Faculty
The Senior Staff of the Government Affairs Institute consists of individuals strongly committed to teaching, with academic backgrounds in political science, public administration, history, and economics. Most have taught extensively at the university level, and all are experienced observers of Congress who spend much of their time on Capitol Hill.
Director
Kristin Nicholson, J.D.
Kristin Nicholson became the Director of the Government Affairs Institute in February 2017. Prior to joining GAI, she spent two decades on Capitol Hill, where she served for sixteen years as Chief of Staff to Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), a senior member of the House Committees on Armed Services and Homeland Security.
Assistant Director
Worth H. Hester, M.P.A.
Worth H. Hester, M.P.A., joined the faculty of GAI in 1988 as a Presidential Management Fellow and took the job of Assistant Director in 1999. During seven years of government service, he served as an Employee Development Specialist, Program Analyst, and Legislative Analyst for a Member of Congress.
Senior Fellow
Mark B. Harkins
Mark B. Harkins joined the Government Affairs Institute as a Senior Fellow in July 2013 after having been a guest lecturer numerous times back to 2005. Prior to joining GAI, Mark was a government relations professional for more than five years where he focused on the representation of corporate, nonprofit and government clients before Congress and the Executive Branch.
Senior Fellow
Joshua C. Huder, Ph.D.
Joshua C. Huder, Ph.D., joined the Government Affairs Institute as a Senior Fellow in 2013. He has taught courses on American government, advanced legislative process, and other American politics courses. He has provided political analysis to several news outlets, including the Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, Newsweek, Bloomberg News, CNN, the Washington Examiner, U.S. News, Al-Jazeera, Yahoo News, and is a regular contributor for the Christian Science Monitor.
Senior Fellow
Laura Blessing, Ph.D.
Laura Blessing, Ph.D. joined the Government Affairs Institute as a Senior Fellow in 2015 and also teaches in the McCourt School of Public Policy. After earning her PhD from the University of Virginia, she worked as an American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellow, serving as the legislative assistant for tax policy for a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee. Her interests include Congress, political parties, and policy, particularly tax and budget policy.
Senior Fellow
Matt Glassman, PH.D.
Matt Glassman, Ph.D., joined the Government Affairs Institute as a Senior Fellow in 2017. He has taught courses on and off the Hill on American government, congressional process, congressional-presidential, and congressional leadership. Prior to joining GAI, Matt worked on the Hill at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for ten years.
Fellow
Katina Slavkova
Katina joined the Government Affairs Institute in February 2008 as Educational Programs Coordinator. Over the time that she has been with GAI, Katina has taken on many different responsibilities by advancing to her current roles as the Director of the Certificate in Legislative Studies program and a Fellow position that is part
