Class of 2023

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David Bell
David Bell is currently a researcher with the Department of Defense (DoD). He joined the DoD in 2022 after graduating with his BA in Political Science with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies at New York University. While at NYU, he founded The Sycamore Institute, a 501(c)(3) focused on international security and foreign policy.  David oversaw its expansion to several universities while growing the organization to over 120 volunteers. He currently serves as an Advisory Board member alongside former senior executives from the defense and foreign policy community. David’s previous work experience includes a research position at United States Central Command and an internship with a foreign policy think tank in Israel. While in Israel, he researched Iranian foreign policy and Palestinian iconography. He also holds certifications in Emergency Medicine, Radiological Emergency Management, and Biosecurity. His research interests include radiological material security, peacebuilding, and dual-use technologies. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, reading Tolstoy, and kayaking.

Andrew Carroll
Captain Andrew Carroll is an Air Force Nuclear & Missile Operations Officer with the 490th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. In this role, he is responsible for nuclear deterrence operations and training involving the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Captain Carroll has previously served on exchange with the French and Romanian Air Forces, and worked as a Policy Fellow with the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, where he concentrated on Baltic and Black Sea regional security issues. Additionally, he was a Research Fellow with the Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum, with his research focused on U.S.-Russia defense relations. Captain Carroll earned a BS in Foreign Area Studies-Political Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2018, and an MA in European History, Politics, and Society from Columbia University in 2020. His research interests include NATO nuclear strategy, European security, and conventional-nuclear integration.

Ashley Christ
Ashley is an advisor to the U.S. Mission to the Conference on Disarmament where she supports U.S. efforts related to arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation in multilateral fora. Previously, she worked on international nuclear safeguards issues at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and was a fellow with the Stanley Center for International Peace and Security. Ashley holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Julia Cournoyer
Julia is a Research Analyst in the International Security Programme at Chatham House, an independent policy institute based in London. Julia works in the WMD & Outer Space team where her research primarily covers projects related to nuclear weapons policy, biosecurity, and outer space security. Julia received her MA in International Security from Sciences Po in Paris and holds a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Julia formerly interned for NATO’s Joint Intelligence and Security Division in the Strategy and Policy Unit. She also previously worked as an international strategy consultant for ONHYS, a French technology company developing COVID-19 virus simulation software.

Fransiska Dannemann Dugick
Dr. Fransiska Dannemann Dugick is a technical staff member in the Global Security Division at Sandia National Laboratories.  Her research focuses on using complementary geophysical modalities to detect, identify and characterize events of interest, including nuclear explosions. She is an experienced field scientist and recently led the execution of a chemical explosion test series for seismoacoustic yield calibrations.  Fransiska is the chair of the Infrasound Community Workshop, an annual workshop for Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and university partners to discuss infrasound research applications for national and global security in an operational setting. Dr. Dannemann Dugick also represents Sandia in the international nuclear explosion monitoring community as a member of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Young Professionals Network.  She holds a Bachelors in Arts in Geology from Colorado College and both a Masters of Science and a doctorate in Geophysics from Southern Methodist University.

Decker Eveleth
Decker Eveleth is a graduate student at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey California and a graduate research assistant at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies working on the open-source intelligence team. He specializes in utilizing satellite imagery to assess ballistic and cruise missile forces in the Middle East and East Asia. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship and has written for the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. His primary research focus is tracking the People’s Republic of China’s land-based missile arsenal with satellite imagery. His work on tracking solid-fueled nuclear missile silos in China was featured on the front page of the Washington Post. He is a graduate of Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

