Cindy is currently completing a master’s degree in European Studies with a concentration in EU Institutions and Public Policy at Luiss University School of Government in Rome, Italy. She is also pursuing a master’s in Strategic Communication through the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. An Iowa native, she earned a BLS from the University of Iowa with a concentration in Global Studies. Cindy’s current research is the Arctic Policy of the European Union and the role of Observer States in the Arctic Council. She is investigating techniques to help conceptualize and communicate the geopolitical significance of the Arctic for policymakers and opinion leaders.
In addition to academics, she has volunteered for a number of community service organizations, including serving as a judge for the National History Day-Iowa competition, coordinating communications for the Younger American Poets Reading Series, and fundraising for her community’s hospital foundation. In her free time, Cindy enjoys travel, hiking, gardening, reading, and opera.