Applications for the Spring 25 – Fall 2025 cohort are now closed. Applications for the Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 cohort will open in early March 2025.

To submit your application, please have ready the following:

1. Resume

2. Personal Statement: Why do you want to join the SLP? In 500 words or less explain why you are applying to this program. Your answer should address your interests in security issues, qualifications (e.g. skills, internship/ work experiences, relevant courses), and how the program fits your academic and career goals.

3. An unofficial copy of your transcript (this should show all grades received in completed courses)

4.Writing Sample:  a short (500 words or less) sample of your writing uploaded as a PDF.

5. A lived experiences statement (optional) – about your lived experiences and what they would bring to the SLP

6. Two professors to serve as references (no letter needed)

 Please direct all questions to Dr. Maryann Gallagher ([email protected]), Director of the SLP.

In the first semester of the SLP, students enroll in INTL 4415: Practicum–Methods and Issues in Security Studies. In this seminar-style course, students practice the policy memo writing, analysis, and oral briefing skills necessary for careers in security, and put them to the test in a 2-week simulation of the US National Security Council. They are also introduced to grant writing and write a grant proposal to further the mission of CITS.

In the second semester, students enroll in INTL 4425R: Advanced Research in International Security Policy, where they complete a faculty-supervised independent research project on an issue relevant to national, international, or human security. All students present their research at an academic conference and many submit their research for publication in undergraduate journals. See the “Independent Research Projects” link below for titles of recent projects.

SLP fellows have the opportunity to attend the annual CITS in DC Spring Break trip alongside students from the Master of International Policy program. While the itinerary for the trip varies from year to year, past trips have included visits to meet with practitioners from security-relevant government agencies (Department of State, Department of Energy/NNSA, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, FBI, and intelligence agencies), think-tanks (Center for Strategic &  International Studies, Brookings Institute, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, CNAS), and government contractors.

In addition to the skills focus of the SLP, students participate in a professionalization series intended to prepare their application materials for internships, jobs, and post-graduation opportunities. Students also meet with alumni and visitors throughout the year, and participate in events hosted by the Center for International Trade and Security.

Mark Adams

Mark Anthony Adams is a senior International Affairs and French double major within the Honors college from Peachtree City, GA. During his time at UGA, he was an exchange student at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in Lyon, France, where he studied the French, EU law, and geopolitics for two semesters, with classes taught in French, during which he worked as an ESL teacher for the TAPIF program. He is a fluent French speaker, with a C1 diploma on the DALF.  He researched the electability of French radical right women under Dr. Gallagher, which he presented at URC and CURO. Recently, he has begun to specialize in Francophone African politics, as he researches Russian influence in the Francophone Sahel and interns as a Virtual Federal Intern for the State Department’s African Regional Media Hub. He has received a conditional offer for the Student Internship Program at the State Department for the Spring and will be in D.C. with the WSP. In his free time, he is a Wilderness trip leader for the UGA ORC, where he leads camping and wilderness survival trips. Otherwise, he enjoys studying Spanish and Anglo-Saxon. Mark plans to pursue either further education or employment in law, international security, or diplomacy.

Mercedes Bengs

Mercedes Bengs is a fourth-year student from Aberdeen, South Dakota majoring in International Affairs and Russian with a minor in German. She is a member of the Russian Flagship program and Air Force ROTC. Within the Flagship program, she has assisted in the development of the Areas Where Russian is Commonly Spoken (AWRCS) website, which is focused on making information of Russian speaking countries more accessible, where she wrote about the history, culture, and politics of Belarus. She also completed her CURO research on the impacts of partisan movements and remote warfare in Ukraine. She has completed an internship with the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, broadening her knowledge of Baltic states, and served as a mentor for Ukrainian High schoolers through EducationUSA. Within AFROTC, she has served as the Honor Guard Commander and Vice President of Silver Wings, a community service-based organization and is currently the Deputy Wing Commander. After graduation, she plans to commission into the Air Force and pursue a career in intelligence.

Frances Brantley

Frances Brantley is a third-year from Chattanooga, Tennessee, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Chinese Literature and Language, and Religion. She is an active member of University Judiciary, where she currently serves as the Director of Recruitment and Development for Advisor/Advocates. While at UGA, Frances was also involved with the UGA Study Abroad Oxford and Cortona programs. While at Oxford University and in Cortona, she took classes in nuclear politics and political psychology, Mandarin, and political theory. Prior to her time at UGA, Frances also studied as an exchange student in South Africa and visited China on a cultural immersion program. Frances has researched the impact of Chinese investment projects on women in receiving states. Further research interests include the South China Sea territorial disputes, China and Taiwan relations, and Cyber security. After graduating, Frances plans to pursue further education or employment in diplomacy or international security. In her free time, Frances is a Tour Guide at the UGA Visitors Center and a student-staff intern with Cru.

Grey Cohen

Grey is a junior at the University of Georgia from Atlanta, GA. She is majoring in International Affairs, minoring in Human Rights and Security, and studying Arabic and French. Grey is a security policy fellow at the Center for International Trade and Security where she studies national security policy and researches how states use human rights reporting for their strategic security interests. Grey is a research assistant at The Carter Center working on India Policy and U.S. security interests in South Asia. She also is an intern with the U.S. State Department’s Office of Investment Affairs where she supports the office’s investment screening and CFIUS work. Grey volunteers with the International Rescue Committee and leads their Women’s Entrepreneur Empowerment Series. On campus, Grey is the Vice President of the Alexander Hamilton Society where she plans speaker events with national security professionals. In the spring, Grey plans to study abroad in Rabat, Morocco to advance her Arabic language skills. After graduating from UGA, she hopes to work for the USG on human security and development.

