Layla Hashemi

Dr. Layla M. Hashemi is the Director of Programs and Partnerships at Women In International Security (WIIS). Previously, Layla was a researcher and data analyst at the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) focusing on international supply chains, cybercrime and illicit trade. She earned her PhD in Public Policy at George Mason University’s Schar School and her Masters in International Relations and Comparative Politics at New York University with a concentration in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. She has held positions at governmental and non-governmental organizations including Forum 2000 and the Journal of Civil Society where she is currently Managing Editor. She was a professor at Montgomery College’s History and Political Science department for over 10 years and currently teaches at George Mason University and George Washington University. Her volunteer work includes moderating the Anti-Corruption Advocacy Network (ACAN), board member and research manager at the Security, Gender and Development Institute (SGDI) and Political Economy Project (PEP) coordinator at the Arab Studies Institute (ASI). She has presented her research — among other places — at NATO, the United Nations and professional conferences. Her work has been published in the Washington Post, academic journals and other outlets and she co-edited the Routledge volume Antiquities Smuggling in the Real and Virtual World (2022).