2020 Cohort
T.S. Allen is a transitioning Army officer with extensive experience in technological innovation, cyber, and intelligence. He currently serves with the Asymmetric Warfare Group at Fort Meade, MD, where he develops innovative solutions to emerging information warfare threat for the U.S. Army. He has also served as an intelligence officer attached to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan, as an operations officer at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, and in a strategic intelligence unit in the Republic of Korea. T.S. commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he earned a B.S. in political science and military history with highest honest. He also holds an M.A. in War Studies from King's College London, where he studied as a Rotary Scholar. His military education includes the Joint Cyberspace Operational Planners’ Course, the Army Information Operations Planners’ Course, and the Joint Firepower Control Officer Course. He has written on the future of war for publications including the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, and Parameters.
T.S. Allen
"I am a current part of Raytheon Technologies’ Global Trade Leadership Development Program, working as a Licensing Analyst with Raytheon Intelligence & Space. I am a recent graduate of American University with a BA in International Studies, specializing in National Security & Foreign Policy and the East Asia region with a minor in Chinese. As a student, I interned in policy advocacy and development with Student Veterans of America, research and writing with the East West Center in Washington DC, and international health and project management with FHI 360. I have studied abroad twice, once to Taiwan in 2018 and in Beijing in 2019. My Beijing study abroad was funded by a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship.
Prior to my academic career, I served in the United States Navy as an Aviation Structural Mechanic for 7 years, transitioning to civilian opportunities as a Petty Officer Second Class. In my naval career, I deployed with the USS Eisenhower in 2012 and 2013 and the USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2015. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, reading, and cooking. "
Jonathan Banasihan
I am a graduate of 2020 from Denison University. I currently live in Chicago where I was born and raised. I majored in International Studies. I am really passionate about foreign relations and current events and I was even able to study U.S.-Cuban affairs while at the University of Havana. More specifically, I am concerned with how human lives are affected by U.S. foreign policy and broader international relations. My goal right now is to ultimately go into the foreign service with the Department of State. When not job hunting and writing cover letters I am reading manga and watching netflix.
Khalil Bentley
"Captain Joseph L. Bishop is the Chief of General Law at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Prior, he was the Chief of Operational and International Law at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. While at Incirlik, Capt Bishop advised the 39th Air Base Wing, tenant units, and five geographically separated units on rules of engagement, international agreements, and fiscal issues.
Capt Bishop attended Clemson University and The University of North Carolina School of Law, and was commissioned through the Direct Appointment Program in 2017. He graduated from Commissioned Officer Training in June 2017 and the Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course in September 2017.
He is admitted to practice law in North Carolina."
Joseph Bishop
Rachel E. Brooks is a Rotary Peace Fellow pursuing her master's in international relations and security studies at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. She is spending the summer as a research fellow with the Digital Threats to Election Integrity team at the Carter Center's Democracy Program and AI for Peace. Her work centers around democracy, corporate social responsibility, and technology policy, particularly the fight against disinformation. Before her Rotary Peace Fellowship, she managed social impact and experiential learning programs at the Center for Business, Government & Society at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. Originally from Virginia, Rachel is a William & Mary and Fulbright Korea alumna and serves as a Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Ambassador.
Rachel Brooks
I have a background in consulting, international education, and business process improvement and have led a career that supports global connectivity and cross-cultural engagement. After graduating from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business with a degree in finance and operations in 2017, I worked as a consultant in Chicago for 2 years before moving to Copenhagen to pursue an opportunity to work abroad in higher education. I'm excited to be back in Chicago this summer to continue working as a consultant within the U.S. higher education space. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling and am always looking for new opportunities where I can lead, learn, and grow. My recent adventures include traveling to Kyiv and visiting Chernobyl, hiking in Switzerland, and learning basic Danish. One of my favorite experiences over the past year was being selected to attend the Fulbright International Seminar in Sofia, Bulgaria where the topic was "Strategies for Strengthening Democracy."
Marissa Buffo
I am incoming member of the Yale Law School Class of 2023. Before law school, I served in the US Army for 8 years as an armor & reconnaissance officer. I was stationed at Fort Stewart, GA and Fort Drum, NY, and deployed to Poland, Bulgaria, and Kosovo. I attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and earned a B.S. in Military History in 2012.
