Laura Tedesco is an archaeologist and anthropologist working for the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. The primary focus of Laura's work for the past 11 years has been guiding efforts to preserve the threatened heritage of Afghanistan. Having resided in Kabul for nearly two years and traveled extensively across Afghanistan, Laura developed an in-depth knowledge of Afghan culture, its archaeological record and built heritage, and the challenges to its preservation. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from New York University.
George Gavrilis
George Gavrilis first visited Afghanistan in 2009 and realized that, if you squint, Kabul looks a lot like Los Angeles. He has travelled throughout Central Asia and the Middle East and is a social scientist, oral historian, and consultant to international organizations and philanthropic institutions. His articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs and other journals, and he is the author of The Council on Foreign Relations: A Short History. He holds a PhD in political science from Columbia University.