Welcome! I am the Executive Director of the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University and an Affiliated Scholar at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University. My research focuses on migration and displacement, political violence, and peacebuilding. I have worked with governments, donor agencies, and NGOs around the world to develop and evaluate policies and programs on migration, violence prevention, conflict resolution, and countering violent extremism, using a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. My work has been published in journals such as International Organization, the British Journal of Political Science, Political Geography, and Economics & Politics, along with media outlets like the Washington Post and Foreign Policy. I have also developed and taught courses on migration, international security, and comparative politics.
I received my Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Previously, I was Senior Researcher for Peace and Conflict at Mercy Corps and a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University. My research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. I have also served as a consultant for humanitarian, development, and advocacy organizations on issues related to conflict, displacement, and migration, including UNHCR, the World Bank, the Danish Refugee Council, USAID, and Refugees International. Prior to my academic career, I reported for National Geographic and worked on USAID-funded stabilization and political transition programs in Afghanistan, Libya, and South Sudan.
You can contact me at alich (at) stanford (dot) edu.
Photos: (L) Ein Issa Displacement Camp, Raqqa, Syria; (R) NMPDC, Kitgum, Uganda (A. Lichtenheld)