Justin Cohen

Justin Cohen is a third-year student from Marietta, GA, majoring in Political science and  International affairs with minors in Jewish Studies and Disaster management. Currently, Justin is a Congressional Analysis intern with the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. This past summer, he interned in U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s D.C. office, and he has previously worked with groups inside and outside of government, including the White House Office of Management, EMILYs List, and the Office of Georgia State Representative Spencer Frye. On campus, Justin serves as an official ambassador for the University of Georgia as part of the Arch Society, in a government affairs role with UGA’s Student Government Association, and as a UGA School of Public and  International Affairs ambassador. He is also a member of UGA’s Security Leadership and Applied Politics programs. After graduation, Justin plans to pursue a career as a legislative staffer on Capitol Hill.

Nicole Cortes

Nicole Cortes is a sophomore at the University of Georgia studying International Affairs, Portuguese, and Sustainability. She is interested in studying disinformation management in relation to U.S. national security. Her academic pursuits include being a member of the Portuguese Flagship Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, and being an undergraduate researcher with the Crisis Insights & Analytics (CIA) Lab. Outside the classroom, she works with International Student Life (ISL) as a volunteer for international student orientation and other ISL events. She won the “Volunteer of the Year Award,” in 2023 for her work with ISL. Additionally, she is a fellow with the Spencer Frye Fellowship, the Public Relations head for the Demosthenian Literary Society, the Diversity Equity & Inclusivity Chair for Model United Nations, and the Resource/Digital Librarian for the Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center.

Madelyn Fackler

Madelyn Fackler is a third-year International Affairs student from Macon, Georgia, with minors in English and German. She has also been involved on campus as a member and in various officer positions in the Phi Kappa Literary Society. Additionally, she worked as a research assistant for the ATLAS project in the UGA Linguistics department. Madelyn attended the UGA at Oxford study abroad program in Spring 2023, further developing her interest in international security and foreign policy. In Summer 2022, during her participation in the GLOBIS study abroad in Ireland, she studied human rights, repression, and dissent within the context of the Troubles. Madelyn intends to pursue research in energy and nuclear security and, after graduation, a career in diplomacy and arms control.

Kristalee Gonzalez-Perez

Kristalee Gonzalez-Perez is a third-year student from Augusta, Georgia majoring in Political Science and International Affairs with minors in Law, Jurisprudence, the State, and Human Rights and Security. Over the summer, Kristalee had the privilege of interning at the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office. On campus, she serves as the treasurer for Latinos Invested in the Students of Tomorrow, a mentorship organization for Latinx students. Kristalee is also part of Activa Tu Speaking, a class-turned-club that connects UGA students with Guadalajara, Mexico students. Through Activa Tu Speaking, Kristalee has gained knowledge in sustainability and engineering while practicing her Spanish skills. In the fall of 2023, Kristalee obtained UGA’s Sustainability Grant, and with it, she hopes to expand the students’ accessibility to reliable solar-powered tables and knowledge of how these tables function. She serves as a lead peer-learning assistant in INTL 3200.

Chris Haswell

Chris Haswell is a second-year student from Woodstock, Georgia majoring in Political Science, International Affairs, and Russian. He is a member of the Russian Flagship Program and participated in Startalk, an intensive and immersive Russian-speaking program, last summer. During summer 2024, he plans to study abroad in Riga, Latvia with members of his flagship cohort. Chris is an active member of the Athens community and previously served as a first-year senator, where he promoted environmentally friendly legislation. Chris is an avid researcher with an interest in cyber policy and regulation. He presented his work on digital transparency at two school research colloquiums and a national conference. Upon graduating, Chris hopes to work in cybersecurity policy or diplomacy.

Mayukh Keelar

Mayukh Keelar is a third-year Political Science and International Affairs double major from Johns Creek, Georgia. So far, Mayukh has enjoyed following his passion for policy and law in several extracurriculars and internships. He has been a member of the UGA Mock Trial Team since his freshman year, serving as a captain and as the program’s treasurer. Over the summer, he had the rewarding opportunity of helping out with UGA’s inaugural Mock Trial Summer Academy, working as a camp counselor and teaching high schoolers from across the country. Mayukh has also written for the Georgia Political Review, exploring Saudi arms trade and the campaign practices of Athens politicians. Through the Roosevelt Institute, he has also co-authored policy proposals that are aimed at mitigating the impacts of homelessness in the Athens-Clarke County area. He also enjoyed his time interning at an immigration law firm where he was afforded the opportunity to work with clients in preparing their and their families’ applications for immigration. Moving forward, Mayukh will look to combine his interests in policy and law after graduating from law school.

Ashley Orlet

Ashley Orlet is a third-year honors student from Augusta, Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Ecology and minors in International Affairs, Spanish, and Environmental Law, as well as a certificate in Sustainability. This past summer, she interned with the International Climate Policy team at the Center for American Progress. There, she learned about the field of global climate diplomacy, supported CAP’s efforts to promote global climate action through research, and analyzed the implications of 2024’s global elections on global climate action and diplomacy. This semester, she has continued working as a Peer Learning Assistant for General Ecology. Outside of class, Ashley is an active member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society, helping lead the society as its equivalent of Vice President. After graduating from the University of Georgia, she hopes to pursue a career in international climate policy, with a focus on advancing climate diplomacy and the U.S’ climate ambition in international forums.