Jimmy Byrn
"Megan Cansfield is a 2018 Yenching Scholar and recent graduate of the Yenching Academy of Peking University, where she earned her Master’s of Law in China Studies with a Politics and International Relations concentration. Her professional interests center around evolving Chinese regional and global roles within the Sino-US context in particular, which she most recently explored in her thesis analyzing China’s growing UN participation and changing normative perceptions of international law.
Megan previously received her BA in Political Science, International Studies, and Asian Studies from the University of Michigan and was a Fulbright Fellow in Yanji, China, where her research investigated strategic linkages between the North Korean nuclear crisis and US-China geopolitical dynamics in Northeast Asia. She has engaged broadly in the US-China sphere through six public, private, and NGO sector internships and five dialogue-based international student conferences focused on China. She has also regularly published her analyses of East Asian politics and foreign policy with various journal and media outlets.
In addition, Megan has developed secondary interest and experience in strategic foresight and futures studies, particularly in the context of governance and policymaking, which she aims to integrate into future public service roles. She has most recently engaged with the field in her present role as a research intern with The Millennium Project, a global collaborative futures think tank.
Ultimately, Megan aspires to continue fostering Sino-American cooperation and engagement on East Asian regional and global security issues at the intergovernmental level through a career in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy."
Megan Cansfield
Gabrielle is a Senior Associate at WestExec Advisors. She previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Washington Institute's Project on the Middle East Peace Process. Gabrielle is the co-author of “Sharpening the U.S. Military’s Edge: Critical Steps for the Next Administration” published by the Center for a New American Security. She earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is interested in the intersection of emerging technology and national security and local DC politics.
Gabrielle Chefitz
"A native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Patrick Cheng graduated from New York University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy.
Following graduation, Patrick began work at the NYC Parks Department as a Policy Analyst performing projects and duties regarding citywide parks enforcement issues as well as inter-agency emergency management policy. In 2017, Patrick joined FEMA as an Emergency Management Specialist, where he completed multiple work deployments to presidentially declared disasters in New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, Patrick is a commissioned Naval Intelligence Officer within the Navy Reserve in 2019 and serves with his unit in Fort Dix, NJ.
Patrick is currently a student at Penn State University, working towards a Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence Applications.
Most importantly, Patrick is recently married and enjoys watching Penn State and Philadelphia football teams. He is also an avid traveler, hiker, and runner.
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Patrick Cheng
"My journey from Queens, New York City to Washington D.C. commenced with internships at the Department of Defense (DoD), then at the White House, where I served as the national security intern in the Office of Vice President Joe Biden. Following that, I began my career as a consultant for the DoD at Deloitte. Now, I work as a consultant for the DoD at Booz Allen Hamilton, where my portfolios range from coordinating and assessing the impact of multi-lateral engagements, to crisis planning and analyzing organization strengths and shortfalls. Concurrently, I volunteer for several organizations, including New York Women in Communications, Urban Librarians Unite, and the Obama Alumni Association.
I graduated from Queens College, City University of New York and represented my graduating class as the valedictory speaker at my Baccalaureate Convocation. In addition, I will begin a Master’s in Public Policy program this September at the University of Oxford as an Eisenhower Fellowships Global Scholar, with the hope to foster global consensus building to combat human rights violations.
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Naomi Ducat
"A 2010 graduate of the United States Military Academy, Ashley Ehasz served in various command positions as an attack helicopter pilot in the United States Army, completing multiple combat tours in the Middle East. It was during her time in the armed forces that she developed an interest in studying foreign policy and chose to dedicate her post-military career to international development and humanitarian service.
To further this goal, Ashley most recently graduated from the University of Oxford in July 2020 with a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies. Her thesis, “Political Reincorporation of Female FARC-EP Ex-Combatants: The Creation of Victims, Heroes, and Threats,” analyzes the post-conflict political reintegration of female ex-combatants in Colombia and is published in the Spring 2020 issue of the Cornell International Affairs Review.
