Alina Kreynovich is a senior in the Trinity College Dublin – Columbia University dual degree program studying Political Science. At Trinity, she majored in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures with concentrations in Russian and Hebrew. Alina’s research interests include democratic resilience in Eastern Europe, autocratic strongholds in the post-Soviet space and the Middle East, immigration policy, and human rights law. She is a research assistant under Dr. Mashura Akilova at the School of Social Work, advancing a pioneering study on the experience of Central Asian Immigrants in the U.S. and collaborating with UNICEF to develop Abkhazia’s first online social work program. As a Marylander, Alina previously interned at the U.S. Senate in Senator Ben Cardin’s office, and, as a Ukrainian, she lived in Poland and Ukraine to provide humanitarian aid to those impacted by the Russo-Ukraine War. On campus, Alina holds a policy advisor position in the General Studies Student Council and is an editor for several publications. In addition to her native Russian and beginner Hebrew, Alina is now learning Portuguese.