Adviser: Amb. Mark Storella, Senior State Department Fellow, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy

Research topic: A Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework: ‘Paradigm Shift’ or Poorly Funded Status Quo?

Katarina O’Regan is a MSFS candidate focused on humanitarian emergencies within the International Development concentration. Before joining MSFS, she facilitated health systems strengthening with Partners in Health in post-Ebola Liberia and worked with the National Democratic Institute to measure violence against women in politics. At Georgetown, she has focused on issues of displacement and migration, and completed internships with Refugees International, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), and with the International Organization for Migration’s office in Kampala, Uganda. Her ISD research paper assessed whether the recently completed Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) has had a meaningful impact on the lives of the record number of refugees around the world. Drawing on original research and interviews with key players, she documented notable successes as well as shortcomings in the early pilot stage of CRRF implementation and made recommendations to strengthen CRRF effectiveness going forward. In 2018, Katarina worked with ISD in a communications role. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in international studies from Fordham University.