Mari Faines
Mari Faines serves as the Partner for Mobilization at Global Zero, with oversight of movement building strategies, which navigate the intersection of nuclear disarmament and social justice, through tactics including grassroots organizing, policy engagement, and coalition building. Faines’ foundation is in nuclear intersectionality, conflict resolution, transitional justice, and racial disparities in the US and African diaspora. She currently serves on the steering committee for Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security’s (WCAPS) DEI initiative ‘Organizations in Solidarity’. She is also a member of Foreign Policy 4 America’s (FP4A) NextGen Initiative, and co-lead for the DEI working group; Co-chair for BASIC’s Emerging Voice Network, ‘Challenging racism and white supremacy in nuclear weapons policy-making’ working group; a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) AILA International Fellow; and a member of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) & Diversity in National Security 2022 U.S. National Security & Foreign Affairs Leadership List. While residing in the UK, Faines served on the Board of WCAPS-UK; was founder/host of the podcast ‘Got Melanin’; and worked with Democrats Abroad, African Development Forum, the London Conversations, and UNITE 2030. Her recent publications have been featured in The Guardian, New America, Inkstick Media, and Outrider.

Abigail Garden
Ms. Abigail Garden is currently a Strategic Planner & Analyst within the Plans & Policy Directorate at United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. She assists with the development of campaign and contingency plans and supports command engagements and activities between NATO and other European Allies. She previously supported bilateral command engagements with the Republic of Korea on matters relating to strategic deterrence and security issues in the INDOPACOM AOR. She holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Nebraska – Omaha and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Matthew Gentzel
Matthew co-leads Longview’s Philanthropy’s program on nuclear weapons policy. His prior work spanned emerging technology threat and policy assessment, with a particular focus on how advancements in AI may shape the future of nuclear strategy, influence operations, and cyber attacks. He has worked as a policy researcher with OpenAI, as an analyst at the DoD Innovation Steering Group, and as a Director of Research and Analysis at the U.S. National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Matthew holds an MA in Strategic Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a BS in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Carolynn Grigsby
Carolynn Grigsby is a program analyst with the Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis at the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. She contributes to the annual Stockpile and Stewardship Management Plan (SSMP) as well as the development of long range infrastructure plans across the nuclear security enterprise. Prior to joining the NNSA, she served as an engineer officer in the Army, where she held various positions including construction project manager, budget manager, and engineer school instructor. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Math from the U.S. Military Academy in 2014 and is currently working towards a Masters in Operations Research from Columbia.

Sydney Hamilton
Sydney Hamilton is a Policy Analyst with ANSER supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, Nuclear & Counter-WMD Policy. Previously, she worked as an engineer with the Navy updating physical security requirements for nuclear weapons and ensuring compliance with Navy regulations. While obtaining her Masters of Public Administration from George Washington University (concentration: Nuclear Security Policy), she worked both as a research assistant for the Nuclear Boundaries Initiative with Dr. Sharon Squassoni and as the Editor-in-Chief of GW’s peer-reviewed policy journal, Policy Perspectives. Previously, Sydney worked for Congressman Keith Rothfus (former PA-12) and State Representative Bryan Barbin (PA-71) on constituent casework. While pursuing her Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (minor: Political Science), she wrote and published a paper on radioactive waste management governance for the American Nuclear Society.

Matthew Hartwell
Matthew Hartwell is a research fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a PhD candidate in International Relations at the American University’s School of International Service and a research associate at the Center for Security, Innovation, and New Technology. Matthew’s doctoral research examines the role of population vulnerability in American nuclear strategy throughout the Cold War. His broader research interests include deterrence theory, emerging military technology, arms control, and the domestic sources of American foreign policy.

Samanvya Hooda
Samanvya Hooda is an M.A. Candidate in Security Studies at Georgetown University, and a Research Assistant to Dr. Keir Lieber and Dr. Caitlin Talmadge. He is also a Defense Analysis Research Assistant at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology. Prior to his studies at Georgetown, he worked at the Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi, researching conventional deterrence, China’s military, and the China-India-Pakistan nuclear triangle. Samanvya received a B.A. (International Relations) with a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies from the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, India. His research interests lie in escalation dynamics, nuclear trilemmas, emerging technologies, and Indo-Pacific security.

