Fall 2022 Young Global Professionals

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Alhajjeh is a rising senior at Valparaiso University pursuing a BA in international relations and biology with a Spanish minor. During the last ten years, she has witnessed one of the most horrifying civil wars in the Levant region. Her experience with the Syrian war led her to desire to pursue a multidisciplinary career in human-rights advocacy and foreign policy with science to address global health challenges while applying appropriate policies in the Middle East and North Africa region. Her Middle Eastern background, immigrant upbringing, and motivation allowed her to guide Afghani refugees at the Chicagoland Immigrant Welcome Network. As an intern, she facilitated refugees’ daily adjustments by providing their necessities, worked on language translation, and assisted various asylum-seekers through their settlement process. Her interest in foreign policy and curiosity about the national political state drove her to intern for the congressional office of her district representative, where she conducted research to obtain methods that can advance the communication techniques with the voters, track the turnout of the Congressman’s re-election campaign, and help the field director with date policy organizing. At Valparaiso University, she worked as an international student ambassador at the Office of Multicultural Programs, administrating and distributing legal documents for international students. She served as the event chair for the Valparaiso International Student Association, launching different occasions to prompt cultural appreciation on campus. As the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee chair, she intends to create a safe space to oversee and highlight underrepresented student organizations while ensuring that every student feels a sense of belonging and receives equal treatment. Her purpose in the future is to play an essential role in advancing human rights protection worldwide. Furthermore, she participates in acting and dance performances through the theater department. In her free time, she also publishes articles for the Torch, her university newspaper; listens to music; and plays the guitar.

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Baena has a master’s degree in international studies from George Washington University and a master’s degree in international policy analysis from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, where he also obtained a bachelor’s degree in international relations. His academic and professional interests are in Latin American regional integration and South-South cooperation for international development. His work has focused on international business development, the politics and economy in Latin America, and Brazil-BRICS relations. Baena is a Brazilian native but lives in Washington DC. He has traveled and lived in several countries in Latin America.

Global China Hub

Khanh Linh Bui is a recent graduate of the School of International Service at American University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in international studies with concentrations in international political economy and peace, global security, and conflict resolution. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, she worked at the RWR Advisory Group as a research intern and conducted qualitative and quantitative research on Chinese and Russian enterprises’ global financial footprints to better understand the risks present at the intersection of global business activity and national security concerns. Most recently, she worked as a Diplomacy Lab researcher with the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to analyze theoretical frameworks and theories of change literature for cultural and educational exchange programming. Khanh Linh Bui is originally from Hanoi, Vietnam.

Global Energy Center

Carpen is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she double majored in political science and history with a minor in sustainability studies. Elina’s specific academic interests include decarbonization policy, environmental justice, Indigenous American environmental policies, and international climate politics. As a senior, Carpen completed an honors thesis in the History Department focused on the development of English and Algonquian environmental cultures and their impact on the English-Algonquian relationship. She then translated this relationship into the analysis of modern political and cultural trends. In addition to her time at Chapel Hill, Carpen has completed internships at Green Assets and the North Carolina Piedmont Land Conservancy, where she worked with her organizations to evaluate carbon, climate, and conservation policies. Elina has also worked with the North Carolina legislature to develop nature reserves, protected areas, and carbon projects. Carpen’s interests outside of work include running, playing soccer, and reading thriller novels.

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Dack is pursuing his Master of Arts at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with concentrations in strategic studies and international economics. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, Sean completed an internship with the Emerging Technologies Institute where his research focused on the threat of ransomware to US national security. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, where he received a Bachelor of Science in economics with honors and a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a focus in international security. His main interest is understanding how authoritarian countries are harnessing emerging technologies to further their national interests. In his free time, Dack can be found scrolling through Twitter, hanging out with his friends, or working to improve his Russian proficiency.

Europe Center

DeMichele is a recent graduate of Frostburg State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies with a minor in economics. Following a year spent studying German in Berlin, he is now pursuing his master’s degree at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs where he will concentrate on international security studies while focusing on transatlantic relations. Previously, he was an international policy and diplomacy fellow with the United Macedonian Diaspora. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, binge watching television, and listening to Led Zeppelin.

