Margo Steinhaus is an international development professional with over six years of experience with research, community engagement and project administration. Margo currently works as a Program Associate at International Business and Technical Consultants, Inc., where she supports monitoring and evaluation projects and proposals. Her projects have specialized in food security, agriculture and nutrition, and youth workforce development in Kenya, Mali and the Caribbean. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University in International Studies, Sociology, and German, with a concentration in Middle Eastern Culture and Politics.
After studying abroad in Turkey as Gilman Scholar, Margo worked as an English immersion counselor at Koc University and Robert College in Istanbul in 2015 and 2017 respectively, and in 2016 she was awarded a Fulbright Grant to Turkey. Her interest in Turkey led her to become a Turkish Heritage Organization (THO) Nonresident Fellow in November 2019. THO is a nonprofit think tank dedicated to improving US-Turkey relations and as a Fellow, Margo writes articles surrounding US-Turkish politics as well as hosts and produces the THO podcast. Her research has encompassed Turkish foreign and domestic policy, gentrification in Istanbul, asylum seeker and refugee integration, foreign emergency aid, and Kurdish geopolitics. She also taught English in the rural Isaan region of Thailand from 2016 - 2017.
Margo has also volunteered with several nonprofit organizations that are near and dear to her heart, including Reach the World, the International Rescue Committee, and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. She is passionate about international affairs, education policy, human rights, and sustainable, equal, affordable housing. Margo also enjoys maintaining a healthy lifestyle and has completed two half marathons, a triathlon and intends to complete a full marathon in 2021.