Amanda Sloat is Senior Advisor/Speechwriter for the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. She most recently served as senior professional staff on the House Foreign Affairs Committee with responsibility for European policy. Amanda previously worked for the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on governance programs, including six months in Baghdad assisting members and staff of the Iraqi parliament. Prior to joining NDI, Amanda was a post-doctoral fellow with the Institute of Governance at Queen's University Belfast where she designed and managed a 10-country research project on women’s political participation in Central and Eastern Europe. During this period, she held visiting fellowships at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Academy of Sciences - Czech Republic, and New York University Law School's Jean Monnet Center. She also served as an advisor to the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, and European Commission. Amanda holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Political Theory from James Madison College at Michigan State University. She has published a book and numerous articles on comparative European politics. She is a term member in the Council on Foreign Relations.