Dr. Vicki Birchfield, Program Director
Bio
Vicki L. Birchfield is Professor in The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is Executive Director of GT’s First-Year Semester Abroad (FYSA) Program , Director of the study abroad program on the European Union and Transatlantic Relations and co-directs the Center for European and Transatlantic Studies. Dr. Birchfield received a DES from the Graduate Institute of International Studies from the University of Geneva, Switzerland and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Georgia. She is the author of Income Inequality in Capitalist Democracies: The Interplay of Values and Institutions; Triangular Diplomacy among the United States, the European Union, and the Russian Federation: Responses to the Crisis in Ukraine, co-edited with Alasdair Young. Toward a Common EU Energy Policy: Problems, Progress, and Prospects co-edited with John S. Duffield and Reporting at the Southern Borders: Immigration and Public Debates in the US and the EU co-edited with Giovanna Dell’Orto. Her current book project, The Transatlantic Values Debate and the Quest for Global Leadership, examines the evolving nature of EU-US relations in an increasingly globalized and unstable world. She has published articles in International Studies Quarterly, the European Journal of Political Research, the Review of International Studies, Globalizations, the Journal of European Public Policy and the Review of International Political Economy among others. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of European Integration and Globalizations. She has been a visiting scholar at Sciences Po, Paris and the University of Bordeaux. In 2013, she was bestowed the honor of “Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite” (Knight in the National Order of Merit) by the French government and in 2022 was promoted to the rank of “Officier.”
What do you love most about the program?
“As much as I love the thrilling experiential aspects of our study abroad program where students have ‘up close and personal’ encounters with the movers, shakers and power places of European politics, I would say ultimately what I cherish most is witnessing the personal and intellectual growth of the students and seeing the many unique (and often unexpected) and lasting friendships that form. I also cherish the special and enduring relationships we have with our wonderful host families. Many students maintain those bonds with their host families well beyond the summer experience.”
Visit Dr. Birchfield’s page to learn more.
Get to know the Program Director!
Dr. Carly Potz-Nielsen
Carly Potz-Nielsen is an Assistant Professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology. Broadly, she is interested in how states manage globalization and the pressures from the international system, whether this is in the realm of Human Rights or International Political Economy. Her research looks specifically at economic policies such as capital controls, illicit financial flows, and how governments navigate global financial systems while balancing domestic and international demands. Before joining Georgia Tech she was a Post-Doctoral Lecturer and Researcher in the Chair of International Relations in the Hochschule für Politik at the Technical University of Munich. Potz-Nielsen holds B.Sc. degrees in Economics and in Political Science from Texas A&M University, as well as a M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota.
What do you love most about the program?
“Travel is such a formative educator. I love that this program gives students the opportunity to figure themselves out in a variety of contexts – both in terms of different cities/countries as well as different professional and social environments. The access students get to individuals working within international affairs is exceptional. And, it’s delightful to see students engage in policy debates and discover how their perspective fits into broader conversations.”
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
“I’m most excited about the potential for a research component – via an optional Independent Study – that would allow students to use the site visits as field work. There are so many curious aspects about the EU and its relationship to member (and non-member!) states. Watching a student produce original work on any number of topics would be so much fun.”
Dr. González Roberts
Thomas González Roberts is an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the Director of Georgia Tech’s Engineering Space Policy Laboratory. Using tools from observational astronomy and computational astrodynamics, Dr. Roberts studies the behavior of Earth-orbiting satellites to understand how space actors—from superpowers to start-ups—engage with outer space governance. His research interests include international coordination, sustainability, and security in space. Dr. Roberts’ work has been supported by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation, and earned recognition with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Prize for Open Data, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy’s Prize for Innovation in Global Security, and a placement on Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Science list. He holds a PhD and SM in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT, an SM in technology and policy from MIT, and a BA in astrophysical sciences from Princeton University.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
“I’m most looking forward to showing students what global decision-making looks like on the ground in Geneva—where international organizations grapple with how to govern technology and outer space. It’s rewarding to help them see how their skills can make a real impact, moving from classroom debates to the places where policy actually happens.”