Sophie Radke

Sophia “Sophie” Radke is a senior majoring in International Affairs and minoring in International Human Rights and Security, with certificates in Data Analytics in Public Policy and Global Studies. During her studies, Sophie worked in the GLOBIS human rights lab and studied abroad at the University of Oxford. With hands-on experience as Team Lead for the Syrian Captagon Trade Project at USCENTCOM, Sophie has delved into open-source intelligence to tackle drug trade networks. A passionate researcher, Sophie has authored papers on national security, human rights, sustainable development, illicit financing of civil wars, and more. She is proud of the data manipulation, visualization, and analysis in numerous of her papers. With expertise in policy writing, she is proficient in op-ed, memo writing, and oral briefing. Her research emphasizes the intersection of policy, security, and human rights, showcasing her commitment to understanding and addressing complex global challenges. Following her Spring 2025 graduation, she will attend graduate school and ultimately work for the intelligence community.

Daniela Sanchez

Daniela Sanchez is a third-year student from Dunwoody, Georgia. She is majoring in International Affairs and French with a minor in Korean. At UGA, she works as a resident assistant for University Housing. She also founded and serves as the Vice President of the Korean Conversation Club. Daniela is also a UGA en France program ambassador. Through this program, she spent five weeks in Montpellier, France improving her French skills. Outside of UGA, she is is interning as a research associate for the Middle East and Africa region at the British Standards Institute. She previously worked as an Advocacy Intern at the Latin American Association where she researched and analyzed current bills and proposals affecting the Latino population in Georgia in addition to monitoring legislation signed by Georgia congressmen and representatives. She also volunteers with the Rotary Youth Exchange program, a scholarship program for high school students through which she studied abroad in South Korea for one year. Her current interests include U.S.-Korea relations, arms control, and open-source intelligence. In the spring, Daniela plans to intern and study in D.C. through the Washington Semester Program.

Jessica Sobieski

Jessica Sobieski is a third-year student from Roswell, Georgia majoring in International Affairs and Russian. She is an active member and former ambassador of the Russian Flagship Program, through which she has traveled to Hawai’i, D.C., Estonia, Czech Republic, Latvia, and Sweden to study the sociopolitical landscape of formerly Soviet spaces and Russia. Through various UGA-based research institutions, she has researched a variety of topics from Central Asia to language acquisition. On campus, she competes on the University of Georgia Model United Nations team. In Model UN, she honed her speech and argumentation skills which she was later able to use in December 2023 when she was selected as the North American Youth Representative to UNCAC COSP10. Joined by youth representatives from each continent, she spoke out against corruption in international aid payments. Outside of the classroom, she has worked at the Carter Center under the Conflict Resolution Internship Program, focusing on Russian politics in Syria. Currently, she is working under the Council on Foreign Relations’s Russia Studies Internship Program.

Adam Starks

Adam Starks is a fourth-year student from Dunwoody, GA studying International Affairs and Music, with minors in Political Science and International Human Rights & Security. During his time at UGA, Adam has pursued research in education, human rights, and criminal justice, including a year-long Honors thesis analyzing Georgia’s private probation system, and his current work measuring Intangible Cultural Heritage preservation in the context of state-led physical violence against ethnic minority groups. On campus, he has been involved in NMDP (formerly Be the Match), Swap Shop, Georgia Political Review, and multiple music ensembles, including the UGA Symphony Orchestra, African American Choral Ensemble, and Chinese Music Ensemble, while also serving as a student ambassador for the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Most recently, Adam worked as a summer associate at Boston Consulting Group, but has held previous roles in the U.S. Department of State – Office of Diversity & Inclusion and local Atlanta-based AgTech startup, Good Agriculture. His current policy interests include cultural diplomacy, minority and indigenous rights, and global women’s issues.

Ellie Trumpfheller

Elizabeth (Ellie) Trumpfheller is a third-year International Affairs and Political Science student from Arlington, VA. Specializing in US national security, defense strategy, and great power competition, she serves as a CURO Research Assistant, co-authoring an academic article on Middle Eastern Security. As a staff writer for UGA’s foreign policy journal, The Loch Johnson Society, she regularly authors articles on US grand strategy and the Middle East. In Spring 2025, Ellie is studying abroad at the University of Oxford in hopes of gaining a broader understanding of international security. Ellie is active in UGA’s Alexander Hamilton Society chapter and works at a local Athens yoga studio. Through internships in the US House of Representatives and the Clarke County Board of Elections, Ellie has fostered a passion for public service which she hopes to apply to a career in national security policy advising.

Isabel Bland

Isabel Bland is a fourth-year student at UGA from Peachtree City, GA. She is majoring in International Affairs and Political Science, with a minor in Criminal Justice, and in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State. Isabel currently works as a Resident Assistant (RA) for University Housing, a 20-hour position she has maintained while being a full-time student since January of 2022. As an RA, she is responsible for 36 to 40 first-year students, assisting them in their transition to college, and is on-call weekly, responding to various incidents. Isabel is involved on-campus through the Phi Kappa Literary Society, where she serves as Historian for the society. Additionally, Isabel has regularly volunteered at various animal shelters since her first-year at UGA through clubs such as Rescue Paws and Dogs for the Paws. During her third-year at UGA, Isabel gained research experience through the GLOBIS Human Rights Research Lab, where she coded data on the death penalty, and digital repression, and independently researched American perspectives on domestic organizations. After graduating, Isabel plans on attending law school.

