Our Team

Dean’s Professor of Political Science, International Affairs, and Diplomacy; Director of the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures

Mai’a Keapuolani Davis Cross is the Dean’s Professor of Political Science, International Affairs, and Diplomacy and Director of the Center for International Affairs & World Cultures at Northeastern University. She is also Life Member of the Counc…

Center for International Affairs and World Cultures Graduate Fellow

Matthew F. Fleming is a PhD student at Northeastern University and a Graduate Fellow at the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures. He is part of the research team for Mai’a K. Davis Cross’s Carnegie project, “Transnational Political Networks and the Future of Global Order.” Beyond Northeastern, he is a Non-Resident James A. Kelly Korea Fellow at the Pacific Forum and an inaugural member of the U.S. Department of State’s Young Trilateral Leaders Network. Fleming holds master’s degrees in Global Affairs and Policy from Yonsei University (South Korea) and in Media and Governance from Keio University (Japan). He has held positions with the Indo-Pacific Strategy Team in the Office of Regional and Security Policy at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP/RSP), the East Asia Institute, and the Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies’ journals. His research focuses on Indo-Pacific security, minilateralism, and strategic competition in Northeast Asia, with particular attention to U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateralism, Indo-Pacific strategies, and U.S. foreign relations with South Korea and Japan. His writing on Indo-Pacific security and minilateral cooperation has been published in outlets including The Diplomat, Pacific Forum, the CDA Institute, and the East-West Center.

Center for International Affairs and World Cultures Graduate Fellow

Tien T. Truong is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Northeastern University. Her research interests focus on international security and the politics of emerging technologies, with particular interest in how technological change and private actors are reshaping power and authority in international politics. Tien holds a dual master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and MGIMO University, earning an M.A. in International Energy from Sciences Po, specializing in Russian Studies, and an M.A. in International Affairs from MGIMO. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Sciences Po Paris, with a concentration in transatlantic relations, and completed an academic exchange in International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her academic training across France, Russia, and the United States has provided her with different regional and institutional perspectives on international politics. Before starting her Ph.D., Tien worked across higher education, government, and international organizations. Her professional experience includes international cooperation and institutional partnerships, particularly in education and innovation, as well as research and policy analysis.

Administrative Coordinator, Center for International Affairs and World Cultures

Diana Atoui is the Administrative Coordinator for the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures (CIAWC). Her responsibilities include budget management, event planning, and managing website content. Diana is a Boston University alumna; she …