can.
ERIN MCGRATH
Erin McGrath received her PhD in public and international affairs from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on international security and public policy analysis. Erin also has a master’s in public policy from Central European University (when it was still in Budapest, Hungary) and a BA from the University of Wisconsin, where she is originally from. Erin was an NSF postdoctoral research fellow in computational social science at the University of Maryland-College Park until joining the research team at APSA in 2019. At APSA, Erin oversees the strategic organizational research agenda on the political science profession and related topics for departments and staff, and for members and stakeholders. Outside of work, Erin is a mom to six incredible children.
ASHLEY VANDE BUNTE
Ashley Vande Bunte is the senior director of meetings and events at APSA. She leads the planning and implementation of the APSA Annual Meeting, APSA’s Teaching and Learning Conference, and other APSA events. Prior to joining APSA in 2013, she managed exhibits and registration for the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s conferences. She received her BA in international relations with a double minor in international business and Spanish from Grand Valley State University. In her free time, Ashley enjoys returning to her home state of Michigan to visit family and friends, learning new languages, gardening, and exploring the local area with her husband, five year old, and border collie/lab mix.
