Meet our Young Global Professionals

Global Energy Center

Defterios is a first-year graduate student at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in European studies with a concentration in international business diplomacy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from King’s College London, where she completed her dissertation on energy diplomacy in Eurasia in the context of the Silk Road. Her experience working at the intersection of energy and geopolitics began at the World Energy Council ahead of its Energy Trilemma Summit. She has also worked in the Office of European and Eurasian Affairs at the US Department of Energy. This year, she also held a government affairs role at the British software company Aveva, where she focused on industrial decarbonization and emerging technology policy. During this time, she also had the opportunity to return to the World Energy Council for the World Energy Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security — Forward Defense

Ellicott is a senior at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she majors in international politics with a concentration in international security and pursues a certificate in diplomatic studies. Her academic interests focus on defense strategy and military technology. She conducted independent research on democratic security policy as part of Georgetown’s Krogh Honors Research Seminar. Her professional experience includes serving as an intern at the US Department of Commerce, where she authored policy memoranda for bureau leadership and conducted daily research for the Office of the Chief of Staff. Ellicott has studied abroad in France and Italy, including studies at the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne and L’Institut Catholique de Toulouse, achieving French language proficiency before beginning at Georgetown. She also spent a semester studying at Georgetown University’s Villa Le Balze in Florence, Italy. In her free time, she serves as a Georgetown University tour guide and volunteers as a research assistant for the Georgetown Prisons and Justice Initiative, supporting educational programs for incarcerated students.

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Hutchinson graduated with honors with a BA in economics and global studies and development from Washington University in St. Louis in 2023. While at Washington University, she gained experience across the research, policy development, and social impact sectors, holding internships with the University of Chicago’s Radical Innovation for Social Change, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the International Rescue Committee. Her bachelor’s thesis analyzed the intersection of health challenges faced by ethnic minority groups in rural Colombia with the nation’s long-standing armed conflict and, more recently, the Venezuelan refugee crisis. Upon graduating, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach at the Industrial University of Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia, leading classes and workshops on intercultural dialogue, sustainability, and political empowerment. Hutchinson’s work has been focused on advancing human health, security, and resiliency through participatory and environmentally regenerative approaches. In her free time, she enjoys playing the cello, salsa dancing, and outdoor activities.

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Jin is an undergraduate at Stanford University studying computer science and international relations. She is passionate about issues surrounding tech policy, including private-public cyber cooperation, product liability, and internet safety. Jin is a former Digital Forensic Research Lab Digital Sherlock at the Atlantic Council and member of the Cyber 9/12 team at Stanford. She is currently a National Security Affairs Fellowship mentee at the Hoover Institution, where she explores emerging tech concerns in national security. She is also a product management intern at Trust Lab, where she collaborates with major social media companies on their content safety portfolios. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, going to amusement parks, and trying new food spots.

Europe Center

Johnson recently graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a BA in contemporary European studies and economics. She spent her junior year of high school studying in Rennes, France, where she first became interested in European affairs and developed her fluency in French. In college, she studied abroad at the London School of Economics and Sciences Po Paris where she focused on international relations and European economic integration. After her junior year of college, Johnson spent the summer in France and Belgium researching the European energy transition as a recipient of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s European Summer Research Award. After graduating, Johnson began a traineeship at the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, DC. In this role, she helped prepare visits to the United States by members of the European Parliament and reported on US legislation. In her free time, Johnson enjoys swing dancing, playing in sports leagues, and visiting local cafés.

Global Energy Center

Moran graduated summa cum laude from Dickinson College in May 2024 with a degree in philosophy and political science and minors in ethics and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and philosophy at George Washington University, focusing on research methods and social policy. During undergrad, Moran interned as a research assistant for Dickinson College’s philosophy department. Her coauthored work has been published in the Australasian Journal of Philosophy. Moran worked with the Aubrey Group, a New Jersey consulting firm, as a grants research analyst, identifying and securing funds for nonprofits and municipalities across her home state. At George Washington University, Moran is a member of the Environmental Justice Action Network’s Policy and Advocacy Committee, where she focuses on waste management and community education in Washington, DC. Molly’s work is driven by her commitment to public service, social policy, and environmental justice. Her experiences have deepened her interest in policy analysis, social policy, environmental justice, and clean energy solutions. In her free time, Molly enjoys painting, crocheting, and dancing.

Millennium Leadership Program

Reitherman is a graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, where she earned a BA in international affairs with a minor in mass communication and journalism. Her academic focus centered on US foreign policy, complemented by coursework in geography, editorial journalism, and economics. With a particular interest in US engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean, her senior thesis explored the role of civil society in Haiti’s current governance crisis. She also specialized in the French language and participated in a language immersion program in Paris, where she took courses at a local French university. Reitherman has previously interned at a US congressional office, the US Global Leadership Coalition, and the International Visitor Leadership Program team at Meridian International Center. Most recently, she served as a staff assistant intern to Mark Green, the CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Rothbardt is a first-year graduate student at American University, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in global governance and management. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Drake University, where he graduated magna cum laude and studied strategic political communications and law, politics, and society. He has experience working in the Iowa House of Representatives and various legal positions, which has fueled his interest in politics, communications, public affairs, and digital media. Rothbardt is an avid Premier League and college basketball fan and enjoys reading, working out, and trivia in his free time.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security — Transatlantic Security Initiative

