Meet The Team

Matthew Levinger is Host of the America’s Why Podcast. Matt is a Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University. Since 2012, he has directed the National Security Studies Program, an executive education program on national security leadership for senior officials from the U.S. government and its international partners. For nine years, he also directed the Master of International Policy and Practice Program (MIPP) at GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Before joining GW, he was Senior Program Officer at the United States Institute of Peace, where he developed and taught executive education programs on international conflict analysis and prevention for foreign policy professionals from the United States and overseas. From 2004 to 2007, Matt was founding director of the Academy for Genocide Prevention at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Before moving to Washington, he was associate professor of History at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon; he was also a lecturer in History at Stanford University. In 2003-2004, he was a William C. Foster Fellow at the U.S. Department of State. 

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Matt’s research and teaching have focused on conflict analysis and prevention, as well as the history of nationalism, revolutionary politics, and genocide. His handbook Conflict Analysis: Understanding Causes, Unlocking Solutions was published by the U.S. Institute of Peace Press in 2013.  He is also the author of Enlightened Nationalism: The Transformation of Prussian Political Culture, 1806-1848 (Oxford, 2000) and coauthor of The Revolutionary Era, 1789-1850 (Norton, 2002). He received his B.A. from Haverford College and his Ph.D. in History from the University of Chicago.

Matt’s father was a German Jew whose family fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and settled in New York. His mother was a Southern Presbyterian who grew up in Mississippi; she was the descendant of Puritans who came to colonial New England a decade after the Mayflower. They found common ground in the Quaker faith, which emphasized the importance of recognizing the light of God in all humans and working together to build a more just and peaceful world. Matt dedicates this podcast to their memory.

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Hello there! My name is Amy McCampbell and I am the creative director of the America’s Why podcast. I was originally drawn into the role because of its focus on rebuilding human connections through civil dialogue and storytelling. I'm a people person, driven by a desire to problem-solve. And I'd moved from my home in Texas to DC to do just that in the field of international relations. I had recently graduated from the Elliott School of International Affairs with a transnational security background, basically hoity-toity talk for, “well, I really like complex problems, and I can't settle on one particular field, so I'll just choose all of them!”

I just think it's really important to approach the issues of our day-to-day with mostly a listening ear and an open mind, so we can get a better grasp of where we stand in our world. The America’s Why Podcast is a platform for civil discussions wherein anyone and everyone can look around themselves, sit down, and share what they see. And that, I personally believe from experience, is the beginning of the beautiful process that enables us to tackle the world's problems, in this case, one open mic at a time.

I really am honored, and I'm pleased to be a part of this podcast, because it opens up new ways for me to not only chat with brand new people who have very compelling insights and very interesting stories, but it also gives me an opportunity to listen to the diverse narratives that permeate what I call “everyday life.” And that, I think, is what helps us to build better connections and better solve our problems.

Jason Bogovich is a seasoned professional with more than two decades of experience across the energy, housing, international and economic development sectors. He is currently pursuing a Master of International Policy and Practice at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, with an expected graduation in May 2026. 

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His expertise spans a broad range of activities, including policy formulation, program implementation at various governmental levels, and fostering international collaborations, particularly in Asia. Jason is adept at devising and executing “Innovation through Collaboration” strategies, building and nurturing regional cooperation partnerships, orchestrating advocacy and disaster response initiatives, organizing large-scale events, and forming meaningful partnerships between the private and public sectors. His analytical skills have been applied to a wide array of federal and international programs and initiatives in both the United States and Asia.

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For the past ten years, Jason has been based in the Philippines, where he has played pivotal consulting roles at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). His significant contributions include producing the Asia Clean Energy Forum and organizing the inaugural ADB Innovation Fair. Jason’s tenure at ADB has been characterized by a forward-thinking approach, most notably through his current leadership in the Southeast Asia Development Solutions (SEADS) initiative. As its Lead Consultant, Jason spearheaded the development of a visionary platform addressing the complex dynamics of Southeast Asia. A critical part of this initiative was his leadership in forming 56 SEADS contributing partners from the private sector, NGOs, academia, and research institutions. This diverse collaboration facilitated a dynamic exchange of knowledge, tech and innovation, laying the groundwork for strategic partnerships that have directly contributed to sustainable development efforts. Jason has also helped expand the initiative to include capacity-building trainings, a partner webinar series, and other knowledge-sharing events, effectively leveraging resources to enhance the impact and reach of the platform.

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Jason has been instrumental in forging partnerships with globally recognized organizations such as the International Labor Organization, Ant Group, Visa, the International Vaccine Institute, Save the Children, Grab, Lazada, Microsoft, Google, Abbott Laboratories, Amazon Web Services, and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).  

Before relocating to Asia, Jason spent 13 years in Washington D.C., where his career highlights included roles at the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), appointed by the President of the United States. He also served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy for over a dozen years.

Jason currently resides in Quezon City with his wife and their four-year-old son.

Lakshmi Dev is the Web & Digital Media Manager for the America’s Why Project. She is an undergraduate student at The George Washington University, where she studies Political Science and Computer Science, with a minor in Music. Her work on the podcast centers on website design and written content, including shaping episode descriptions and developing the project’s broader digital presence.

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She was drawn to the America’s Why Project because of its commitment to asking deeper questions and creating space for thoughtful, civil dialogue. The project’s focus on listening, rather than reacting, aligned with her interest in understanding how people form their beliefs and how stories, when shared carefully, can bridge divides. Through her work, she helps translate conversations into accessible, reflective spaces beyond the microphone.

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Lakshmi’s relationship with America has been shaped by movement and adaptation. She immigrated to the United States in elementary school and grew up learning what it means to belong by navigating new systems, languages, and expectations while forming her own understanding of American identity. Recently becoming a U.S. citizen marked not an endpoint, but a continuation of that process. For her, “America’s why” lives in everyday experiences: in listening, learning, and continually redefining what it means to be American.

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James Fernando is a Philadelphia-based pianist and composer whose music seamlessly blends jazz, classical, and electronic influences. He has been described by World Music Report as a “prodigiously gifted composer and virtuoso pianist,” by Jazz Sensibilities as “limitless in his ability to articulate his ideas,” and by Contemporary Fusion Reviews for “creating one of the most amazing musical experiences you’ve ever had.”

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A former Strathmore Artist in Residence (2021–2022), Fernando has earned recognition from DownBeat Magazine, the National YoungArts Foundation, and first prize at the West Virginia International Piano Competition. In 2017, he attended the prestigious Banff International Workshop in Jazz & Creative Music. He graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in just three years.

Fernando has performed at major venues and festivals around the world. He has collaborated with artists such as GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award winner Tom Paxton, GRAMMY winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, steelpan virtuoso Victor Provost, and jazz luminary Chris Cheek.

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An accomplished recording artist, Fernando’s discography spans six albums, including Extended Layover (2018, with Mingjia), his critically acclaimed solo debut The Lonely Sailor (2019), Blackbird/Fly (2021), The Grind (2022, with Matt Lagan), and Piano Poetry (2023). His debut jazz trio album, Philly 3, will be released in February 2026 on Spring Garden Records.

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Beyond performing and composing, Fernando is a passionate educator. He teaches at Levine Music in Washington, D.C., and regularly leads workshops at universities and community music schools across the United States.

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Find his work at: https://www.jamesfernando.com/