Maya Fernandez-Powell

As Human Rights Investigations Researcher, Maya Fernandez-Powell researches the targeting of Human Rights Defenders and other HRD-related issues. She engages with international HRDs to support their security and advocacy efforts and writes about issues related to HRDs.

Prior to joining Human Rights First, Maya worked as an undergraduate research fellow in the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University, where she researched the far right in the European Union. She also worked as a foreign affairs legislative intern for U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.  

Maya is currently studying for her Master’s Degree in Georgetown’s Applied Intelligence program. She earned a B.S. in Foreign Service, a minor in French, and a certificate in Diplomatic Studies from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Her senior thesis was on far-right political rhetoric in Western and Eastern Europe. She is a fluent French speaker.