Leila Piran holds a Ph.D. in World Politics with focus on the Middle East from the Catholic University of America. She has taught courses in international affairs and political science at George Washington University. Prior to that, Dr. Piran served as a research fellow on Turkey at the Rethink Institute. Dr. Piran has also lectured at American University and Catholic University. Her newly published book is titled, Institutional Change in Turkey: The Impact of EU Reforms on Human Rights and Policing.