Kyle Atwell,  Graduate Fellow

Kyle Atwell is an active duty U.S. Army Officer and a Ph.D. student in Security Studies at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. His Army experience includes operational assignments in North and West Africa, Afghanistan, South Korea, and Germany. Prior to joining the Army, Kyle served as an intern at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and worked for a California state legislator. Kyle received B.A. degrees in Economics and International Relations from the University of California at Davis in 2006. His current research interests include military strategy, irregular and partnered warfare, alliance dynamics, and military effectiveness.

 

 

 

Leanora Berthiaume, Undergraduate Fellow

I am a junior in the Slavic department, with an interest in foreign languages and international affairs, especially pertaining to Russia, China, and France. Outside of class, I am also an Army ROTC Cadet, an executive board member of PAST and PDA, and a member of the V-tone a cappella group. 

 

 

 

 

Merlin Boone, Graduate Fellow 

Merlin is a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School and an active-duty officer in the U.S. Army. Professionally, his experience includes operations in Syria and throughout the Asia Pacific. Merlin's research interests include international political economy, alliance theory, and East Asian security relations. Merlin holds a M.A. in International Affairs from The University of Hong Kong and B.S. in Economics and Chinese from West Point.

 

 

Shaun Cason, Undergraduate Fellow

 

Margaret Commander, Undergraduate Fellow

Margaret is a student in the Woodrow Wilson School intending to pursue a certificate in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. She is most interested in U.S. foreign policy and security studies, specifically in Eastern Europe and Russia. In addition to her role in CISS, she is involved with the Princeton Asylum Project and Princeton’s chapter of the United Nations Association.

 

Ryan Dukeman, Graduate Fellow

Ryan is a PhD student in the Politics Department,where he studies institutional reform in US foreign policy agencies, diplomacy and foreign policymaking, and American political development. He is also pursuing a graduate certificate in statistics & machine learning. He previously helped start the US State Department's Center for Analytics and was a researcher at a think tank project on congressional reform. Ryan was also a member of the foreign policy team on Sen. Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign, focusing on international organizations and State Department reform. He graduated from Princeton (WWS) summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 2017, and received an award for innovation from the office of the US Secretary of State. In his free time, Ryan enjoys tennis, photography, baking, and travel.

 

 

Katherine French, Undergraduate Fellow

Katherine French is a sophomore from Clifton, Virginia majoring in the Woodrow Wilson School with a certificate in Spanish Language and Culture. Katherine is a cadet in the Princeton Army ROTC’s Tiger Battalion and is interested in civil-military relations as well as international governance. She has spent the last few summers interning in two Congressional offices and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Outside of CISS, Katherine is on the Undergraduate Student Government Social Committee, a part of Christian Union Nova, an Orange Key Tour Guide, and plays for the Women’s Club Soccer team.

 

 

 

William Goldberg, Undergraduate Fellow

William Goldberg is a sophomore and prospective History or Politics concentrator. He is pursuing certificates in African Studies and French Language and Culture. His academic interests include the political history of Europe and Africa, immigration, and international development. At Princeton, he plays on the rugby team, and serves as the team’s communications chair. He is also a member of the board of the Center for Jewish Life. He is from Washington, DC.

 

 

 