Mackenzie Buck

Mackenzie Buck is a fourth-year student from Brunswick, Georgia, majoring in political science, public relations, and Russian. In addition to pursuing a major in Russian, she has trained intensively in language and culture as a student in the Russian Flagship Program. She has spent multiple semesters criss-crossing the globe, spending a semester at the University of Oxford and summering in Hawai’i, Latvia, and Washington, DC. Most recently, Mackenzie was a communications and marketing engagement intern with the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC. During her time at UGA, she has served as a Resident Assistant in University Housing, worked as a photographer for the Russian Flagship Program in Riga, Latvia, and served on the executive board of UGA Votes. She has researched the federal judiciary, contributing to an NSF-funded project to build a database of federal judges, and has been an invited participant and honoree at hackathons at Harvard and Virginia Tech focusing on language learning technology. Mackenzie is a current PROPEL Rural Scholar and a member of the 8th cohort of the Applied Politics Program. In her spare time, she moonlights as a coach for middle and high school students in public speaking competitions. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and use her communicative and cultural competence to advance narratives, ideas, and policies she finds important and impactful — no matter where they take her.

Valerie Cobb

Valerie Cobb is a fourth-year student from Stockbridge, Georgia. She is pursuing double majors in International Affairs and Political Science. On campus, she is involved in Peer Learning and Teaching Others (PLaTO).  Valerie will serve as a peer learning assistant for Comparative Politics during the fall semester of 2024. While in the SLP, she hopes to explore and conduct research on her interests concerning human security, human rights, and national security. After graduation, she hopes to further her education to pursue a career in government and public service.

Piper Duncan

Piper Duncan is a third year International Affairs student who began her graduate studies this semester as a member of the MIP Double Dawg program. This past summer, Piper worked at the Feminist Majority Foundation as a Political Research Intern in Washington, D.C. where she advocated for women’s reproductive rights and campaigned for the end of Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan. In Spring 2024, Piper took a semester away from UGA and lived in New Zealand where she worked for the Human Rights Measurement Initiative as a Survey Engagement and Operations Intern. On campus, Piper is the Senior Editor for the Georgia Political Review and is on UGA Model UN’s secretariat. Piper is interested in human rights, and has previously studied the subject on a study abroad in Ireland and through GLOBIS’s Human Rights Research Lab. After graduation, Piper plans to pursue a career in human rights in the nonprofit sector.

William Gonzalez

William Gonzalez is a fourth-year from Gainesville, GA, studying Political Science and International Affairs. He is also pursuing minors in Criminal Justice Studies and Law, Jurisprudence, and the State. William currently serves as a Communications Fellow for Senator Jon Ossoff’s campaign, coordinating media efforts, assisting with press releases, and conducting opposition research. His experience also includes working on developing the Federal Judicial Database, a comprehensive repository of information on federal judges. William’s research expertise extends to global security, as he served as the Lead North America Research Associate for The British Standards Institution. In this role, he developed country reports, analyzed security trends, and produced content on foreign policy and global security. William is actively involved in campus life. He is a Staff Writer for the Georgia Political Review, where he writes published articles and editorials on public policy and international affairs. Additionally, he serves as the Director of the Editorial for the Loch Johnson Society, overseeing print and editorial activities for the non-partisan foreign policy group. After graduation, William plans to attend law school, where he aims to apply his diverse experiences to make a meaningful impact in the fields of law and public policy.

Evelyn Hunter

Evelyn Hunter is a fourth-year student from Atlanta, GA majoring in International Affairs and Political Science with a minor in International Human Rights and Security. This past summer, Evelyn interned at The Nuclear Threat Initiative, a global security non-profit in Washington, DC working to reduce nuclear, biological, and technological threats facing humanity. At UGA, Evelyn is set to earn The Public Affairs Professional Certificate in Applied Politics, an interdisciplinary certificate between SPIA and the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications. In Spring 2024, Evelyn studied abroad at the University of Oxford through the UGA at Oxford program where she took courses in Political Economy and International Law. She also participated in the GLOBIS Ireland Study Abroad Program in Summer 2023 to study human rights and post-conflict societies through the lens of the Irish Troubles. Evelyn looks forward to further developing her skills in the SLP and hopes to pursue a career in public service and international security.

Melanie Kim

Melanie Kim is a third-year International Affairs as well as Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies major from Suwanee, Georgia. At UGA, she serves as Program Director of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Political Alliance and a Mock Trial fall team captain. Melanie is also a Junior Advisor at the Office of Global Engagement and a former SPIA Ambassador. Over the course of her time at UGA, she studied abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea and spent the past summer interning at an international business startup in Tokyo, Japan. Continuing from last year, Melanie’s current research focuses on analyzing US landmine policy. Through her participation in the SLP, she is deeply interested in exploring the intersection between synthetic biology’s role in weapons of mass destruction and open-source science.

Zach Leggio

Zach Leggio is a third year from Augusta, Georgia, majoring in International Affairs and Journalism, minoring in French and International Human Rights and Security and is working to attain certificate in News Literacy and the African Studies Certificate. On campus, Zach writes and edits for The Red & Black, is the managing editor of the Georgia Political Review and is a member of Redcoat Marching Band. He has also studied abroad in Florence, Italy and in Stellenbosch, South Africa through which he has studied the European Union, religion, democratic erosion and state repression. Finally, he has experience as a volunteer researcher with Action On Armed Violence. Zach hopes that his experience gained through the SLP, such as research skills, data analytics and policy analysis, will help kick-start a career in policy writing or political reporting.

