The Narrative Transformation Lab

Our Team

Portrait-style photo of Solon Simmons, a white man with short gray hair. He is where a black shirt and a grey blazer.

Solon Simmons, PhD

Lab Director

Solon Simmons is an Associate Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Carter School at George Mason University, with a PhD in sociology. He is the author of Root Narrative Theory and Conflict Resolution (Routledge, 2020), The Eclipse of Equality: Arguing America on Meet the Press (Stanford University Press, 2013) and Professors and Their Politics with Neil Gross (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014). He served as interim dean for the Carter School in 2013, and Vice President for Global Strategy for George Mason from 2014–2017. At the Carter School, he teaches classes on conflict theory, narrative, media, discourse and conflict, human rights, quantitative and qualitative methodology, global conflict, and critical theory.

BOOKS

Root Narrative Theory and Conflict Resolution: Power, Justice and Values. New York: Routledge, 2020.

The Eclipse of Equality: Arguing America on Meet the Press. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2013.

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

Root Narrative Theory and Character Assassination.” Journal of Applied Social Theory 1, no. 3 (2021): 158–185.

“Struggle and Martyrdom: Abusive Power and Root Narrative in the Aftermath of the Eritrean Revolution.” Peace and Conflict Studies 27, no. 2 (2020): 1–31. DOI: 10.46743/1082-7307/2020.1686.

Audrey, a white woman with blonde hair, is pictured with a view of the Bosphorus and the Istanbul shoreline in the background. She wears a black turtle neck with horizontal stripes in alternating green, red, white, and yellow.

Audrey Williams, PhD Candidate

Lab Manager

Audrey Williams is a PhD candidate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Carter School at George Mason University, where she is also a Presidential Scholar. Her dissertation research focuses on the role of narrative and musical craft in conflict transformation. She earned a Master of Science degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the Carter School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and French from the University of Iowa. She was a 2015–16 Fulbright Research Fellow in Ankara, Turkey, and a Fall 2013 Scoville Peace Fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.

BOOKS

Friedman, Adina, and Audrey Williams. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution: From 1981 to 2021 and Beyond. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University Press, 2022.

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

Romano, Arthur, Jacob Werblow, and Audrey Williams.Evolving Conceptualizations of Peace Education in Hiroshima, Japan.” Asian Journal of Peacebuilding 10, no. 2 (2022): 1–24. doi: 10.18588/202209.00a223.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

‘Like the Beginning of the End of the World: Salvaging the Meaning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Nilima: A Journal of Law and Policy 3, no. 2 (2020): 99–122.

Seung Gyo Kim

Undergraduate Project Lead, Korean ArtPop Storytelling Workshop

A driven senior at George Mason University, Seung Gyo Kim is majoring in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. As part of the TNT Lab, he is leading the conceptualization, development, and implementation of a Korean ArtPop Storytelling Workshop to be held at GMU in Fall 2024. His passion for Korean ArtPop Songs, coupled with his training as a baritone singer, fuels his mission to bridge cultural gaps and unveil diverse narratives through music. Utilizing K-Art songs in divided social contexts, Seung Gyo aims to facilitate narrative transformation, sharing the stories and struggles of immigrants and international students in the United States. His rich background includes serving as a research assistant at The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), as the 12th president of College Leaders: Korea at the UN (CLUN) within the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). He is also an esteemed alumnus of the American Diplomacy House Seoul (ADH Seoul).

Gabriela Dell’Anno

Undergraduate Research Intern

Gabriela Dell’Anno is a rising fourth-year student at the University of Virginia majoring in Public Policy & Leadership and Global Studies Security & Justice. Through extensive coursework in international policy, Gabriela has developed an interest in the intersection of narrative and a range of issue areas, including peacebuilding, gender-based violence, and refugee resettlement. She has developed a particular interest in the power of human-centered narratives for justice and community empowerment, and she hopes to delve deeper into creative innovations for conflict resolution.

Ian David Foss

Undergraduate Research Intern

Ian Foss is a rising third-year student studying Politics and Russian/Eastern European/Eurasian Affairs at Oberlin College. Through research-oriented coursework and independent studying, Ian has taken deep dives into the narrative histories of key events during the 20th century, particularly those occurring in or in relation to the Soviet Union. Ian’s studies have fueled an interest in exploring the relationship between historical narrative and global conflict and diplomacy in the present day. He looks forward to using this interest to help develop peaceful solutions to emerging conflicts to ensure the well-being of global society.

Kate Fisher

Undergraduate Research Intern

Kate Fisher is a fourth-year Honors College Student pursuing a Conflict Analysis and Resolution major with a concentration in Global Engagement and a Russian minor. She is currently in the Accelerated Master’s program at the Carter School and will become a full-time master’s student in Spring 2024. During her time at the TNT Lab, Kate is studying how social media can create and shape narratives on a global scale.


TNT Lab Undergrad Research Internship Alumni

Nicole Struzinsky, George Mason University (Fall 2022–Spring 2023)

Hannah Schmutzer, George Mason University (Fall 2022–Fall 2023)

Ella Jackson, George Mason University (Spring 2023)

Jaylin Barrett, George Mason University (Spring 2023–Fall 2023)

Christina Illiano, George Mason University (Spring 2024)

Roheena Hasanzade, George Mason University (Spring 2024)

Nayeon Kim, George Mason University (Spring 2024)

Sam Peters, George Mason University (Spring 2024)

Sarita Kelkar, University of Virginia (Summer 2024)