Austin Litchford is a graduate student at Virginia Tech studying public and international affairs. He also graduated Magna Cum Laude with his bachelor’s in political science with a focus on national security from Virginia Tech. Through his undergraduate studies, Austin developed an interest in international relations and developed specific interests in human rights, conflict resolution and diplomacy, and nuclear non-proliferation. Throughout his academic career, he has completed numerous projects in these areas, such as a research project determining whether the Iranian government is committing structural violence toward women through the enforcement of their hijab law, another project discussing how Iran’s facial recognition surveillance system to enforce their hijab law could lead to more violence against women due to their previous enforcement of the law, and a research project into possible solutions to reinstate the Iran nuclear deal. In his free time, Austin is an avid hiker who loves to hike the nature trails around his hometown in Virginia.