Katie Moebes

Katie Moebes is a third-year student from Norcross, Georgia, majoring in International Affairs and Political Science. She is a cadet in Army ROTC where she is a member of the Ranger Challenge team and acts as the assistant S5 helping to manage the battalion’s finances and funds. On campus, Katie is a member of the 24/25 Applied Politics Cohort, along with acting as the Vice President for SPIA Student Union. Katie was able to present research on the current gender inequality that still remains and persists in the United States and what needs to be done to see parity. She was able to study abroad during the spring 2024 semester where she spent a term at The University of Oxford where she studied International Human Rights and War and Human Security. Katie had the opportunity to intern in the district office of Congresswoman Lucy McBath during the 2024 summer where she learned about constituent services and worked firsthand doing casework with constituents and agencies. Additionally, Katie is participating in the Young Women in Nonproliferation Initiative Mentorship Program with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. After college, Katie hopes to commission active duty as a second lieutenant in the Army and attend law school to become a JAG officer. As a JAG officer she hopes to work on the Special Trial Counsel to prosecute sexual harassment and assault.

Scott Stein

Scott Stein is a third-year student at the University of Georgia from Charlotte, North Carolina. Scott is majoring in Biological Sciences, minoring in International Affairs and Disaster Management, and is applying for Double Dawgs in order to get a Masters Degree in International Policy. He is employed by the Department of Justice, which he was turned to after completing an internship with the UGA Police Department. Scott is also an EMT and volunteers with Fort Mill Rescue Squad in South Carolina. He put the skills learned there and in public health classes to use during a year working as the First Aid Coordinator in the Athens Medical Reserve Corps. He has studied Hebrew and is very involved with UGA Hillel and Chabad. You can find him at Hillel or Chabad (or both!) every Friday night taking advantage of free dinner with friends. Scott has also been teaching Taekwondo for a little over 5 years. After college, Scott wants to gain experience in either the military or local law enforcement to make himself a better applicant for higher positions within the DOJ.

Lauren Thacker

Lauren Thacker is a second-year student from Cleveland, Tennessee studying International Affairs, Russian, and French. Before attending UGA, she spent nine months studying Russian intensively in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan as part of the US Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth. On campus, Lauren is an assistant editor for the Georgia Political Review and a part of the Mock Trial team. She is also an active participant in the Russian Flagship and serves as a student ambassador for the program. She tutors weekly through Athens Prison Tutorial, an organization focused on serving the educational interests of incarcerated people in the area. As part of the Security Leadership Program, Lauren hopes to further explore her interest in nuclear security, particularly within the post-Soviet sphere.

Ana Valencia

Ana Valencia is a third-year student from Marietta, Georgia, pursuing studies in International Affairs and Political Science. She is also currently minoring in International Human Rights and Security, and Law, Jurispudence and the State. This year, she will also be pursuing coursework for the Professional Certificate in Applied Politics at UGA. This summer, Ana had the opportunity to intern at the U.S. House of Representatives through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, where she was placed in the office of Representative Joaquin Castro. On campus, Ana works as the Director of Digital Media for the Loch Johnson Society and as the Director for Layout at the Georgia Political Review. She is also committed in fostering the Latino community at UGA through her involvement in the Hispanic Student Association and Latinos Invested in the Students of Tomorrow (LISTO). While at UGA, Ana was fortunate to study abroad at Oxford, taking tutorials in International Law, War and Human Security and British politics. After graduation, Ana hopes to pursue a juris doctor, focusing on international Human Rights law.

Ryan Varma

Ryan Varma is a third-year student studying International Affairs and Business Management. A third culture kid, Varma spent his childhood growing up across six countries before making his way to the University of Georgia. Over the summer, he interned in the field of leadership development and coaching, where he contributed to training business clients on resilience in the post-COVID landscape. On campus, he is an active member of UGA’s undergraduate Mock Trial program, currently serving as its Tournament Director. As a participant in the security leadership program, he aims to merge his interests in international policy and law to advance human security.

Grace Walton

Grace is a third- year International Affairs and Arabic double major. On campus, she is involved in the Dean Tate Honor Society, UGA greek life, and worked as a SPIA ambassador. She also works as a political research assistant at the UGA Special Collections Library, working on a variety of political research projects, maintaining the library’s galleries, and helping with various class curriculums. Recently, she has participated in the UGA at Oxford study abroad program, where she took tutorials in War and Human Security and Arabic through Oxford University. Over the past year, she has worked on two open- source intelligence (OSINT) projects with the Defense Intelligence Agency, tracking conflict information in Iraq, as well as monitoring Iraqi media. She is also a current CNS Young Women in Nonproliferation Fellow, working with mentors to research nonproliferation issues and expanding her network in the field. Grace is hoping to pursue a career in national security, specifically pursuing a career in the intelligence field.

Lindsay Weinmann

Lindsay Weinmann is a fourth-year from Athens, Georgia majoring in International Affairs (security emphasis) and Asian Languages and Literature (Korean emphasis) with a minor in General Business. With a strong interest in northeast Asian affairs, Lindsay served as an American delegate for the 15th annual Korea-America Student Conference (KASC) in the summer of 2022. She then completed a year-long internship with the organization as the American Chair, where she helped design and run the 16th annual KASC. As an exchange student abroad Lindsay studied at Yonsei University, focusing on international security, US-Korea relations, and the Korean language. On campus, Lindsay served as president of the Korean Culture and Language Society for three semesters and remains an active member. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys volunteering in the Athens community as an ESL conversation partner. Due to this interest, she accepted an ESL internship in May 2024 to teach at Daegeon High School in Nonsan, South Korea, and plans on working with English for All as a tutor upon her return to UGA this fall. Lindsay is passionate about peace relations along the Korean Peninsula but is also ready to expand her interests in human security and social research this academic year. After graduation, she intends on building a career with cross-cultural values that serves to help others.