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Ashley Ehasz
My name is Udochi Esomonu. I recently graduated from the George Washington University where I studied Political Science and Sociocultural Anthropology. I am passionate about understanding voluntary migration, forced migration (both internal and cross-border), and forced immobility as political, social, economic, and cultural processes. In addition, I am interested in diaspora communities and the methods through which members of diasporas choose to adopt, maintain, reconstruct, and perform their identities in a transnational field.
Udochi Esomonu
"Crista Farr is a Cyber Operations Planner for 16th Air Force; Air Forces Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Crista is responsible for providing defensive cyber support for all approved exercises and operations. Born and raised in Towson, Maryland, Crista is a 2011 graduate of the University of Virginia with a Bachelor’s Degree in Russian Language and Literature and Foreign Affairs. Prior to her current position, Crista was the Chief of Wing Intelligence for the 36th Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam. There she was responsible for ensuring 18 Intelligence Airmen from 5 squadrons stretching across 3 Numbered Air Forces had the necessary training and equipment to provide intelligence support for the Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence, Theater Support Packages, and Contingency Response Missions. Additionally, she assisted with joint integration and intelligence support for the Northern Mariana Islands as the Chief of Joint Intelligence for the Joint Region Marianas.
Crista Farr
Mycal Ford works at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Previously, he served as the Director of East Asia Analysis at Sayari Labs, a DC-based tech startup, where he used publicly available information to investigate individuals and companies engaged in international sanctions evasion, narcotics trafficking, WMD proliferation, money laundering, fraud, and various other forms of transnational crime. Besides Sayari, Ford has held various research and analytical positions at the Department of Defense, the Congressional Executive Commission on China, the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, the Hudson Institute, and SOS International. Mycal earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the School of International Service at American University and a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies and Political Science from Pacific Lutheran University. During his studies, he received the Department of Defense David L. Boren Fellowship and both the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship and Fulbright (Taiwan). He reads and speaks Mandarin and is currently learning Korean.
Mycal Ford
"Originally from LaGrange, Ga., Captain Julian Gluck received his commission in 2012 as a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. While a cadet, he was a group commander, intern at the US Senate, and boxer. Following commissioning, Gluck earned his pilot wings from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training before moving to Shreveport, La.
As a B-52H Stratofortress pilot, Gluck flew combat missions against ISIS and the Taliban in Operations INHERENT RESOLVE and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL and also deployed to the Indo-Pacific region.
Honored by members of Congress and armed forces leadership for “exemplary military service … beyond the call of duty,” Gluck was selected as the 2018 Air Force Times Airman of the Year. In 2019 he received the Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award from the Honorable Heather Wilson as the top leadership graduate of all 3,803 students at Air Force Squadron Officer School. Gluck was recently named to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 and selected as one of three standout honorees for Law and Policy in North America. He is only the third military member ever selected to the Forbes list.
Gluck is currently a flight commander and additionally serves as the National Chairman and Executive Director of the Company Grade Officers’ Council, representing the 47,000 captains and lieutenants of the Air Force, Reserve, Guard, and Space Force to senior military leaders. He is a member of the Language Enabled Airman Program for Japanese and Program for Emerging Leaders at National Defense University.
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Julian Gluck
My name is Alexis Hamill. I moved around quite a bit growing up but spent a good amount of time living just north of Los Angeles, CA, until moving to the east coast to attend Boston College. During my time there, I studied Political Science and Environmental Studies, took part in some great study abroad programs in Zambia and Chile, and spent my free time rehearsing for my two competitive dance teams. I have been spending the last couple years in New York City, where I had always hoped to end up, working for The Estee Lauder Companies. My role on the Global Public Affairs team there allows me to sit at the very interesting intersection of business and policy. Come September, I will be starting a part-time Master’s through USC’s Price School of Public Policy, where I am hoping to further my leadership skills and develop the necessary abilities to have an exciting career that spans a number of industries and continents.
Alexis Hamill
"Brittany has been with the Federal Reserve since 2015. Over the last five years, she has had experience in external outreach, banking regulation, and strategy. In 2017, she was appointed to deputy secretary for the Federal Advisory Council (FAC). The FAC is comprised of bank CEOs that inform the Federal Reserve Board of Governors on economic conditions, monetary policy, and banking regulations.