Elliot Ji
Elliot Ji is a Ph.D. candidate studying international relations in the Department of Politics at Princeton University. His research interests include military innovation, Chinese foreign and security policy, and the impact of emerging military technology on strategic stability. Elliot was a research associate at the Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a research intern at the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University. Elliot’s graduate study is generously supported by the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans (2021). Prior to joining Princeton, Elliot was a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University (2020) where he received a master’s degree in Global Affairs. Elliot graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University (2019) with a B.A. in political science.

Edwin Kindler
Edwin Kindler is a Legislative Assistant in the office of Rep. Bill Foster (IL-11), covering nuclear security, science, technology, and energy issues for the Congressman. Prior to joining the office as a Nuclear Security Working Group Fellow, Edwin held roles at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Healthcare Ready, and Blackboard, Inc. At NTI, he worked with the International Fuel Cycle Strategies team on fuel cycle and nuclear disarmament verification issues. He holds a master’s degree from King’s College London in Non-Proliferation and International Security, and a B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University.

Jacklyn Majnemer
Jacklyn Majnemer is a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow in the MIT Security Studies Program. Her research focusses on foreign nuclear deployments, alliance politics, and the effects of domestic politics on security policy. Previously, she was an International Relations Department Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She received her PhD in International Relations at LSE. Her doctoral thesis examined why states renege on institutionalized alliance commitments despite the incentives to cooperate, focussing on Canada’s nuclear sharing commitments to NATO and NORAD during the Cold War. She completed her MPhil in International Relations at the University of Oxford and her BA in Political Science at McGill University.

Kiley McCormick
Kiley McCormick is a contractor serving as a Research Analyst with the U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement Center. Prior to joining the GEC in 2022, she held research positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Harvard University, and the Wilson Center. She holds a B.A. in Russian and Political Science from Bryn Mawr College and will graduate with a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2023.

Lisa Michelini
Lisa Michelini is the Research Assistant for the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research interests include extended deterrence, allied assurance, East Asian security, and civil military issues. Prior to working at Carnegie, she was a graduate research assistant for Professor Caitlin Talmadge. She holds a Master’s degree from Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, and she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and minors in Peace Studies and Public Service.

Joshua Page
Joshua Page is a dual-qualified T-38A Talon & B-2 Stealth Bomber Pilot and currently serves as Chief of Weapons for the 393rd Bomb Squadron at Whiteman AFB, MO. Captain Page graduated from The University of Oklahoma in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Aerospace Studies. Captain Page also holds a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from the University of The Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas. After graduation and commissioning, Captain Page attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, TX. Following pilot training, he served as a B-52H Aircraft Commander and Executive Officer in the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale AFB, LA. Captain Page was selected to crossflow to the B-2 in September 2020, and was a Distinguished Graduate of B-2 Initial Qualification Training. Captain Page has deployed in support of multiple Bomber Task Force missions spanning the INDOPACOM and EUCOM Areas of Responsibility. As a B-2 pilot, Captain Page provides both nuclear and conventional long-range strike capability for US Combatant Commanders. He has over 1,200 flying hours piloting the B-2, B-52H, T-38A/C, and T-6.

Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz y Celis
Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz y Celis is a member of the Technical Staff in the Center for Global Security and Cooperation at Sandia National Laboratories, where he facilitates international workshops and conducts research on nonproliferation topics. As the East Asia Lead for the Cooperative Monitoring Center (CMC), Carlos advances the CMC’s regional strategy through facilitating speakers and engagements that promote science-driven collaboration in the region. Carlos holds an MA degree in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing, where he was named a 2019-2020 Schwarzman Scholar. He received a BA degree in Global Business and Marketing from the University of Texas at Dallas, where he was a 2017 Archer Fellow. Prior to joining Sandia, Carlos worked as a communications manager and previously held internship positions in foreign affairs and multilateral organizations.

