Ruthie Kesri
she/herBIOGRAPHY
Ruthie Kesri, originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, graduated from Duke with a degree in Political Science and Religion. With a passion for foreign policy, her focus lies in conflict resolution and peace-building, reflected in her work at the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the State Department’s U.S. Mission to the United Nations. At Duke, Ruthie led the American Grand Strategy Student Council, the UNICEF chapter, and a research team on policing legislation for the Duke Law Wilson Center.
Ruthie will spend her fellowship year at the Cadbury Centre, working to advance interfaith dialogue and reconciliation between the United Kingdom and its former colonies. Her research interests include national security, defense policy, and diplomacy. She is particularly interested in how defense strategies and diplomatic efforts can be harmonized to prevent and mitigate conflicts. Additionally, Ruthie is eager to explore innovative approaches to interfaith dialogue as a tool for peacebuilding, knowledge which will inform her intended career of supporting mediation in post-conflict settings.