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Deegan is a recent graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where she obtained her Master of Arts in law and diplomacy with concentrations in international environmental resource policy and conflict resolution and negotiation. Brigid’s academic and professional experiences focus on the creation and implementation of sustainable development policies and practices that bolster community resilience and accelerate equitable climate change adaptation. While at the Fletcher School, she interned with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s Sustainable Urban Development Section, focusing on incorporating sustainable development initiatives into urban economic recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, she was a research assistant to Fletcher School Dean Rachel Kyte and the Climate Policy Lab, addressing topics such as international climate finance and Mexican mitigation and adaptation policies. During her internship with the Permanent Mission of Palau to the United Nations in New York, Brigid supported sustainable development planning and migration policymaking. She received her BA in political science with a minor in Italian studies from Muhlenberg College. In her free time, Deegan can be found reading science fiction and fantasy novels, listening to electronic music, and exploring parks.

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Haber is a senior at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she is majoring in regional and comparative studies with a concentration in energy geopolitics in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. She is also minoring in Russian and pursuing a certificate in diplomatic studies. She is particularly interested in identifying viable, multibenefit solutions to the climate crisis that account for its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, Haber worked at the Middle East Institute, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, and Vital Voices Global Partnership.

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Hart is a rising senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she is majoring in international politics, with a concentration in international law, institutions, and ethics, and minoring in religion, ethics, and world affairs. Hart is deeply passionate about international human rights, particularly in regard to its intersection with religion, and has been researching and studying this issue for the past three years. She believes that religion is a powerful force for change, both positive and negative, and plays an oft-overlooked key role in the fight for human rights, both at home and abroad. She is particularly interested in exploring these topics in the Middle East and North Africa region and is excited to dive into the area through her internship at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East. Hart was previously awarded the Pulitzer Fellowship for International Crisis Reporting, during which she traveled to Conakry, Guinea, to independently report on religious efforts to combat female genital cutting. On campus, she serves as the editor-in-chief for Georgetown University’s foreign affairs newspaper, the Caravel, as well as the vice president of the Georgetown University Moot Court Team. In her spare time, Hart enjoys hiking, boxing, reading, and exploring DC.

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Hsu is a senior from the University of California, Berkeley pursuing a BA in political science. A member of the University of California Washington Program cohort, she is excited to relocate to the nation’s capital to further her studies in international relations. Prior to participating in the Young Global Professionals program, Hsu had the opportunity to present her research on data-privacy policy harmonization across European Union member states at research conferences in 2021 and 2022. She also served in JusticeCorps, an AmeriCorps program, to help bridge the justice gap in her hometown of Los Angeles. There, she had the opportunity to assist pro se litigants in family and civil law cases. She is passionate about advocacy and bringing humanity to the forefront of the conversation about technology, science, and policy. In her spare time, Hsu enjoys reading, crocheting, and experimenting with new recipes. She has also recently begun practicing judo.

GeoEconomics Center

Lopez-Irizarry is a graduate student at Georgetown University’s Master of Science in Foreign Service program. He previously worked as an intern at the International Fund for Agricultural Development within the global engagement, partnerships, and resource mobilization department. Lopez-Irizarry served as a research assistant for a faculty fellow project via a National Bureau of Economic Research grant. As an undergraduate, he led a student group at his campus advocating for voting rights. He is most interested in how economic policy and markets impact democracy. Lopez-Irizarry graduated with honors from New York University, where he wrote his public policy honors thesis on the impact of Puerto Rico’s debt crisis on democratic institutions. Lopez-Irizarry enjoys hiking, baking focaccia bread, and following Arsenal FC in the Premier League.

Africa Center

Mittrick is a recent graduate of George Washington University with a BA in international affairs with a concentration in international development and a minor in French. During her undergraduate career, she also studied at the Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, where she analyzed topics including international migration and gender. This fall, she will be returning to George Washington University to pursue her MA in international development studies. Mittrick has interned at the American Academy of Diplomacy, where she supported the organization’s mission of strengthening all aspects of US diplomacy through numerous programs and reports. Her interests include humanitarianism (specifically child welfare) and the work of nongovernmental organizations. Joining the Young Global Professionals Program with the Africa Center this fall, Mittrick is eager to participate in the center’s efforts to bolster transatlantic ties with Africa, the United States, and the European Union. In addition to her scholarly interests, Mittrick enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time with her two mutts, Henry and Jax.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—Forward Defense

Poling is a second-year master’s student in the security studies program at Georgetown University. In 2020, Poling graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a double major in government and history and a minor in classical studies. Before coming to the Atlantic Council, Poling interned for the US State Department Bureau of Arms Control and Verification, Office of Multilateral and Nuclear Affairs, on Capitol Hill for Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick and Ro Khanna, and several local municipal campaigns. Poling is especially interested in issues relating to great power competition, the evolution of military capabilities and doctrine, and the growing role of space as a warfighting and economic domain. In his free time, Poling enjoys exploring the DC food scene, board games with friends, and slowly working his way through the classics of strategic literature.

