HasNa Staff
Nevzer G. Stacey: President and Founder
Nevzer G. Stacey founded HasNa, Inc. in 1998. Prior to assuming full responsibilities as HasNa’s President, she was a Study Director for International Labor Standards in the National Research Council of the National Academies of Science. At the Academies Ms. Stacey was the resident expert on transitions from education to the workplace. While at the U.S. Department of Education she represented the U.S. in international projects sponsored by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the World Bank. Among the positions she held were Special Assistant to the Director of the School to Work Program, Director of Higher Education and Adult Learning, and Senior Education Research Analyst. Ms. Stacey has also given twenty years of service as a volunteer mediator to the District of Columbia. Ms. Stacey was born in Turkey and obtained her BS in International Relations and MA in International Organizations and Middle East Area Studies from American University’s School of International Studies.
Marilyn Cooper: Senior Program Associate
Marilyn has extensive experience in non-profits and government work. She is a specialist in development, communications, and marketing. Marilyn’s prior work includes My Sisters Place, a DC based non-profit dedicated to providing housing, counseling, and job training to women who are survivors of domestic violence. Previously, at NASA, Marilyn wrote and edited advocacy-driven research designed to educate both the public and the federal government about NASA’s goal of returning to the moon and going on to Mars. Prior to that, Marilyn worked as a Senior Development Associate at United Jewish Communities. Marilyn worked and studied abroad extensively during her graduate studies. She was an InterUniversity Fellow at Hebrew University, a summer fellow at the Balkan Studies Institute in Thessaloniki, Greece, and a Fulbright Scholar in Venice, Italy. Marilyn has an MPH from Harvard University and a PhD in history from Princeton University.
Aaron Karako: Program Associate
Prior to joining HasNa, Aaron worked for several organizations focused on fostering cross-cultural understanding and international collaboration. As program assistant at the Hollings Center for International Dialogue, Aaron helped organize dialogue conferences in Istanbul, Turkey, with Americans and participants from Muslim-majority countries. As intern at the Meridian International Center and Bridges of Understanding Foundation he assisted participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program and supported Youth Talk programming linking American and Arab schools. He has studied and volunteered in Amman, Jordan, and has spent time in Turkey and the Middle East. In addition to Aaron’s passion for dialogue and mediation, he is dedicated to community service and volunteers locally in the Washington, DC area. Aaron received his BA summa cum laude in Middle East Studies from The George Washington University and is currently pursuing an MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University.
Avideh Mayville: Program Associate
Avideh Mayville received a BA in Political Economy of Development from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2009 and obtained an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from The American University’s School of International Service. As a graduate student, she became involved with student government as a Senator in her first year and Graduate Student Council President in her second year. In 2009, she wrote an article on the relationship between governance, capacity, and insurgency in Pakistan, which was published in the Spring 2010 issue of the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs. Additionally, in the past year she interned for the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and was a Research Assistant to WWICS-USIP Distinguished Scholar, Robin Wright. Avideh also knows Farsi and has traveled to Iran seven times.
Kate Belling: Administrative Assistant
Kate Belling is currently an MA student at The Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University studying International Education. She is a former Peace Corps volunteer and spent 27 months in Mozambique, Africa as a secondary English and technology teacher. In the Peace Corps, she directed a student run newspaper, taught an 8-week business course, and was actively involved with HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness throughout the community. She has also traveled extensively throughout Latin America. Kate worked with numerous human rights organizations and has been active in the Latino community. She interned at the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network and at Emerson Spanish Immersion Language Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kate has a BA in Spanish Studies and Global Studies with a concentration on Governance, Peace, and Justice.
Ihsan Karayazi: Atlas Corps Fellow
Ihsan Karayazi comes to HasNa from Kars, Turkey, and has seven years of experience in the non-profit sector. He holds a BA in English language and literature from Kafkas University and an MA in cultural management from Istanbul Bilgi University. Ihsan has worked in both the public and civil society arena with a focus on conflict resolution along the South Caucasian border. Ihsan has worked for the municipality of Kars, in charge of external relations and project coordination, and he joined UNDP Turkey as a program site manager. Ihsan has advised many national and international organizations and has participated in numerous training programs in the U.S. and Europe.