John Wilson

John Wilson is a third-year student pursuing a major in Economics with a concentration in Public Policy and a minor in International Affairs. A first-generation Jamaican American, Wilson served six years on active duty in the US Army, during which he attained an Associate of Science in Liberal Studies from Barton County Community College. He is currently a Staff Sergeant in the Army Reserve, where he trains and instructs soldiers in logistics management. While on campus, he coordinates and manages the Matzo Ball Soup program at Hillel at UGA, making and delivering soup and snacks to sick Jewish Dawgs. He is fluent in Spanish and currently studies Hebrew. While in the Security Leadership Program, Wilson anticipates pursuing research into Human Security, particularly regarding children’s and LGBT+ issues, as well as issues of global conflict resolution. Concurrent with the program, he also interns with the Department of State through the Virtual Student Federal Service program, working with the Vets@State affinity group. After graduation, Wilson hopes to pursue a master’s degree in security studies, Diplomacy, or International Economic Policy en route to becoming a Foreign Service Officer at State.

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Spring 2024

Kiana Bussa, “Do States with Greater LGBTQ Inequality Engage in More Conflict? ’Gendered Conflict’ Revisited”

Scott Butterfield, “Alternative Framing as a Strategy for Successful Clean Energy Policy”

Clemencia El Antouri, “Tourism and Gender: Western Women’s Role in Middle Eastern Tourism”

Emily Ezratty, “Balancing Acts: The Unintended Consequences of Export Controls on Human Development”

Austin Fabritius, “Do Terrorist Organizations Employ Different Strategies When They Kidnap Different Victims?”

Julian Fortuna, “Do Bipartisan Statements Reduce Political Violence? A Real World Analysis”

Avery Jainniney, “‘Daddy Issues’: An Evaluation of Institutional Fatherhood Policies”

Matthew Lombardo, “A Comparative Analysis of the Political Resource Curse in Oil and Mineral Exporting States: Industrial Effects on State and Human Security”

Allie Maloney, “Women and Warheads: Human-Centered Approaches to Nuclear Security”

Sean Manning, “A Press-ing Presence: Evaluating Great Power News Media Investment Strategies”

Madison Park, “Navigating Dynamics of Cooperation and Contestation: China’s Revisionist Agenda”

Devi Patel, “Are Far-Right News Outlets Less Likely to Report on Women’s Physical Violence and Abuse?”

Brooke Sanders, “The Impact of Far Right Women in Party Leadership on Women’s Rights”

Feben Teshome, “AI and Elections: Assessing the Impact on Public Trust in Africa”

Ansley Whitlock, “Behind Closed Doors: Investigating the Shadow of Public Misogynistic Violence in Private Spaces”

Thomas Wilkerson, “Partisan Influences on Social Media Governance: Examining Hate Speech Regulation”

Spring 2023

Luke Caggiano, “The Russo-Ukrainian War and Support for European Defense Integration among EU Public Officials”

Sudhan Chitgopkar, “Trusting Zero-Trust: How Public Trust in State Financial Institutions Affects Cryptocurrency Adoption Rates”

Alex Drahos, “The Space Race: Examining Terrorist Attacks in Urban Public and Private Spaces”

Jacqueline Ganun,”Do Women Editors Lead News Teams to Report More on Sexual Violence During Conflict?
A Study of War Reporting in Ukraine and Tigrey, Ethiopia”

Sahar Joshi, “Sticks and Stones: Words as Modern
Warfare”

Daniel Klein, “Who Gets to Be Innocent? The Role of Gender in Civilian Casualties and Public Support for Military Action”

Riley Mied, “Does Ideology Influence the Perpetration of Domestic Abuse by Extremists”

Thompson Miles, “Inside the Mind of Whistleblowers”

Sofia Mohamed, “Forced Migration And Infectious Disease:
How Does Conflict Increase The Spread Of Infectious Disease?”

Alexis Nash, “Energy Catalysts: Are Women Driving the Energy Transition”

Shekina Shindano, “Invisibility is Not Superpower:
Intersectional Invisibility and Black Women in National Security”

Connor Stockenberg, “Democracy’s Rising Fever:
Democratic Erosion and the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Abby Then, “Education with Conditions: Analyzing the
U.S. Strategic Use of Foreign Aid”

Kevin Vega, “Dangerous Economies: The Environmental
Costs of Organized Crime”

Spring 2022

Olivia Bauer, “Insurgencies or Gangs: An Analysis of Service Provision by Criminal Organizations”

Dan Doss, “How Should Energy Security Influence Investments in Alternative Energy?”

Catherine Fender, “Terrorist Outbidding: The Effects of Leadership Decapitation on Terrorist Group Recruitment”

Haley Gamis, “A Chain Reaction: Evaluation of the Security Threat to Global Supply Chain Chokepoints posed by the Belt and Road Initiative”

Jeanelle Garcia, “Sexual Violence and the Welfare of Women in ICE Detention Facilities”

Hayley Hunter, “How NATO Has Used Environmental Security as a Strategy of Engagement”

Elizabeth Howell, “Kidnapping in Terrorist Groups: Money, Power, and Recruitment”

Patrick Jackson, “Comparative Analysis of UN and NATO Authorizations for Use of Force”

Sonia Kalia, “The Radical Right & Violence Against Women in Politics”

Julie Kettle, “The Yassification of the Radical Right: The Use of Homonationalism for Gender Diversification in Radical Right Support Bases.”

Simi Kolodka, “Lock her Up: A Gender Analysis of Violence Against Women in Politics & Extreme Right Recruitment Tactics”

Sophia Macartney, “Naming and Shaming: How Does Regime Type Affect Terrorist Organization Designation?”