Carissa Gonzalez, Graduate Fellow

Carissa Gonzalez is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer with over a decade of service throughout the Middle East, Latin America, and Washington. Serving in Yemen during the Arab Spring as the Political-Military Affairs Officer, she analyzed security, terrorism, and tribal affairs, and was the primary U.S. Department of State liaison to all Yemeni and U.S. military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. Most recently, she served as the Chief of Public Affairs and U.S. Embassy Spokesperson (2016-2019) in Qatar, the epicenter of what analysts deemed the “worst crisis to hit the GCC since its founding.” During this unprecedented diplomatic standoff in the Gulf, she served as the U.S. Embassy’s principal interlocutor with the world’s largest Arabic media network Al Jazeera and oversaw public messaging for all seven U.S. federal agencies operating in Qatar. Her research interests include the intersection between strategic communications and national security policy, organizational behavior, grey zone conflicts, the role of media and technology in identity and narrative formation, leadership theory, and national security decision-making. She has received numerous U.S. State Department awards, including commendations for ensuring American citizens’ safety in the midst of the revolution in Yemen.  The Council of American Ambassadors selected her as a Davis Fellow (2014-2015) for “demonstrated superior leadership, character, and potential to become a leading communicator for the U.S. government.”  She is a graduate of the Summer Institute at University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications.  The independent Public Diplomacy Council awarded her the “Best Public Diplomacy Article of the Year” for her original research on the “Evaluation Revolution in Public Diplomacy,” published in the Ambassador’s Review. Her prior experience as a business strategy consultant has informed her interest in adapting best practices from the private sector to government agencies to better serve citizens’ interests and security. She is a Master’s in Public Policy candidate at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School, where she also received her B.A. in Public and International Affairs.  She speaks Arabic and Spanish, and in her spare time enjoys photography, travel, and running .

 

Mindy Haas, Graduate Fellow

Mindy Haas is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Politics at Princeton University. Her research focuses on international security, with an emphasis on how domestic legal regulations affect which components of covert action are used in U.S. foreign policy. Her dissertation uses qualitative empirical analysis through process tracing of archival documents to demonstrate how the type of law regulating covert activity can predictably lead to patterns of covert behavior along a spectrum from diplomatic activity and propaganda to paramilitary action. Her other research interests include foreign policy decision-making, intelligence, and international and constitutional law. She is also interested in mixed-methods research. At Princeton, she served as a teaching assistant for courses on research design, causes of war, leaders and the making of U.S. foreign policy, and constitutional law. Prior to Princeton, she worked at Duane Morris LLP as an associate in the trial practice group and the appellate subgroup. She also served as a law clerk on the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. She received a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a B.A. in mathematics and political science from Bucknell University.

 

Carlton Haelig, Graduate Fellow

Born and raised only half an hour from Princeton in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Carlton is a Ph.D. student studying security studies and international relations at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School. His interests lie at the intersection of international relations, international security, and national security policy. His research focuses on military innovation, adaptation, and strategy. Current projects of his look at the drivers of doctrinal innovation in the United States Marine Corps and Army and the implications of emerging technologies on innovation and the future balance of power. Prior to Princeton, Carlton worked in a variety of capacities conducting research on national security policy and strategy in academia, think tanks, and government. He holds an M.A. in International Security from George Mason University and a B.A. in Political Science and History from Rutgers University.

 

 

Philmon Haile, Graduate Fellow

My name is Philmon.  I’m a second-year Master in Public Affairs student at the Woodrow Wilson School.  I concentrate in international development with regional foci in the Middle East, East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. I am particularly interested in the intersection of diplomacy, development and security studies. I’ve worked and studied in China for about two years.  I’ve also served about five years in the Middle East working with different humanitarian assistance and development organizations.

 

 

 

Savannah Hampton, Undergraduate Fellow

Savannah Hampton is an undergraduate pursuing a degree in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs with a focus on Conflict and Cooperation. She is also working for certificates in Arabic Language and Culture, the History and Practice of Diplomacy, and Near Eastern Studies. Outside of the classroom, Savannah is a cadet in the Army ROTC program, works at the University CYCLAB, and practices with the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team.

 

 

 

Lucas Irwin, Undergraduate Fellow

Lucas Irwin is a sophomore prospectively majoring in Politics and International Relations with certificates in Applications of Computing/Statistics and Machine Learning. He is English-Cypriot and was raised on the divided island of Cyprus, involving himself with multiple bicommunal efforts to strengthen social amity between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. His interests revolve around international relations, the impact of AI on politics, US-China security relations and the Cyprus problem. Outside of class, he enjoys traveling around the country with the Princeton Debate Panel, acting in theatre, and trying his hand at screenwriting.

