Michael (Mike) Sweigart, PhD, is the Director of Social and Behavioral Science and Learning at Democracy International (DI). In this role, he supports the integration of social and behavioral science around the program cycle for DI’s democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) programs.

Dr. Sweigart’s work in the role builds upon more than 12 years of experience in international DRG development, including various roles with different regional and global scopes. Specifically, he has held global technical roles focused on project design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning; functional positions focused on civil society strengthening and the social and political inclusion of traditionally marginalized groups; as well as program management roles focused on Eastern Europe and North Africa. This work has spanned multiple organizations and initiatives, including the National Democratic Institute, FHI 360, and the YouthPower Learning project funded by the United States Agency for International Development and managed by Making Cents International.

Outside of his work at DI, Dr. Sweigart earned his PhD at George Mason University, where he studied how to resolve tensions between global and local norms that often produce backlash to movements for the rights of sexual and gender minorities and other marginalized groups. He holds a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University and a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University.