PhD Candidate, Department of Government
The University of Texas at Austin
dannycowser@utexas.edu

Danny Cowser is a PhD Candidate in the UT Department of Government and holds an MA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Danny current leads a number of IPD project teams, including Government Responsiveness, Governance -Trade Wars, and Refugee Housing. Danny also co-leads the Peacebuilding Team with Jiseon Change and serves as instructor of the GOVT/IPD Research Practicum.

Caleb Fleischmann is a sophomore at UT double majoring in Economics and Asian Studies. Caleb is originally from Connecticut but moved to Austin full-time after his acceptance into UT. He also works at the Austin Rowing Club as a rental assistant, helping people rent Kayaks on Lady Bird Lake to see the best sunsets out of anywhere in Austin! Caleb is lucky enough to have joined the IPD Government Responsiveness Team(GRUNT) to bridge his passions for Civil Service, community development, and research!

Atahan Koksoy is a Sophomore Economics major and a History minor at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the Government Responsiveness project team. His interests include military history, defense economics, aviation, cultural studies, Italian, and art. 

Kate Murphy is a pre-law sophomore in the Liberal Arts Honors program double-majoring in Government and Rhetoric & Writing. She has held positions as the Deputy Legislative Director for a Texas State Representative, an intern for a private investigation consulting firm, and an assistant at a public defense law firm. On campus, she is the director of the Disabilities Inclusion Agency of Student Government and serves on the Disability & Access Student Advisory Committee. Passionate about civic engagement and government reform, Murphy actively registers people to vote in Travis County and performs research for the Innovations for Peace and Development Lab. 

Suzanna Ahmed is currently pursuing her undergraduate studies in the Department of Economics. She has a background in argumentative case writing and communication, actively judging and coaching for the Grand Oaks Speech and Debate Program and Team Texas on the international circuit. Before IPD, she researched the harms of artificial intelligence, through IPPF, which expanded her interest in economics and parallel global developments. Outside of research, Suzanna volunteered both locally and outside the United States—leading a project in Bangladesh that donated food and toys to children in Dhaka. She is so excited to be working on the Government Responsiveness Project.

Ashley Smith is a junior from Tyler, Texas majoring in Plan II and International Relations & Global Studies. She is also pursuing a Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Public Policy and minor in Government with the hope of going to graduate school for public affairs or international policy. Ashley has been working with IPD on the Government Responsiveness project since Fall 2022. She also volunteers with the Plan II/KIPP Program, serves on Liberal Arts Council, and works as a Plan II Peer Mentor. Off campus, Ashley enjoys following women’s sports, listening to niche podcasts, and reviewing Austin’s many coffee shops!

Batul Mabruk is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s in Economics, a minor in Arabic, and a Pre-Health Professions certificate, and she is currently on the pre-dental track. Batul is a co-author on the Government Responsiveness project as well as a co-team leader, where she supervises a team of undergraduate IPD research assistants. Much of her work involves developing machine learning algorithms with Python to analyze results. Batul’s main interests lie in economic reform and policies, specifically regarding public health, and she plans on attending dental school after graduation. Outside of IPD, she has served as a Teaching Assistant for multiple economics courses at UT Austin.