 

 

 

Cory Isaacs, Graduate Fellow

A former police officer, prosecutor, and enlisted U.S. Army infantryman, Cory is interested in what 21st-century Americans say about their military members who die in 21st-century America's wars. He and his wife Kristin live in Princeton and have three boys: Connor, Dayton, and Ulysses.

 

 

Shafaq Khan, Undergraduate Fellow

Shafaq Khan is a senior in the Woodrow Wilson School pursuing certificates in Values and Public Life and South Asian Studies. During summer 2018, Shafaq interned at the Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal Aid Society of New York City. On campus, Shafaq serves as President of the Princeton College Democrats and maintains involvement in the Religious Life Council, the James Madison Program, and the Pace Center for Civic Engagement. In her free time, Shafaq enjoys listening to Punjabi music and reading Sufi poetry.

 

 

Billy Knips, Graduate Fellow

Billy Knips grew up in New City, NY and attended the United States Naval Academy out of high school. He graduated and was commissioned in 2006 when he began his career in Naval Special Warfare. He has been stationed in Virginia Beach, and worked on various Teams across his 14 year career in Special Operations. He has completed 10 deployments, focused predominantly in Iraq, Afghanistan, Eastern Europe, northern and eastern Africa, and the Pacific Theater. He is married, has 3 kids and one on the way. 

 

David Logan, Graduate Fellow

David Logan is a Ph.D. Candidate in Security Studies at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. His research interests lie in U.S.-China security relations, nuclear strategy, and extended deterrence.

 

 

 

Aaron W. Miller, Graduate Fellow

Aaron W. Miller is an incoming Ph.D. student at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School and an active duty Army Officer.  Aaron is an Army Strategist with previous assignments as an infantry officer, including deployments to Iraq (2006-08) and Afghanistan  (2009-10; 2016-2017).  Aaron’s research interests include foreign policy decision-making, national security policy, conflict termination and post-conflict stability.  He and his wife, Eliza Scheibel, have three children: Gwen (5), Matilda (3) and Louisa (1).

 

 

 

Riley Owen, Undergraduate Fellow

Riley Owen is a junior in the Woodrow Wilson School, pursuing certificates in European Politics and Cognitive Science. Raised in Los Angeles, Riley has been involved in politics on local and national levels, ranging from county campaigns and presidential debates to national party conventions. He volunteered for two years in Denmark as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he acquired regional expertise and fluency in Danish. This experience motivates his interest in studying Arctic security, specifically regarding Greenland. He has also twice served as a White House Intern, was a Boys Nation Senator, and is an Eagle Scout. Outside of his studies, Riley plays on the Club Rugby team, participates in the James Madison Program, volunteers with Big Brothers, and loves to enjoy Baroque art and the Classical symphony.

 

 

Jeff Phaneuf, Graduate Fellow

Jeff grew up north of Boston and studied history and literature at Harvard. He taught high school history before leading U.S. Marines as an infantry platoon commander. In 2014, he managed Congressman Seth Moulton's first campaign for congress, then returned to active duty to deploy to Iraq in the fight against ISIS. His interests lie in sub-national conflict, crisis leadership and innovation.

 

 

Christian Potter, Undergraduate Fellow

Christian Potter is a junior concentrating in the Woodrow Wilson School, with a focus on trade and financial policy, and pursuing certificates in History and the Practice of Diplomacy and in Values and Public Life. He recent summer activities have included internships in the House of Representatives, archival research with the Princeton Politics department, and an internship in the Governance Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. Outside of his academic work, he serves as the Academics Chair for the Undergraduate Student Government and plays on the club tennis team. Christian hails from suburban Washington, D.C.

