Nanda Chitre joined the Institute of Politics as director of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum in 2020. Nanda has more than twenty years of experience working in the executive branch of the U.S. government, in national public policy and political campaigns, and as a consultant to foreign governments. She has also worked as a strategic advisor in the nonprofit sector, on film and television projects, and as a visiting university lecturer.

In both the Clinton and Obama administrations, Nanda was an on-the-record spokesperson. In the Obama administration, she served as the acting director of public affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice and as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of State. At the White House, she was deputy assistant to the president and deputy press secretary to President Clinton. Previously, she was the assistant spokesperson for the State Department and the media coordinator for Secretary of State Warren Christopher’s overseas missions. In the nonprofit sector, she worked at the Center for American Progress, and she provided strategic communications planning advice to emerging democracies in Eastern Europe and Southern and East Africa through the National Democratic Institute. Nanda’s professional experience also includes work on the award-winning NBC series “The West Wing.” Most recently, Nanda designed and taught government communications courses at Tufts University. She received her B.A. in international relations and history from Tufts University and a J.D. from American University in Washington, D.C.

John Della Volpe is the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and the author of Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America (St. Martin's Press, January 2022). The Washington Post referred to John as one of the world’s leading authorities on global sentiment, opinion, and influence, especially among young Americans and in the age of digital and social media. While John's research focus at the IOP is exclusively young Americans, he often collaborates with other HKS centers including the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. In 2008, John received an Eisenhower Fellowship for which he traveled extensively throughout China, Hong Kong, and Korea (including a supervised day in North Korea) studying Millennials; in 2011, he was appointed to the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission on Media. John is also founder of SocialSphere, a Cambridge based public opinion and analytics company. He serves on the Board of Trustees of iCatholic Media, the Ad Club of Boston, and is a member of the Global Alumni Council for Eisenhower Fellowships. John appears regularly on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and his insights on the Millennial generation are found in national media outlets in the U.S. and abroad, including the Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Celina joined the Institute of Politics in July 2022. She is originally from Germany and graduated from Harvard College in 2022 with a joint degree in government and East Asian studies. Prior to joining Harvard Kennedy School, Celina worked as a student advisor for the Office of International Education at Harvard. She has also been involved with the European Youth Parliament and held various leadership roles in the international student society at Harvard College. As administrative coordinator at the IOP, Celina assists the executive team and provides logistical support for the daily workings of the Institute.

Cathey Park joined the Institute of Politics in 2004 and currently manages the Conferences and Special Projects portfolio. She oversees all signature IOP seminars, including Newly Elected Mayors, Newly Elected Members of Congress, and the Presidential Campaign Managers Conference. Cathey works collaboratively with students on a wide variety of special projects and events. She also partners with the John F. Kennedy Library on the New Frontiers Award. Cathey has been involved with many IOP programs, including Fellows and Study Groups, Women’s Initiative in Leadership (WIL), and most recently the JFK Jr. Forum. Before joining the IOP, Cathey worked for former Harvard Kennedy School Dean Joseph S. Nye, Jr. Cathey was born in Seoul, South Korea, raised in Portland, Oregon, and received her B.A. in political science from Boston University.

James joined the Institute of Politics as a digital content specialist in September 2021. His portfolio includes managing the Institute's newsletters, web assets, and social media channels, in addition to publishing original multimedia content that supports the IOP's mission and broader communications strategy. James joins the IOP having previously managed the democratic governance program at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

Outside of Harvard University, James has contributed to the digital operations of a number of political campaigns at the local, state, and national level. A native of the United Kingdom, he holds a master's degree in post-war recovery studies from the University of York, a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Birmingham, and has previously worked in Thailand, Kosovo, and Iraq conducting field research pertaining to conflict, internal displacement, and governance.