Katherine Collin

Katherine Collin is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Government and Director of the M.A. in Conflict Resolution Program at Georgetown University. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from American University, an M.A. in International Policy from Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and a B.A. in History and Peace & Conflict Studies from UC Berkeley with Honors. Prior to Georgetown, she served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Brookings Institution and worked in multilateral peace operations with the UN, IOM, and IFES in regions including Europe, Asia, MENA, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Education

• Ph.D., International Relations - American University (School of International Service)
• M.A., International Policy - Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
• B.A. with Honors, Peace Studies - University of California, Berkeley

Research Focus

Her work examines the intersection of democratic decision-making and post-conflict transitions, particularly the role of referendums in peace processes. She investigates how electoral mechanisms like referendums can either strengthen or destabilize peacebuilding efforts, with a regional focus on Oceania, MENA, and sub-Saharan Africa. Her fieldwork includes analysis of referendums in New Caledonia, Bougainville, Catalonia, and Syria.

Professional Experience

Collin has extensive field experience in multilateral peace operations, specializing in electoral projects for refugee and expatriate communities. She has collaborated with organizations such as the United Nations, International Organization for Migration, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in over 15 countries across multiple continents.

Key Themes in Scholarship

Her publications explore referendums as both peacemaking tools and instruments of democratic erosion, with recent work addressing populist misuse of direct democracy mechanisms. She also analyzes systemic flaws in electoral frameworks like the U.S. electoral college and their implications for democratic representation.