As a economic graduate from The College of Wooster, Brittany is very involved with the alumni group and recovers the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2018 as well as an appointment to the Board of Trustees. Brittany enjoys volunteering with groups in Cleveland like Random Acts of Kindness and the Women’s Business Center. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, listening to music, and watching cooking shows. "
Brittany Harris
Blaine Johnson works as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group in San Francisco, CA. Previously, Blaine worked as a policy analyst on the national security team at the Center for American Progress, conducting primary source and field research on Chinese policies to develop recommendations for U.S. policymakers. Outside of work, Blaine co-founded Young Professionals in Foreign Policy's Chinese Language Discussion Group and serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator of the Critical Language Scholarship Alumni Society. Blaine has a masters degree from Fudan University's School of International Relations and Public Affairs and a bachelors degree from Dartmouth College. Blaine speaks Mandarin, Spanish, and almost enough French to read a menu.
Blaine Johnson
Caroline Kim is a Master in Public Policy 2021 candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her research interests include U.S. foreign policy, conflict resolution, and political-military affairs. Prior to her graduate studies, Caroline taught English at a public Islamic high school in Manado, Indonesia, on a U.S. Fulbright grant. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Political Science - International Relations and minors in Asian American Studies and Creative Writing. She speaks Korean, Spanish, and Indonesian. She is from Bakersfield, California.
Caroline Kim
"Beth is currently an Associate Director at Pallas Advisors, a boutique strategic advisory firm focused on defense and national security. In this role, she manages a portfolio of public and private sector clients, including several Fortune 500 companies, advising on public sector market entry, strategic communications, and geopolitical risk. She has led the creation and development of a highly competitive Fellowship program, as well as the initiative to stand up the Pallas Foundation – a non-profit that aims to develop emerging leaders in national security from traditionally underrepresented groups.
Beth previously served as an Analyst at The Asia Group, specializing in economic and political development across the Indo-Pacific, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. She was also a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Thailand for one year where she taught English and Mathematics at a regional public high school.
Beth brings with her experience from public and private sector intelligence. She has worked in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the Department of State and on a due-diligence team at Kroll Advisory Solutions.
Beth speaks several languages, including Arabic, Indonesian, and Thai. She holds a master’s degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University."
Beth Kroman
"Tosca Lichtenheld works in business development at Palantir Technologies, a software company offering innovative data integration solutions. In her role, she identifies data challenges in the U.S. Intelligence Community and coordinates teams of Palantir engineers, project managers, and deployment strategists in presenting unique and compelling solutions. Drawing upon her prior U.S. Intelligence Community experience interning as a weapons analyst, Tosca operates at the intersection of national security, technology, and communications. Previously, Tosca worked as a proposal writer and manager for Palantir’s U.S. Department of Defense procurements, including leading the technical proposal volume for the U.S. Army’s $876M DCGS-A intelligence data platform.
Prior to her time at Palantir, Tosca was a David L. Boren scholar at the Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. There, she studied Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Java languages as well as Indonesian politics. Tosca holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Chicago. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, swimming, reading, and trying out new recipes."
Tosca Lichtenheld
"Alex is a results-oriented Crisis Management Deloitte consultant with experience in state and local government emergency COVID response, executive cyber and crisis wargaming, and contingency planning. She currently also serves as finance lead for a new asset. She is known for her communication skills, strategic mindset, and drive.
Prior to joining Deloitte, she was the cofounder of two social impact ventures that sought to provide people in disadvantaged communities with more meaningful careers. As part of these initiatives, Alex successfully completed a 10M round of series B funding for one of the start-ups as the lead business case driver.
Alex holds a BA and MPhil from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo."
