Directory
More than anything, the Kinder Institute is a vibrant, diverse community of scholars who share not only an academic interest in rigorously unpacking the complex history of constitutional democracy in the U.S. and around the globe but also a commitment to collective inquiry. Both in the classroom and beyond it, our undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty learn both alongside and from one another, and they do so with the kind of civility and interdisciplinary curiosity that is essential to generating innovative scholarship and engaging in productive discourse.
You can contact the Kinder Institute front desk with questions at, (573) 882-3330. For questions specifically regarding undergraduate programs, contact Dr. Thomas Kane, Director of Undergraduate Studies, at KaneTC@missouri.edu.
Use the tabs below to meet the people who make up the Kinder Institute.
Fares Akremi

Fares Akremi
Alumni Council,
Scholar (2015), Certificate in American Constitutional Democracy
Fares grew up on a farm near Columbia, Missouri, and studied Geography and Political Science at Mizzou. He was a Kinder Scholar during the inaugural year of the Washington, D.C. program. After Mizzou, Fares studied law at Stanford and has since worked as an associate at a law firm in DC and as a law clerk to judges on federal trial and appellate courts in Chicago and D.C.
Anurag Ram Chandran

Anurag Ram Chandran
Alumni Council,
Fellow (2014-15), Scholar (2015)
Anurag Ram Chandran is a social impact consultant at Dalberg Global Advisors based in Mumbai, India. Previously, he served as the Founder and Executive Director at Impact On The Ground Foundation (IOTG), an NGO focused on improving student learning outcomes in rural India. An inaugural Schwarzman Scholar, Anurag received a Master’s in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University and prior to that, graduated from the University of Missouri with honors in Political Science and Economics.
Samantha Franks

Samantha Franks
Alumni Council,
Fellow (2014-2015), Scholar (2015)
Samantha graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mizzou with degrees in English and Political Science. After graduating, she completed her Master’s in International Conflict Prevention as a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar at Durham University in the United Kingdom and her law degree at the University of Michigan Law School. She now lives in Washington, D.C., where she specializes in international trade law and advocates for human trafficking survivors.
Maddie McMillian Green

Maddie McMillian Green
Alumni Council,
Scholar (2015), Fellow (2015-16)
Born and raised in Farmington, MO, Maddie moved to Columbia to study Economics and Political Science at the University of Missouri. After graduating in 2016, she spent nearly three years in the Missouri Governor’s Office, serving first as chief of staff to the First Lady and working closely with the Governor’s policy and legislative teams on issues including foster care, adoption, and child welfare advocacy. She then served as manager of strategic initiatives and special assistant to the state’s Chief Operating Officer, a role created for her, through which she worked with the Governor’s Cabinet and the state’s 16 executive departments to make government work better for the citizens of Missouri. Maddie earned her law degree in 2021 and currently serves in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General for Special Litigation. She and her husband, Bradley, split their time between St. Louis and Columbia with their aussiedoodle, Millie.
Camille Hosman

Camille Hosman
Alumni Council,
Fellow (2014-2015), Scholar (2015)
Camille is the Associate Director of Federal Affairs for the University of Pennsylvania. In this role, she represents Penn in Washington, D.C., developing the university’s strategy related to federal policy, regulations, and funding, and helping manage the university’s relationship with the federal government. Before joining Penn, she was the Assistant Director for Government Relations at the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) and a Federal Relations Assistant for the University of Missouri System. She is originally from Ashland, Missouri, and studied Political Science at Mizzou.
Kenneth Johnson

Kenneth Johnson
Alumni Council,
Raised in Lakeville, MN, Kenneth Johnson received a BA in Political Science from Mizzou, in addition to a Minor in Business and Certificates in Sales and Customer Development and Multicultural Studies. For the past seven years, Kenneth has worked for Johnson Brothers Liquor Company, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and he has been a manager for the past 5 years. Before working at Johnson Brothers, he was a team lead for the 2014 Al Franken for Senate campaign. Kenneth currently resides in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN.
Jane Kielhofner

Jane Kielhofner
Alumni Council,
Scholar (2017), Fellow (2018-19)
Jane was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Public Health from Mizzou. Following graduation, she took a gap year to continue her research on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and scribe at the Missouri Orthopedic Institute (MOI). In Fall 2020, she began medical school at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nick Knoth

Nick Knoth
Alumni Council,
Scholar (2017)
Nick studied Political Science and History at MU where he was involved with the Civic Leaders Internship Program, Missouri Students Association, Deaton Institute for University Leadership in International Development, Associated Students for the University of Missouri, and Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honors Society, in addition to the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. Since graduating, he has worked for the Columbia (MO) Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Nick devotes his personal time to serving on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Columbia and the MU Extension Council of Boone County as well as with The Food Bank of Central & Northeast Missouri as a volunteer.
Matt McKeown

Matt McKeown
Alumni Council,
Fellow (2014-2015), Scholar (2015)
Originally from Oak Forest, IL, Matt completed a degree in Political Science from Mizzou in 2016. After his time at MU, Matt worked with AmeriCorps and completed his MPA at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Matt currently lives in Chicago and works as a Human Capital Consultant with Deloitte.
Emerson Sprick

Emerson Sprick
Alumni Council,
Fellow (2014-15), Scholar (2015)
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Emerson studied Economics at Mizzou before moving to Washington, D.C. Since graduating, he has worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Bipartisan Policy Center, where he is currently a policy analyst. He also earned a Master’s degree in Economics from Georgetown University.
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