Dr. Hazel Atuel
Hazel Atuel is the primary investigator for the MilRad project.
Dr. Carl Castro
Carl A. Castro is an associate professor, also serving as the director of the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families. Castro joined the faculty in 2013 after serving 33 years in the U.S. Army, where he obtained the rank of colonel. Castro began his military career as an infantryman in 1981. He served in a variety of research and leadership positions, including as director of the Military Operational Medicine Research Program, Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland. Castro has completed two tours in Iraq, as well as peacekeeping missions to Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, and Kosovo. He is currently chair of a NATO research group on military veteran transitions, a Fulbright Scholar and member of several Department of Defense research advisory panels focused on psychological health. He is the current editor of Military Behavioral Health, the flagship academic journal about the biopsychosocial health and well-being of service members, veterans, and military families. Castro has authored more than 150 scientific articles and reports in numerous research areas. His current research efforts focus on assessing the effects of combat and operations tempo (OPTEMPO) on soldier, family, and unit readiness, and evaluating the process of service members’ transitions from military to civilian life.
Kathi Hardy
[bio coming soon]
Caitlin Calfo
Caitlin Calfo a sophomore from Seattle, Washington studying Communication and Narrative Studies at USC. She is passionate about journalism, sustainability, and gender equality. Besides working with the project team, Caitlin is a journalist for two online magazines. At USC, she is also a member of PEP (Prison Education Project), Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services, and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Caitlin decided to become involved in this research because she found the storytelling aspect of these civilians and veterans fascinating. She wanted to learn more about social psychology, as well as deviant behavior in society and why that occurs. To Caitlin, this research is important because it teaches us what needs to alter and what can remain stagnant in society. This research contributes to many other studies that work to keep us and our communities safe. Studying radicalization is important, especially living in a time where the political climate is undoubtedly polarized. Radicalization can teach us why and how people attach to such extreme ideologies and what can be done to prevent that. Caitlin currently lives in Los Angeles, California, and enjoys reading mysteries, trying new foods, and seeing friends.
Matthew Darst
[Bio coming soon]
Jordan Mickle
Jordan M
ickle is a senior at USC with a Politics, Philosophy, and Law major and Forensics and Criminality minor. She hopes to eventually become a criminal defense attorney because she believes that there are always two sides to every story. Jordan is especially interested in the motives behind crimes, complications of family gang involvement, and the destructive system of youth being tried as adults in the court of law; which is all very applicable to the research that the MilRad project is conducting. She specifically joined the MilRad team because she thinks that the reasoning behind Homegrown Violent Extremism (HVE) is fascinating, and she wants to help in decreasing the extraordinary amount of people that are getting radicalized. Jordan hopes that as we compare and contrast each individual engaged in HVE, we can figure out motives and patterns which will help prevent future loss of life. She is originally from Northern California, and enjoys hanging out with her dog, Reggie, reading, gardening, and listening to all types of music.
Madeleine Nations
Madeleine Nations is a junior with a Central European Studies major and Cultural Diplomacy minor at USC. On-campus, she is a midshipman in Navy ROTC, a staff writer for the USC foreign affairs publication, Glimpse from the Globe, student-teacher for the Teaching International Relations Program, and a member of the Russian Club. She became involved with the MilRad project because of the military-oriented lens of the research. As a future naval officer, she sees it important to know the signs of radicalization in the military population in order to offer help to any sailor or marine that needs it. Madeleine hopes that the MilRad project can identify patterns and warning signs of Homegrown Violent Extremism and radicalization before they start. Madeleine currently lives in Naples, Italy, and enjoys traveling Europe, learning new languages, hiking, and baking.
Kelsey Uruburu
Kelsey Uruburu graduated in May 2020 from USC with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Forensics and Criminality. During her time at USC she was a reading tutor for JEP; a student intern for the Sports Information Department; and the coordinator for SplashSC, which is an educational philanthropy group that brings high schoolers from around South Central for a day of learning at USC. She got involved with the MRad project because she wanted to learn more about University-level research, acquire new skills, and learn from different perspectives. Kelsey believes that the MilRad project is important because it offers a holistic analysis for each case which will eventually lead to more resources for at-risk individuals in the future. Currently, Kelsey is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Sport Management at Long Beach State University and she hopes to work for a professional athletic organization in the future. She is originally from Torrance, California, and enjoys photography, walking her dog, and playing with her nephew.
Christopher (Chip) Wagner
[bio coming soon]
Special thanks to Dr. Arie Kruglanski for his help on this project.