Our Team

Don DeMaria is the program director for the Washington Semester Program. He founded the program in the spring of 2008. Mr. DeMaria works with students to determine internship opportunities in DC as well as teaches the Washington Seminar class. He loves the salmon bagel at Bullfrog Bagels in Eastern Market. Fun fact: Don DeMaria was in a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg!

Gillian earned a B.A. in History and Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology in the Fall of 2022. She is Washington Semester Program alumna, and she interned with the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia. Fun fact: Gillian helped reconstruct SUE the T. Rex at the Field Museum in Chicago!

Mandy Freeman provides administrative support for the Washington Semester Program and Academic Honesty and Student Appeals.

Matthew Davison serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Washington Semester Program in Athens. He supports the office in student coaching, advising, and administrative tasks. He additionally facilitates recruitment efforts and spearheads various projects aimed at improving the WSP experience. Matthew has a BA in Political Science and is currently working towards a Master of Public Administration. He participated in the Washington Semester Program in Spring 2021 where he interned for the Office of Congresswoman Lucy McBath.

Dr. Lee Lukoff assists WSP students with their internship searches and leads professional development seminars which connect WSP students to UGA alums in DC. He teaches a course on US Grand Strategy/Great Power Politics for WSP and also works as a Policy Analyst for the State Department. Dr. Lukoff graduated from the University of Georgia with a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Affairs in 2019.

Kelley Downes is the program intern for the Washington Semester. She is currently a senior at UGA graduating in May 2023. In her role as program intern, she assists the program director with recruitment and marketing. She did the Washington Semester Program in the fall of 2021. In DC, she interned with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.