The Institute welcomes back Jennifer Lato, a former intern and current Research Assistant in the CEO’s Office. Jennifer is in her final month of the master’s degree program at George Washington University’s the Elliott School of International Affairs. At the Elliott School, Jennifer is majoring in International Affairs and concentrating in security studies, specifically, transnational security. Aspects of transnational organized crime such as the trafficking of drugs, humans, and wildlife are of particular interest, as are the implications transnational crime has on national and international stability. Currently, Jennifer is finishing a thesis on the human security and regional stability implications of human trafficking in South America’s Tri-Border Area.

In addition to her academic experience, Jennifer brings an interdisciplinary perspective to policy analysis. Jennifer has served in the Department of Treasury Office of Financial Assets Control, where she assisted sanctions investigators as part of an executive order to combat transnational criminal entities. Jennifer’s most recent post was at the Bureau of Intelligence of Research (INR) at the State Department. In this position, Jennifer coordinated the review of strategic signals intelligence requirements with INR analysts.