Dasol Shim
Dasol Shim is a Foreign Service officer of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She served in the Office of Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, where she monitored North Korea’s arms provocations and coordinated a timely diplomatic response. After three years of headquarters experience, she joined the ROK Embassy in Beijing as a political officer. In this role, she worked on DPRK-China relations, DPRK’s nuclear advancements, analyzed and reported major developments in Chinese domestic politics. She also worked at the ROK-U.S. Security Cooperation Division, where she facilitated the implementation of the ROK-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), and played a mediator role in SOFA sub committees such as Noise Mitigation sub Committee and Disease Control and Prevention Sub Committee. She is currently a Masters of Public Policy candidate in Harvard Kennedy School. She received her BA in International Relations in Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. Her research interests involve DPRK’s negotiations tactics and nuclear technology. 

Gleb Smirnov
Gleb Smirnov was born in Belarus and immigrated to the United States in 1999. Currently, he is a Counter Proliferation Special Projects and Chemical/Biological Weapons Elimination Analyst for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs/Threat Reduction and Arms Control. Previously, Gleb worked as a Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Strategy and Policy Analyst within the Chief of Naval Operation’s Strategic Deterrence Policy Department. Prior to taking a professional leave of absence, he interned at the United States Military Academy at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center during his initial PhD studies. Gleb also served in the United States Army from 2014 to 2018, primarily as a Reconnaissance Sniper and Sniper Team Leader. In 2017, Gleb deployed to support Special Operations Joint Task Force Afghanistan. Gleb holds a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University and a Master of Arts in International Security from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

Alice Spillman
Alice is a PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham and a Policy Fellow at the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). Her thesis research focuses on normative ideas and discourse around nuclear weapons, and in particular looks at the concept of nuclear responsibility. At BASIC, Alice has been a part of the Programme on Nuclear Responsibilities since 2019, co-facilitating a number of Track 2 and Track 1.5 dialogues and co-authoring the recently published Nuclear Responsibilities Toolkit. Alice is also the Co-Director of International Student Young Pugwash (ISYP) and has mentored for Girl Security within the UK.

Ryan Tan
Ryan Tan is an intelligence analyst with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where he conducts research and develops assessments on global security issues for high-level government stakeholders. He received his PhD in nuclear engineering in 2022 from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK), where he also completed his M.A. in political science in 2021 and M.S. in nuclear engineering in 2020. Ryan was previously a fellow of the NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program (NGFP) supporting the NA-84 Office of Nuclear Incident Response, and he has also supported the Nonproliferation and Arms Control Research and Development group at the Y-12 National Security Complex. His former technical research areas include the development of novel semiconductor radiation detectors at UTK and radiochemical separation of actinides at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Ryan is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is currently located in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Michael Walker
Lieutenant Michael Walker is a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. He currently serves as an operations officer for Submarine Squadron 12 in New London, CT, where he coordinates the schedule, training, maintenance, and certification of 11 operational submarines for worldwide deployment. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He holds an MPhil in Fluid Mechanics from the University of Cambridge, as a Churchill Scholar, and is a graduate of the Naval nuclear propulsion program. His research interests are in Bayesian models, nuclear engineering, and aero- and fluid dynamics. He has previously worked as an analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses, and a research associate at Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and a native of College Station, TX.

Caleb Yip
Caleb Yip is an early-career nuclear weapons professional currently working at the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration as an NGFP fellow. Caleb holds a Bachelor’s in Foreign Service and a Master’s in Security Studies from Georgetown University as a 5-year accelerated student. He previously interned at the State Department and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and currently works in NNSA’s Office of Defense Programs (NA-10) supporting the Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs. He hopes to enter public service as a full-time Federal employee following this fellowship. Caleb is deeply interested in Russia and the former Soviet Union, as well as military operations and the potential for battlefield use of nuclear weapons. In his free time, he enjoys reading sci-fi and playing strategy games. Caleb is excited to join the PONI Nuclear Scholars cohort and to further develop professionally through this initiative.