Ashni Patel, “The Sexy Side of Development: Sex Industries and Global Development Projects”

Hannah Skinner, “Not Just a Man’s World: The Rise of Women’s Incarceration in Latin America”

Joshua Walker, “The Bit about BITs: Bilateral Investment Treaties and the Black Market”

Spring 2021

Ayah Abdelwahab, “Friends or Foes: An Analysis of Individuals Sanctioned Under the Global Magnitsky Act”

Mennah Abdelwahab, “Dangerous Women: Analyzing the Securitization of Female Protesters during the Egyptian Revolution”

Albert Chen, “Reforming United States Financial Regulation to Secure Economic Influence in Asia”

Annabelle Cochran, “Cannabis and the War on Terror: A Qualitative Report on the Impacts of Legalizing Marijuana on Counter-Terrorism Strategies”

Kendall Embry, “Slavery & Security: Preventing Sexual Enslavement in Terrorist Organizations”

Xzavior Goeman, “Insurgent Groups’ Bureaucracy and Intelligence”

Jonathan Lauria, “National Security Risk Management: Applying the Framework of Enterprise Security Risk Management to the National Security Context”

Audrey Park, “Reforming U.S. Countering Violent Extremism Programs through a Mental Health Framework”

Sahana Parker, “The Mind and the Military: Defense Applications for Emerging Functional Neuroimaging Technology”

Lindsey Rhyne, “From the Frying Pan into the Fire: Solutions for the US Asylum Seeker Immigration Process in the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Christopher Rosselot, “Health of the Nation or Health of the Nation? Analyzing State Intentions Behind Discriminatory COVID-19 Vaccination Plans”

Nate Shear, “How Should the US Approach High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel?”

Addie Sparks, “Rebel Leader Goals and Indiscriminate Killing”

Kat Symons, “The U.S. Army’s Attempt at Creating Lethal Combat Machines: An Analysis of the ACFT”

Andrew Zach, “‘Send Lawyers, Guns, and a Dispersal Notice’: An Analysis of the Insurrection Act of 1807 and Its Application to the January 6th Capitol Riots”

Fall 2020

Zainub Ali, “Tracking the Presence of Protest in Oil Wealthy Rentier States from 2014-2015 with the Existence of ‘Weather the Shock’ Economic Policies”

Ian Allen, “American Export Controls as Counter-China Trade Weapons”

Miranda Bourdeau, “A New Space Race: Space Weaponry of the United States, Russia, and China”

Adrina Bradley, “Sexual Violence & Disasters”

Mariah Cady, “The 2015 European Refugee and Migrant Crisis: Press Coverage Across Germany and the United Kingdom”

Nia Evereteze, “Female Recruiters for Terrorist Organizations”

Alex Fabre de la Grange “How Gender Impacts Equity in Terrorism Cases”

Alexa Hernandez, “Online Recruitment by Far-Right Groups”

Sam Lombardo, “How Regime Type Affects the Management Type and Zone Identification of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Latin America and the Caribbean”

David Mustard, “Exploring China’s COVID-19 Health Assistance Patterns in Latin America”

Natalie Navarette, “Russian Holistic Investment in Latin America: A Counter to the Security Interests of the United States”

Isaac Parham, “Running Down the Clock: How IGOs Are Addressing the Impending Climate Catastrophe”

Rehna Sheth, “A Comparative Analysis of Intra-state and Inter-state Violent Conflict on Education Enrollment and Completion Rates”

Emma Traynor, “Combating Illicit Firearms Trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico”

Micha Wallesen, “Nuclear Material Transportation Security”

Participants on the 2020 (top) and 2022 (bottom) CITS DC Spring Break Trip

Each year, students of the SLP and the MIP travel to Washington, D.C. during spring break to visit various security-related organizations, including government agencies and think tanks, and to network with UGA and SLP alumni.

The 2023 CITS Spring Break to Washington, DC will include visits to the Department of State, Department of Commerce, Senate, Brookings Institution, CNAS, and other government service providers.

This trip is made possible by the generous support of the Richard B. Russell Foundation, Mrs. Robin Benson, the UGA Parents Leadership Council, and alumni who donate to the CITS Student Fund.

