Institute Team

Prior to joining BRI in 2021, Adam worked for eleven years as an events professional in the Heritage Foundation’s Lectures and Seminars department. He also helped launch several educational programs for interns, and authored a successful political blog during the 2008 presidential election. Adam holds a B.A. in political science with a focus on global politics from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and is passionate about civil discourse, international politics, and forging creative coalitions across political and ideological lines.

Becky joined BRI as an intern in Fall 2020 and has now joined the Development team where she works on data organization, moves management organization, and gift acknowledgement. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with an MA in Museum Studies and Certificate in Nonprofit Management, and of Millersville University of Pennsylvania with a BA in History and German. Prior to her role at BRI, Becky worked for 5 years in the title insurance industry.

Before joining BRI full time in May of 2017, Chris worked for seventeen years in sales and marketing for The Washington Post’s Newspaper in Education program. He has also done marketing, public relations, and fundraising for several small theater companies in Washington, D.C., has worked as an education aide and consultant for The Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery and has written curriculum for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s TeachUNICEF program. Chris has a B.A. in History and Drama from Thomas More College in his native state of Kentucky, and an M.A. in Theater History, Literature, and Criticism from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Contact Chris at cjanson@billofrightsinstitute.org

Emily Trapani joined the BRI education team in July 2021 as a programs specialist for teacher & student programs. Prior to joining BRI, she worked as a classroom teacher in Beaufort County, South Carolina. During her time as a teacher, she taught U.S. history, law education, government, AP psychology, and IGCSE global perspectives. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in Integrated Social Studies and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education.

Haley became a part of the Bill of Rights Institute team in the Fall of 2019 bringing a background in content management and business development focused on technology application. Her experience ranges from magazine publication to broadcast television production to digital media distribution. Having graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in History and a minor in Law and Society, she has always been fascinated by the past and present issues the nation faces and values the importance of preserving a truly free society.

Joshua works with the Content Team where he helps develop curriculum and student programs and ensures that BRI material is produced in a manner that will best fit teacher needs. He received his B.A. in History, magna cum laude from Hillsdale College, and previously worked for the Institute as an intern and fellow. Contact Joshua at jschmid@billofrightsinstitute.org

Kathleen Burke joined BRI in the Summer of 2020. She has worked previously in broadcast media and trade association membership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Mount St. Mary’s University.

Kelly joined the BRI team in November 2019 assisting the Education team with research, collecting and analyzing data, and planning in-office events. Growing up right outside of Washington D.C, Kelly enjoyed history from an early age, making many trips to museums and historical sites on the East Coast. While at the University of Mary Washington getting her Bachelors in History and minoring in Museum Studies, she interned at the Surratt House in Clinton, MD and the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library in Fredericksburg, Virginia as a Bowley Scholar.

Prior to joining BRI, Kerry worked for a decade as an educator in the Houston area. After teaching high school World Geography, U.S. History, and AP US History, Kerry transitioned to supporting teachers as an instructional coach. Following her campus experiences, Kerry was a curriculum coordinator where she managed social studies curriculum for grades 5-8, led professional development, and provided district level instructional support. Kerry has a B.A. in History from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

Kevin joined the Bill of Rights Institute in 2021. As Senior Director of Communications, he oversees internal and external communications for BRI. Kevin has more than 20 years of experience working in communications leadership roles for some of the largest education organizations and publishers in the United States. He also previously served as Senior Director of Digital Media Strategy for Points of Light, the foundation established by former President George H.W. Bush. Kevin completed his undergraduate studies at Colgate University and has a master’s degree in technical communication from Utah State University.

Kirk has led several major curricula and content projects since joining BRI in 2014, including the new comprehensive U.S. History digital resource, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In addition to managing the development of the Institute’s curricula, Kirk also coordinates BRI’s online content and co-sponsored programming with Liberty Fund. Kirk received his B.A. in History from Hillsdale College and is currently pursuing an M.A. in History from George Mason University. Contact Kirk at khiggins@billofrightsinstitute.org

Kyriakos started his time with the Bill of Rights Institute in the spring of 2019 as a summer intern in the development department. Since then, he has worked his way to part-time employment in the Fall of 2019 and full-time employment in January 2021. As a research analyst, Kyriakos is often researching crucial data related to BRI and their ever-expanding connections.  Kyriakos recently attained a BA in History and Political Science from Christopher Newport University, and is currently studying for a Master’s of Public Administration at the Schar School at George Mason University.