Her professional background includes experience in public-sector policy analysis and communication at the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer, where she served as both Legislative Research Analyst and Communications Specialist. In these capacities, she conducted legislative analysis, developed policy reports, and directed educational programming to strengthen civic engagement and data-informed decision-making. She was also a Fellow at The Hunt Institute within Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, where she helped advance state-wide initiatives on educational equity and innovation.
Earlier in her career, April worked as a consultant for a political advocacy organization where she educated the public on crime victims’ rights and played a pivotal role in the passage of a constitutional amendment to the North Carolina State Constitution for those rights. She later joined a criminal justice reform non-profit, where she dedicated herself to educating the community and inspiring dialogue about transforming the justice system. During this time, she established and chaired the first professional roundtable in North Carolina to unite state legislators, community leaders, and criminal justice activists, educating and empowering them to work together toward meaningful reform.
April also served as the state-wide Executive Director of a political club, where she educated and mentored young individuals interested in politics, teaching them how government functions and how to engage effectively in the political process. In this role, she received the competitive Woman of the Year Award for her contributions to initiatives that strengthened civic participation and prepared emerging leaders for public service. She was also a Fellow at the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership, where she was Class President and supported programs integrating research, communication, and policy.
At Oxford, April seeks to build upon her academic background in government and international security, together with her professional experience in public policy and institutional governance, to examine the complex relationships between intelligence agencies and higher education institutions. Her research will explore how these partnerships shape knowledge production, academic freedom, and security discourse across national and global contexts. Working within the Philosophy, Religion, and Education Research Group and with the Centre for Global Higher Education, she aims to illuminate how intelligence agencies engage with universities amid an era of rapidly shifting geopolitical realities and evolving conceptions of security.