 

 

Tim Sadov, Undergraduate Fellow

Tim Sadov is a junior in the Woodrow Wilson School pursuing a certificate in History and the Practice of Diplomacy. In the summer of 2019, he interned at Perseus Strategies LLC, an international human rights law firm that specializes in freeing political prisoners. He has research interests in great power competition, defense technology, and the history of diplomacy. On campus, Tim writes for the Princeton Diplomat, an undergraduate foreign policy publication, staffs the Princeton Model United Nations Conference, and is an officer for the Princeton Russian Language and Culture Club.

 

 

Sajid Shapoo, Graduate Fellow

Sajid Farid Shapoo is a PhD candidate in Security Studies at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. He is a highly decorated Indian Police Service officer, a two star general with 20 years of progressively senior experience in high profile counter terror assignments. He has in-depth experience in Counter-terror Investigations and Intelligence Operations. He was the first officer chosen to serve in the National Investigation Agency, India’s federal counter terror agency, created in the aftermath of Mumbai Terror attacks of 2008. He has supervised many important terrorism related investigations including conspiracy in Mumbai Terror Attacks, Patna serial blasts case, Bodh Gaya serial blast cases and many more. He is among the rare officers who have been twice conferred with Gallantry Medal, the highest bravery award, by the President of India. He is also a recipient of the Police Medal for Meritorious Services conferred to him by President of India for his exemplary and unblemished service career. He served as an Adjunct Associate Professor in City University of New York where he taught a course on Terrorism and Politics to graduate students in the spring of 2018. He also served as an adjunct Instructor at Columbia University teaching a course for Summer Immersion Program. His areas of expertise include Terrorism and Counter-terrorism, Religion and Politics in Middle East and South Asia, Ideologies driving various Jihadi Organizations, Early Islamic Period (Shia-Sunni divide) and International Security Policy. He holds a Masters in International Affairs at Columbia University, New York with specializations in Middle East and International Security Policy. He has published a number of articles and papers in various international magazines and papers.

 

Brad Snyder, Graduate Fellow

 

Anne Stickells, Graduate Fellow

Anne Stickells is a PhD student in Security Studies at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Her research interest focuses on the intersection of conventional technology and nuclear policy. Prior to her time at Princeton, Anne worked as a research assistant at RAND in Santa Monica for several years. Anne graduated from Stanford in 2015 with a BA in Science, Technology, and Society, and a minor in Creative Writing.

 

 

 

Ayumi Tereoka, Graduate Fellow

Ayumi Teraoka is a doctoral candidate in Security Studies at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Her research focuses on alliance politics in Asia, Japanese foreign policy, and national security. Prior to enrolling at Princeton, she worked as a research associate for Japan Studies program at the Council on Foreign Relations and for the Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. I hold an M.A. in Public Affairs from Princeton University, an M.A. in Asian Studies from Georgetown University, and a B.A. in Law from Keio University.

 

Alexandra Veyne, Undergraduate Fellow

Alexandra is a senior majoring in Near Eastern Studies. If you would like additional information, please email her at [email protected].

 

Sam Winter-Levy, Graduate Fellow

Sam Winter-Levy is a Ph.D. student in comparative politics and international relations at Princeton University. Before joining the doctoral program, he was a staff editor at Foreign Affairs and a reporter at The Economist. His writing has appeared in publications including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, NewYorker.com, The New Republic, The Washington Post, Lawfare, The Los Angeles Review of Books, the Los Angeles Times, and The Times Literary Supplement. He received his undergraduate degree in English literature from the University of Oxford and was the Michael Von Clemm Fellow at Harvard University in 2014-15.

 

 

Kyle Zelenitz, Undergraduate Fellow

Kyle Zelenitz is a student in the Politics Department from Saint Clairsville, Ohio. He plans to pursue the History and Practice of Diplomacy program while continuing to take coursework in architecture. Kyle supported an education initiative for the US Embassy in Moscow, and later conducted research related to the conflict in Syria in support of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, providing a daily written briefing to State Department staff. At Princeton, Kyle is involved with prison education programs and works as a faculty research assistant.