Kristina Nano is an International Ph.D. Student in Strategic Leadership Studies at James Madison University and the Senior Democracy Fellow at JMU’s Madison Center for Civic Engagement. Kristina received her Bachelor’s degree in Economy and her Master’s degree in Economic Development and International Economy. She also has experience in civic engagement and leadership within the nonprofit sector. Kristina has been serving as Executive Director of the Forum for Democracy and Ethics (FDE) in her country Albania, leading initiatives that have worked tirelessly for the advocacy and promotion of democracy, ethics and active citizenship across political and community divides.

Kristina’s doctoral research centers on transformational leadership in post-communist, post-war, and post-colonial contexts, with a particular focus on Albania. She is especially looking forward to digging even deeper into her research, engaging students and communities through the Madison Center’s programming and collaborative civic initiatives, and assisting in building the capacity for stronger democratic practices both at home and abroad this year.