Schneider is a first-year master’s student in the Department of Government at Georgetown University. Before Georgetown, Schneider worked at the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, advocating for further security and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine on behalf of the Ukrainian-American diaspora community amid Russia’s full-scale invasion. Previously, Schneider was the first foreign citizen to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, working in the office of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius. Previously, he studied Baltic Sea region security in Stockholm, Sweden, and majored in political science and international relations at Boston University. Schneider’s research interests include democratic governance and security, as well as transatlantic affairs in relation to Ukraine’s European Union and NATO aspirations. In his free time, Schneider enjoys playing tennis.

Europe Center

Schwab is a second-year master’s student pursuing a joint degree at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and the College of Europe. Previously, he graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in government and a minor in European studies, where he completed an honor’s thesis on the European Union’s (EU) foreign policy response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A French-US dual national, Schwab is bilingual in French and English. With an interest in EU-NATO cooperation and EU-US relations, Schwab has primarily focused his research and analysis on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on the transatlantic security architecture and the EU. Schwab has previously worked at the Political Section of the US embassy in Paris, the European Parliament, the French National Assembly, and the US consulate in Lyon, France. In his free time, Schwab is an avid runner and enjoys spending quality time with his friends and cheering on the French national soccer team.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security — Forward Defense

Smith is a graduate student at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, where she studies international affairs with a concentration in international security. She holds a BA in international affairs from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she also earned certificates in peace and conflict studies and mediation. She has previously interned in the United States Senate, and her academic and professional interests include security policy, foreign policy, and the emerging role of artificial intelligence in the international system. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, and skiing. 

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Torre is a senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she studies global business and Arabic. Having grown up in Moscow and Dubai, she developed a passion for both Russian and Arabic. Her primary focus is on Middle East-Russia relations and the role of the private sector in those areas. Previously, Torre interned at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she concentrated on the Gulf and North Africa. She has also conducted independent research on the prospects for peace in Libya. Outside of her studies and professional work, she enjoys running, baking, traveling, and dog sitting.

GeoEconomics Center

Tursun is a recent graduate of George Washington University, where she received a BS in finance and political science. As an undergraduate, Tursun interned at the White House and JPMorgan Chase. During her time at the White House, Tursun worked at the National Economic Council, where she supported the Biden administration’s labor and workforce development initiatives. More recently, Tursun worked as a program assistant at the Central Asia Program, a research center at the Elliott School of International Affairs. She is interested in economic statecraft, international trade, and exploring the intersection of economic policy and human rights.

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Wagner is a senior at American University’s School of International Service, majoring in international studies. His academic interests include national security, conflict resolution, and Middle Eastern area studies. Most recently, he interned at the White House in the Office of Cabinet Affairs, focusing on coordinating interdepartmental initiatives and policy priorities. Prior to that, he interned at the Peace Corps in the Office of the Director, assisting the executive secretariat. He also served as an economic intern at the US Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the Office of Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, where he worked on economic, security, and humanitarian issues. He is a two-time recipient of the National Security Language Initiative for Turkish studies. In his free time, he enjoys reading, eating barbecue, and visiting his hometown, St. Louis, Missouri.

GeoEconomics Center

Wheelock is a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he is pursuing an MA in international relations with concentrations in international economics and the Middle East. He is concurrently pursuing a BA in economics and international studies from Johns Hopkins University. Wheelock has previously interned in the commercial banking division at Wells Fargo and has served as the business lead for CounselAI, a startup dedicated to using artificial intelligence to help lawyers more effectively analyze and manage case files. He is primarily interested in international finance, with a focus on economic competition and the impact of emerging technologies. In his free time, Wheelock enjoys running, fly fishing, cooking, and playing rugby.

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Wilburn is a third-year JD candidate at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a graduate student pursuing an MS in cybersecurity risk management at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. His academic and professional interests focus on the intersection of law, technology, and national security. Wilburn previously interned with the National Security Cyber Section of the National Security Division at the US Department of Justice. In his spare time, he produces podcasts covering cybersecurity, including the Cyberlaw Podcast, Advancing Cyber, and his own podcast, Cyber Matters.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security — Forward Defense

Winzer-Wilks is a junior honors student at Howard University’s College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in international affairs and minoring in history. He has dedicated his studies to ancient and modern international history, analyzing the themes of conflict analysis, great power competition, and geopolitical strategy globally, but with a focus on Africa and the Middle East. Winzer-Wilks has previously interned at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, the Hudson Institute, and the Institute of World Politics. In these roles, he researched the benefits of expanding legal immigration into the United States and the role of public and cultural diplomacy in countering an increasingly multipolar global order. On campus, Winzer-Wilks is the co-president and founder of the Alexander Hamilton Society’s first HBCU chapter and writes for Howard University’s newspaper, the Hilltop, as a foreign affairs opinion columnist. In his free time, Winzer-Wilks enjoys watching Formula 1, weight training, and watching history documentaries.