REBECCA FAINBERG

Graduate Assistant, NYU Peace Research and Education Program

RESEARCH & FOCUS AREAS: Rebecca’s work focuses on post-conflict reconstruction, peacebuilding, and transnational security, with an emphasis on community-led approaches, conflict assessment methodologies, and gender-responsive programming. She uses mixed-methods analysis, participatory frameworks, and policy-oriented research to address complex crises, particularly in East Africa.

CURRENT WORK:

• Supporting PREP programming and research, including Peace in Progress dialogues, student career systems workshops, and practitioner engagement.

• Conducting research for the Sudan Darfur Peace & Conflict Impact Assessment and a VSLA women’s microfinance study in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of graduate coursework.

• Preparing an intelligence assessment on human trafficking and transnational organized crime networks in East and Southeast Asia for academic coursework.

• Interning with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).

BACKGROUND
Rebecca has coordinated humanitarian logistics and relief operations in Tel Aviv, supporting displaced communities through food distribution, community outreach, and emergency response initiatives. She has also participated in disaster relief efforts abroad. Most recently, she interned with the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) and the African Union’s Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Center, contributing to research and policy alignment on post-conflict recovery.

EDUCATION:
M.S. in Global Affairs, New York University (in progress, expected Fall 2026)
B.A, Muhlenberg College

LANGUAGES: English (native), Finnish (fluent), Spanish (advanced), French (basic)