Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Karen Hansen earned her BA in Political Science and International Studies from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She became interested in the Middle East while enrolled in a semester-long program in Politics of Contemporary Islam and then had the opportunity to travel to Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. She most recently worked with the Syrian Expatriates NGO, a U.S. based organization that coordinates medical relief and internet security projects. Karen's university thesis was dedicated to understanding the complexity in the Levante. She is interested in international humanitarian law and how it affects public policy on a global scale.