Alexandra Mcleod
I am a driven first generation student fresh out of my dual-degree master's program -- with career goals as a Foreign Service Officer. I recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Public Policy (focusing on U.S. Foreign & National Security Policy), a Master of Business Administration (concentrating in Strategic Management) and a graduate minor in Restorative Justice practices. Wanting to make significant contributions to U.S. foreign policy one day, I am currently leveraging my strategic management skills in the brand management space, where I continue to grow in my ability to lead cross-functional teams across large organizations, while I prepare to take the FSOT in the near future. My journey has encompassed a wide variety of roles -- in law enforcement, elementary education, banking, media production, policy analysis, strategic marketing, and within state/federal government. On the side, I’ve pursued my love of music performance, tea, and video production, achieving status as a Certified Tea Specialist and recently getting to perform alongside Justin Timberlake in the Super Bowl LII halftime show. My background has allowed me to draw upon diverse perspectives and connect with others through intercultural, policy, and business lenses -- whether I was chatting with ranchers in my home state of Wyoming or escorting visitors across the Capitol complex in Washington. I’m all about building connections with others and seeking to respond to life’s challenges instead of merely reacting to them.
Izaak Mendoza
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) who has spent the last several years in the former Soviet space. Master of Arts in International Relations at American University- Coverdell Fellow. Focus on international development, governance, and conflict resolution. Projects include women's health issues and rights, ethnic minority rights, and youth development.
Chelsey O'Hare
"Luke Schumacher is an active-duty U.S. Army intelligence officer with six years of experience leading inter-service, civil-military, and multi-national teams in the Indo-Pacific region.
Currently transitioning into the Army Reserve, Luke most recently served as the senior intelligence officer for a 4,500-soldier infantry brigade during an evaluation at the National Training Center. Previously, he was the senior intelligence officer for an infantry battalion throughout a four-month deployment to Southeast Asia and during a month-long exercise with the Indian Army. Reports he produced in this position are driving current defense department investments in Micronesia and Army force design changes.
Luke began his career in South Korea, first in a helicopter battalion and later as the executive officer of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission, where he supervised the Korean armistice and negotiated with North Koreans. Luke later deployed to Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he targeted violent extremist organizations.
Luke earned his B.S. with honors from West Point, during which time he studied Arabic in Jordan and played Division-I football. Afterwards, Luke attended the University of Cambridge on a Rotary scholarship, receiving a master’s with distinction in intellectual history.
His academic work has been published by the Johns Hopkins University Press and his commentary can be found in War on the Rocks. He aspires earn a PhD, teach international relations, and provide political risk consultation.
Luke lives in Tacoma, Washington with his tiny tiger, Simba, and fiancée, Macaela Seward, a commander in the Army’s 1st Special Forces Group.
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Luke Schumacher
I am originally from New Hampshire and completed my undergraduate education at Saint Anselm College. After graduation, I enlisted in the Marine Corps, where I served four years in the infantry. In 2017, I got out of the Marine Corps and spent the next two years working on Capitol Hill and completing my Master's in International Affairs at George Washington University. At GW, I double majored in U.S. Foreign Policy and International Security and completed my capstone on Russian Hybrid Warfare. I currently work for Partner Forces as a Program Analyst supporting the Cybersecurity Division of the Department of Homeland Security. I live in Alexandria, VA with my wife and I'm an avid sports fan and enjoy just about all outdoor activities.
Tom Seaman
Olivia Shoemaker is a senior at Yale University where she studies Global Affairs with a focus on data analysis and international security. She currently interns with the Lobo Institute and has previously interned with the Department of State in Zimbabwe, the Department of Defense at AFRICOM, and a microfinance nonprofit. After graduation, she hopes to work in the field of national security on counterinsurgency and transnational threats.
Olivia Shoemaker
"Cole Stevens is the Communications Officer at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). In this role, he manages the Center's relationships with press, lawmakers, and public audiences. Cole currently serves as an officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, and is a recipient of the CNAS 1LT Andrew J. Bacevich Jr., USA Award for national security leadership.
Before joining CNAS, Cole held several public relations positions with high-tech firms in Austin, Texas, including Applied Materials, Inc., Silicon Labs, and Cardinal Communications.
Cole holds a B.S. in Public Relations and a certificate in Business Foundations from The University of Texas at Austin."
Cole Stevens
I am an aspiring polyglot and wanderlust, just looking for my place in international policy and/government!
