Expert Bio

Elinor Harty is the Director for Alumni Relations for the Wilson Center. She manages the expansive network of 4,500+ scholar alumni, enabling the Wilson Center to maintain lasting and strategic connections for former scholars for events, publications, and programming. In addition, she also leads the Wilson Center’s Exchange Visitor Program for J-1 visas as the Responsible Officer, and is responsible for creating policies and providing guidance to the Wilson Center’s international scholars. Through this role, she has expanded her expertise in researching, interpreting, and creating policies related to international law, particularly within the immigration and humanitarian spheres.

Previously, she was the Program Coordinator for Scholars & Academic Relations for four years. During this time, she served as the Wilson Center’s internship coordinator, and remains a proud Wilson Center intern alumna. Prior to joining the Wilson Center, she worked in the US Embassies of Moscow and Paramaribo, and served as a special education aid for Baltimore County Public Schools. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Russian Studies from George Mason University, she participated in the Critical Language Scholarship for Russian in Tbilisi, Georgia. This scholarship enabled her to gain professional proficiency in Russian and basic Ukrainian. She recently earned her Master’s degree in Security Studies at Georgetown University, where she completed a thesis evaluating survivor-centered approaches to conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine. She has published op-eds in The National Interest and The Moscow Times. Her areas of interest include Eurasia, gender, human rights, and international law.