BPRI Staff

360-650-2642
Laurie.Trautman@wwu.edu

Dr. Laurie Trautman engages in a range of research activities focused on the U.S. – Canada border, particularly in the Washington – British Columbia region. Topics include trade, transportation, security, and human mobility. In addition to working with faculty and students, she collaborates with the private sector and government agencies to advance policy solutions that balance cross-border flows with the need for efficiency and security. Laurie participates in working groups that are actively engaged in the U.S. – Canada relationship, including the International Mobility and Trade Corridor Program and the Canada – U.S. Transportation Border Working Group. She co-chairs the Border Issues working group of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region and was recently appointed to the steering committee for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. Laurie is currently a Global Fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center and a Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Oregon, a MSc. from Montana State University, and a BA from Western Washington University in Environmental Economics.

(360) 650-3253
Jennifer.Bettis@wwu.edu

Jennifer heads BPRI's research efforts including: fieldwork projects, conducting data & policy analysis to produce policy-relevant and academic research, as well as pursuing new research trajectories for BPRI. She manages the portfolio of BPRI's research initiatives and grant funded projects; facilitates the publication of BPRI reports and briefs; conducts media outreach & manages social media. Jennifer mentors and supervises BPRI's student research assistants and interns, as well as collaborates with faculty and researchers on a variety of topics related to the border. Her work plays a critical role in both maintaining and furthering regional understandings of the importance of the international border in the BC-WA region.

She holds a Master's degree in Political Science, and a BA in Social Science - both from CSU Chico. Her primary research interests include cross-border regionalism & governance, the role of media in the borderlands, and cross-border trade & travel dynamics. 

Ammaya Shaw is a research analyst at the BPRI, where she analyzes cross-border travel, trade, and the economic impacts of Canadian visitation. Her interests include econometrics and forecasting, as well as electricity markets and energy policy. She holds a B.S. in Economics and a Certificate in Energy Economics from Western Washington University.

Ammaya previously worked at the BPRI as a student research assistant and helped develop numerous infographics and story maps. Ammaya will begin a Master's degree at UBC's Vancouver School of Economics in Fall 2026.

Rebecca Cochran is a Research Assistant for BPRI, assisting Jennifer Bettis on BPRI research initiatives and projects. Rebecca has been involved with the development and creation of storymaps, static maps, and research on the transboundary Nooksack River.

Rebecca is currently completing a bachelor's in environmental studies with a GIS Emphasis and a GIS Certificate. Her academic and research interests include policy, ecosystem dynamics, and resource availability.  

As a Border Policy Research Institute Research Assistant, I support staff with research activities like, collecting data, and map-making pursuits. I’m currently pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis and certificate in Geographic Information Science. I work with the BPRI as a research assistant with a focus on understanding the evolving relationship along the U.S.-Canada border. I enjoy examining and learning more about the intricate dynamics between human and ecological systems. I’m particularly drawn to how cross-border collaboration and research can improve sustainability methods and inform environmental decision-making.

Andréanne Bissonnette is a fellow at the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University where she previously was a postdoctoral researcher (2023-2025). She is also an associate researcher at the Raoul-Dandurand Chair in Strategic and Diplomatic Studies. In 2019, she was a fellow at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso.

She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Quebec in Montreal. Her doctoral dissertation, grounded in intersectional geopolitics, focuses on the experiences and perceptions of access to abortion among Latina women residing in four U.S. states. Her primary research interests include reproductive health policies and access to health care, including in cross-border contexts. She also conducts research on border policies and migration.

Dr Regina Jefferies is a lawyer and Laureate Postdoctoral Fellow at the Evacuations Research Hub at the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney. She specializes in international human rights law and international refugee law, with a focus on evacuations, human mobility, transnational legal theory and the application of international legal norms in transboundary and multi-jurisdictional settings. Her work also explores methodological and theoretical links between international legal theory and the social sciences. She has published in leading academic presses and journals, including Hart Publishing, Oxford University Press, and articles in the Melbourne University Law Review and the Brooklyn Journal of International Law. She is a member of the Behavioural Research Approaches in International Law Network (BRAIN) and a member of the Advisory Board of the Australian Journal of Human Rights. She has also been a consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 

She holds a PhD in Global Governance, Law and Policy from the University of New South Wales, an MSt in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, a JD from Arizona State University, and a BA from The George Washington University.

Rosaline Leung is an economics analyst for InterVISTAS Consulting, a consulting firm based in Vancouver, BC that specializes in the transportation and tourism industries. Her primary focus is economic impact research and data analysis for international clients. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Political Science and Psychology from the University of British Columbia, where she published a thesis on the democratization of global hydrogen policy, and supported research on international climate policy negotiations. She also serves on the British Columbia Aviation Council’s Policy and Programs committee. When she’s not working on spreadsheets, Rosaline spends her time reading, windsurfing, and volunteering in esports.  

Rosaline was introduced to the Border Policy Research Institute through her work at InterVISTAS through the convening of stakeholders ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026. She became interested in working with BPRI due to the intersectional nature of the organization’s work, as well as their shared interests in the effects of border policy on economic relationships. Rosaline was also inspired by the BPRI’s knowledge-sharing efforts that made their policy research especially accessible, and she is very excited to contribute to these efforts. 

Don.Alper@wwu.edu

Don is a Professor Emeritus who retired after 43 years of teaching in the Political Science department at WWU. Don established the BPRI in 2005 and served as the longtime director of both BPRI and the Center for Canadian – American Studies.  A native of California, he holds a Ph.D. in political science from The University of British Columbia. Don’s research interests focus on Canadian politics and British Columbia-U.S. transboundary issues. He continues to be involved with the BPRI.