Fall 2023

Clemencia El Antouri

Kiana Bussa

Scott Butterfield

Emily Ezratty

Austin Fabritius

Julian Fortuna

Avery Jainniney

Matthew Lombardo

Allie Maloney

Sean Manning

Madison Park

Devi Patel

Brooke Sanders

Feben Teshome

Ansley Whitlock

Thomas Wilkerson

Fall 2022

Luke Caggiano

Sudhan Chitgopkar

Alex Drahos

Jacqueline Ganun

Sahar Joshi

Daniel Klein

Riley Mied

Thompson Miles

Sofia Mohamed

Alexis Nash

Shekina Shindano

Connor Stockenberg

Abby Then

Kevin Vega

Fall 2021

Olivia Bauer

Dan Doss

Catherine Fender

Haley Gamis

Jeanelle Garcia

Hayley Hunter

Elizabeth Howell

Patrick Jackson

Sonia Kalia

Julie Kettle

Simi Kolodka

Sophia Macartney

Ashni Patel

Hannah Skinner

Joshua Walker

Fall 2020

Ayah Abdelwahab

Mennah Abdelwahab

Albert Chen

Annabelle Cochran

Kendall Embrey

Xzavior Goeman

Jonathan Lauria

Audrey Park

Sahana Parker

Lindsey Rhyne

Christopher Rosselot

Nate Shear

Addie Sparks

Kat Symons

Andrew Zach

Spring 2020

Zainub Ali

Ian Allen

Miranda Bourdeau

Adrina Bradley

Mariah Cady

Nia Everteze

Alex Fabre De La Grange

Alexa Hernandez

Sam Lombardo

David Mustard

Natalie Navarrete

Isaac Parham

Rehna Sheth

Emma Traynor

Micha Wallesen

Fall 2019

Matthew Aldridge

Robyn Anzulis

Marshall Berton

Rosa Brown

Christina Chu

Adriana Dale

Sam Daly

Chase Duncan

Avery Eddy

Emily Goggin

Eleanor Goldin

Griffin Hamstead

Jena Jibreen

Faeez Juneja

Rachel Markhoff

Anna Patterson

Ivan Ruiz-Hernandez

Emily Threlkeld

Spring 2019

Rebecca Buechler

Stephanie Cannon

Elizabeth Carter

Charley Claudio

Mary Beth Dicks

Arden Farr

Robert Gluzman

Nick Hughes

Dane Hulsey

Patrick Jenkins

Mary McCarthy

Thomas Russell

Matilda Segal

Meredith Van de Velde

Tricia White

Fall 2018

Allison Reid

Alyssa Hoover

Amanda Tysor

Celeste Norton

Joseph Atkins

Kadi Bortle

Kal Hicks

Karan Pol

Mary Craig Lindgren

Nicki Brown

Noble Jacob

Ryan Slusher

Samantha Barnes

SK Lasseigne

Zoe Bayer

Spring 2018

Austin Emery

Candice Lee

Caroline Gustavson

Erica Bressner

Folakemi Akinola

Grant Mercer

Jack Maerz

Joe Mahoney

Julia Ricciarduli

Megan Gillahan

Nia Harris

Seamus Murrock

Fall 2017

Austin Gignilliat

Bryanna Shook

Caleb Kirby

Cheikh Faye

Chloe Deitrich

Daria Kolpakova

George McCall

Haidi Al-Shabrawey

Kara Joyce

Louis Conde

Mauli Desai

Sierra Runnels

Swapnil Agrawal

Learn more about Sara Beth Marchert from the Fall 2016 SLP Cohort.

Learn more about Valerie Tucker from the Fall 2015 SLP Cohort.

Learn more about Austin Gignilliat from the Fall 2017 SLP Cohort.

Learn more about Kathleen Nisbet from the Spring 2015 SLP Cohort.

Learn more about Jack Slagle from the Fall 2011 SLP Cohort.

Learn more about Emily Threlkeld from the Fall 2019 SLP Cohort.

This past November, students in the Center for International Trade and Security’s (CITS) Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program (SLP) spent two weeks in a simulation of the US National Security Council (NSC). This capstone of the first-semester practicum course of the SLP had each student assigned to play a member of the NSC, including the President of the United States, the National Security Advisor, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and regional advisors. The members of the NSC, were required to make decisions on several “ripped-from-the-headlines” foreign policy issues including a crisis stemming from Chinese aggression towards US Navy surveillance ships in the South China Sea, to a crisis in the Mediterranean potentially undermining NATO, to democratic protests in the Gulf region. In addition to these known situations, the members of the NSC had to respond to several unexpected crises, including a looming environmental disaster off the coast of Yemen. The crises were selected to challenge the members to consider the tensions between US strategic interests and values, to weigh long-term and short-term goals, and to experience the pressure of “drinking from the fire hose” as policy makers are expected to juggle numerous ongoing crises at once.

In addition to developing a rich understanding of each situation, members of the NSC became adept at writing policy briefs and memos with short turnaround time and briefing colleagues on developing issues.  Simi Kolodka, who served as President, said, “everyone was challenged to push themselves to not only understand and have the capacity to explain to others complex and nuanced topics, but to be confident enough to come up with solutions and defend [them] whilst cooperating with others to make said solutions better.” The individual research, rigorous debate, and teamwork led by President Kolodka and National Security Advisor Sophie Macartney, culminated in 4 presidential memoranda responding to the crises. Finally, the NSC also wrote a National Security Strategy for the Kolodka administration. This ensured the members would be conscious of long-term goals for the administration while responding to acute crises. When asked about the skills she developed, Ashni Patel, Advisor on Asia, said, “The NSC simulation taught me problem-solving, briefing, and communication skills. With numerous problems being thrown at us day-to-day, I, along with my peers, had to think creatively and quickly about solving issues.”

All CITS alumni and friends are invited to attend the 20th anniversary celebration of the Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program (SLP) taking place on Friday, September 20, 2024 at CITS.  

Program: 

Thursday, Sept 19

7-9pm Dinner hosted by Gary and Joan Bertsch

Friday, Sept 20

9:15 – Breakfast

9:30- Welcome

10-11 – Round Table 1 – Strategic Trade, Nonproliferation, and Diplomacy

Student Moderator: Maddie Fackler

Alumni Panel: Jack Slagle, Savannah Blalock, Chris Tucker

11:15-12:15 Round Table 2 – Emerging Security Issues

Student Moderator: Adam Starks

Alumni Panel: Tricia White, Jacquelyn Harms Whitlow, Mennah Abdelwahab, Ayah Abdelwahab

12:30 – 2:15 Lunch & Keynote Address: Dr. Amanda Murdie, Head of the Department of International Affairs, Georgia Athletic Professor of International Affairs

2:30 – 3:30 SLP Future Security Leaders Round Table

Alumni Moderator: Mariah Cady

Student Panel: Alex Drahos, Sean Manning, Grey Cohen, Ashley Orlet, Jessica Sobieski

4pm Reception – The Globe

If you have any questions about the SLP 20th Anniversary Celebration, please contact Dr. Maryann Gallagher, Director of the Security Leadership Program, at [email protected] or by phone at (706) 542-2764.