About Me

I was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and grew up in various parts of the finest state in the nation, New Jersey. I went to Boston University for college, got my M.P.H. in Health Policy at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), and received my PhD in Government at Georgetown University. I currently work at the United States Institute of Peace, focusing on research on political violence. I also am a partner at Blind Fox Analytics, a data analytics firm.

Prior to starting my Ph.D. at Georgetown, I worked for several years in health care policy. My work centered on insurance access, coverage, and finance issues for low-income populations. These days, I occasionally write policy papers related to Pakistan and Afghanistan, trying to incorporate academic research into current issues. I've done a handful of radio interviews on these topics across the country. At Georgetown, my field specializations were International Relations and Comparative Politics, and I focused on International Political Economy and International Security. I have worked as a consultant for non-profit organizations, private firms, and the government, most recently evaluating a multiple programs for the United States Agency for International Development.

Before beginning my PhD, I was a playwright and an actor. I performed at the Hip Hop Theater Festival, and was a recipient of a Larry Neal Writers Award in DC. I am the owner of Pervez Photography and am a professional photographer. Check out the site! I’ve got a lot of my photography for sale there. I tend to like shooting cities and landscapes, but also shoot for clients, having done multiple maternity and family photo shoots, weddings, and bridal showers. As for other hobbies, I enjoy biking, boxing, tennis, playing the guitar, and watching sports. Finally, I’m a music snob - if you’ve ever read or seen High Fidelity, I feel like I belong in that record shop....sometimes.