About ARC

The Accountability Research Center (ARC) is based in American University’s School of International Service. We collaborate with our partners to contribute to global thinking on how to improve public accountability and build more inclusive societies.

Village social auditor training in the field, prior to commencement of social audit. Photo credit: SSAAT

The ARC Team

Jonathan Fox

Jonathan Fox is a professor in the School of International Service at American University and the founder and director of ARC. He studies the relationships between accountability, transparency and citizen participation. For more of his work, see here.

Naomi Hossain

Naomi Hossain is a Research Professor at ARC, researching accountability in Bangladesh and supporting several other projects and functions. She has researched food and fuel riots, the politics of public service delivery, and closing civic space. Some of her work can be seen here.

Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz is the ARC finance manager. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from George Mason University and is currently working towards his master’s degree in Public Administration. For more, see here.

Judy Gearhart

Judy Gearhart is ARC senior researcher, working on corporate accountability and workers rights. as well as an adjunct professor at Columbia University. Previously she worked at the International Labor Rights Forum and at Social Accountability International. For more, see here.

Joy Aceron

Joy Aceron is the convenor-director of Government Watch in the Philippines (G-Watch), an action research organization working on accountability and citizen empowerment in the Philippines. Concurrently, she is a research fellow and advisor to ARC.

Mariana Cepeda

Mariana Cepeda is a researcher based in Bogotá, supporting the work of ARC and its partners on social accountability and peacebuilding in Colombia. She holds a master’s degree in International Development from SIS at American University. For more, see here.

Rachel Nadelman

Rachel Nadelman is a policy advisor at ARC. She holds a PhD from American University’s School of International Service. Rachel’s work with ARC focuses on monitoring civic engagement in development aid, particularly focused on the World Bank. For more, see here.

Walter Flores

Walter Flores is Research Professor at School of International Service and a research associate at ARC, where his work focuses on Health Rights and Accountablity. He founded CEGSS, an action-research organization contributing to improved health and indigenous population rights in Guatemala. See more here.

Suchi Pande

Suchi Pande is a researcher at ARC. Her work includes research collaborations in India – including social audits and citizen oversight and work on grievance redress mechanisms. She holds a PhD in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. For more, see here.

Helmer Quiñones

Helmer Quiñones is an ARC researcher based in Bogotá. He works with government agencies and CSOs on democratization, institutional design, human rights and transitional justice, through the lens of anti-racism. Since 2016 he has coordinated the advisors of the High Level Body of Ethnic Peoples of the Commission for Monitoring, Promoting and Verifying the Implementation of the Final Agreement of the Peace Accord.

Abrehet Gebremedhin

Abrehet is a Research Assistant and a current PhD student at American University’s School of International Service. Her research interests are in M&E, accountability in education and health programming, youth inclusion, and multi-level monitoring. For more, see here.

Keisha Prawl Woods

Keisha Prawl Woods is the Director of Operations at ARC. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She has been managing the finances of research centers and academic units since 2011 and is currently responsible for ARC’s contracts and grants.

Karen Brock

Karen Brock is a research communication specialist, and she co-ordinates ARC’s publications and communications.

Advisors to ARC

The 10 ARC advisors are all thought leaders in the transparency, participation and accountability (TPA) field. Advisors are either public interest strategists or applied researchers, all known for their commitment to rights-based approaches and social inclusion.

Joy Aceron

Director
Government Watch
Manila

Victoria Boydell

Research Fellow, Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Geneva

Abhijit Das

Global Co-Convener, COPASAH; Clinical Associate Professor, University of Washington; Managing Trustee, Centre for Health and Social Justice
New Delhi

Shereen Essof

Executive Director
Just Associates
Southern Africa / USA

Walter Flores

Principal Advisor, Center for the Study of Equity and Governance in Health Systems (CEGSS)
Guatemala City/Washington DC

Brendan Halloran

Head of Strategy and Learning, International Budget Partnership
Washington, DC

Anuradha Joshi

Fellow
Institute for Development Studies
Brighton

Rosie McGee

Fellow
Institute for Development Studies
Brighton

Fletcher Tembo

Director, Mwananchi Accountability Research and Learning
Lilongwe

Lisa VeneKlasen

Advisor & Founding Executive Director
Just Associates
Washington, DC

Current American University Faculty Project Collaborators

Adam Auerbach

Adam Auerbach is an Assistant Professor in American University’s School of International Service. His research and teaching interests include the political economy of development, local governance and representation, and comparative political institutions, with a regional focus on South Asia and India. His main ARC collaboration is with SATHI.

Rachel Robinson

Rachel Robinson is an Associate Professor in American University’s School of International Service and holds a PhD in sociology and demography from the University of California at Berkeley. Her research focuses on sex-related health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa, including family planning, HIV/AIDS, and sexuality education. Rachel collaborated with White Ribbon Alliance in Nigeria. She is co-Principal Investigator on the MacArthur Foundation project “Sandwich Strategies: Comparative Analysis of Institutional Change in the Global South.”

Funders

Hewlett logo

Open Society Foundation logo

macarthur foundation

packard foundation