Leah Hickert is a student specializing in peace and security issues in the Middle East and North Africa. She studies political science, international studies, and Islamic civilizations and societies at Boston College. She has a concentration in conflict and cooperation. Hickert has first-hand experience living and working in Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Additionally, she is the editor of Al-Noor, Boston College’s Middle Eastern Studies Journal. Beyond college, Hickert has interned with the Massachusetts State House and the International Rescue Committee. She most recently interned as a Middle Eastern researcher for the US Department of State, where she contributed to its 2018 Iraq Human Rights Report.