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Storen is a recent graduate of the College of William & Mary, where he completed his BA in public policy and minored in film and media studies. Throughout his time at William & Mary, he gained a keen interest in international affairs and media, completing a fellowship with a Cambodian nonprofit in 2021 and spending the spring 2022 semester in South Africa and Mozambique. His time in Africa included interning as a news host for a local radio station in Durban, living on a sugarcane farm in rural Zululand, and gaining language skills in both isiZulu and Portuguese. In addition to his experiences in Southern Africa, Storen spent time in Japan as an exchange student and has backpacked through Ecuador. He also interned for two years with William & Mary’s Video Marketing Team and consulted with US Army Special Operations. An avid rugby player, Storen spent the last four years competing with the Tribe and Jaguars RFC in Durban. In his free time, Storen can be found working on his latest podcast or blog or exploring a new location on his bucket list.

Europe Center

Taylor is a graduate student at American University’s School of International Service, pursuing a Master of Arts in global governance, politics, and security. Through the Masaryk Diplomatic Program, she conducted research for the Czech Republic on humanitarian practices to help Ukrainian refugees. In 2021, she graduated with honors from Virginia Tech—receiving three bachelor’s degrees in political science, public policy, and public relations. In the summer of 2019, she served as a public diplomacy intern for the US Mission to The Hague, where she helped facilitate a visit from the former secretary of state. In her free time, she enjoys reading and training for half-marathons.

GeoTech Center

Thompson is a graduate student at American University’s School of International Service where she is pursuing a MA in international affairs with a concentration on National Security and Critical and Emerging Technologies. She is currently a fellow for American University’s Center for Security, Innovation, and New Technology and has a specific interest in artificial intelligence, big data, and biotechnology. Most recently, Thompson completed research on the intersection of artificial intelligence and US national security as part of the University of Cambridge’s Cambridge Security Initiative. Thompson received bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from Tulane University in 2017. During this time, she studied in Denmark, Costa Rica, and Ecuador and worked as a consular intern with the Department of State at the US Embassy in Budapest, Hungary. Out of the office, Thompson enjoys hiking, reading mysteries, trying new recipes, visiting DC’s plethora of museums, and planning her next road trip.

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Umanskyi is a junior at American University where he pursues a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in applied physics. Originally from Ukraine, Umanskyi grew up invested in the international relations of Eastern Europe and beyond. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, he worked at the International Student and Scholar Services of American University. He currently conducts a qualitative research and discourse analysis of Eastern European foreign affairs with particular attention dedicated to information manipulation and digital institutionalization. His interests span history, geopolitics, international economic relations, and digital politics. In his free time, Umanskyi enjoys roaming the national galleries and practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

GeoEconomics Center

Vishwanath is a senior at American University from the Bay Area pursuing a double major in political science and economics. At American University, he served as the president of the South Asian Student Association and is an active member of the American University International Relations Society, competing on the Model United Nations team. His research interests include South Asian trade strategy as well as the intersection between economic development and healthcare policy. Prior to the Atlantic Council, he worked for a nonprofit watchdog organization, the Housing Rights Initiative, where he researched income-based housing discrimination across New York, Virginia, and California. In his free time, you can find Abhi watching Star Wars, playing his guitar, or thrifting.

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Wahal is a senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she is majoring in science, technology, and international affairs, concentrating in energy and the environment and minoring in Mandarin Chinese. She is a Taiwanese-Indian-American environmental researcher, storyteller, and activist who is dedicated to conserving the earth’s natural resources and safeguarding marginalized communities disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Prior to participating in the Young Global Professionals Program, she served as a provost’s distinguished undergraduate research fellow and a Green Commons fellow, where she conducted full-time research for her senior thesis and filmed a mini documentary on water and agriculture in Arizona. In the past, she has also served as a Mortara undergraduate research fellow, Women’s Alliance fellow, Carroll fellow, Pelosi scholar, and Krogh scholar. She has also interned at the US State Department, Census Bureau, Library of Congress, World Wildlife Fund, and Council on Foreign Relations. In her free time, Wahal can be found painting watercolors, partaking in nature photography, exploring new coffee shops, and visiting art museums.