Fall 2023 Young Global Professionals

Global Energy Center

Akers is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati, where he studied international affairs with concentrations in international human rights and peace studies. Recently, he returned from a six-month stint in Indonesia as a David L. Boren scholar, immersing himself in Indonesian language and culture while researching the interplay of deforestation, flipped land use, and corruption in the country’s political system. Prior to that, Akers interned with the US Embassy in Jakarta’s Bureau of Human Rights and Religious Freedom. He has also conducted research through the Roosevelt Institute, aiming to bolster financial transparency at the University of Cincinnati. Akers is an avid backpacker, scuba diver, skier, and chess player.

GeoTech Center

Amon is a junior at Florida International University pursuing a triple major in computer science, international relations, and political science. His main research interest lies in tech policy, understanding the geopolitical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and developing legal and regulatory frameworks for ethical tech development. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, Amon served as a research intern for Global Americans, conducting research on Latin American foreign policy and the impact of science diplomacy in the region. He is also an active member of his university’s Model United Nations team and has published multiple original reports on AI law and policy. In his free time, Amon enjoys painting, studying Korean, and spending time in nature.

GeoEconomics Center

Bakhtiyar is a recent graduate of New York University, where he earned an accelerated MA in political economy and a double major in politics and economics. He served as editor for New York University’s Journal of Politics and International Affairs and has worked in private equity, as well as corporate and investment banking. His interests include political economics, international affairs, finance, and game theory. Bakhtiyar’s master’s thesis explored the intersection of political risk and finance within the context of sukuk bond markets. He speaks five languages and is a published writer and an avid reader, with interests spanning literature, science, politics, economics, and philosophy. Bakhtiyar enjoys powerlifting and practicing Muay Thai.

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Bandekar is a recent graduate of Tufts University, where she acquired a BA in international relations and a BFA in interdisciplinary arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Over the past few years, she has volunteered with education-focused nonprofit organizations, interned for a trade compliance solutions company, assisted with negotiations for protecting Frenchman Bay from an industrial aquaculture project, and helped a logistics company with marketing the launch of their new subsidiary. Bandekar has also written a capstone paper on Chinese foreign direct investments in Sri Lanka, had artwork juried into Jamie Raskin’s congressional exhibit, and acquired a diploma in the ancient Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam. In her free time, Bandekar enjoys watching films of all sorts and TV shows with political satire, spending time with friends and family, and playing sports.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—Forward Defense

Berg is a recent graduate from the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University, where he graduated with a degree in international studies and education. His thesis focused on the relationship between world structure and support for US sanctions against Cuba. He has conducted additional research on democratization in Belarus and US nuclear policy. Before interning for the Atlantic Council, he taught at Hudson High School for a year. He is also a second-degree black belt and a referee for Amateur Athletic Union Karate.

GeoEconomics Center

Bychkovska is pursuing a dual master’s degree in public administration and international relations, focusing on security studies and data analytics for public policy, at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. Bychkovska holds a bachelor’s degree in international business, finance, and business administration from Columbia College, where she graduated with distinction. Her areas of interest include foreign, defense, and security policy; data analytics; and the region of Eastern Europe and Ukraine. She has researched the effects of sanctions on Russia, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the nuclear threat in Ukraine, and NATO’s response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Europe Center

Caparco is a senior at American University in the School of International Service pursuing a BA in international studies with a primary concentration in environmental sustainability and global health and a secondary concentration in justice, ethics, and human rights. She is pursuing certifications in community-based research from the School of Public Affairs and Peace Corps Prep. Caparco has also studied humanitarian law and armed conflict at the Danish Institute of Study Abroad in Copenhagen and as a public policy international affairs fellow at the University of Michigan Gerald Ford School of Public Policy. After college, she plans to volunteer overseas before pursuing a master’s in public policy with a focus on international development. Caparco currently serves as a researcher for the Women’s Fund for Rhode Island and as the director of international partnerships for Leading Women Tomorrow. She has previously worked as a government relations intern for the Bipartisan Policy Center and as a legislative intern in the DC offices of Senator Jack Reed and former Congressman James Langevin. She enjoys drawing, painting, traveling, and spending time outdoors with friends in her free time.

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Friedman is a junior at Emory University, where she is majoring in both international studies and history. On campus, she is president of the Oxford International Relations Association and of the Jewish Student Union. She writes about international politics for the Emory Political Review. As research assistant to Salmon Shomade, she studies the effects of British and French colonialism on African judicial systems. Friedman most recently interned for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where she learned about the role lobbying organizations play in policymaking. Previously, she interned for the Jerusalem-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) Monitor, collating research about NGO funding for reports presented to the United Nations. Friedman is an avid reader and enjoys cooking and photography in her free time.

Atlantic Council Development Team

La Rosa is a senior at the George Washington University majoring in international affairs and business, with a concentration in international politics and a certificate in French. She is passionate about US-European diplomacy and the relationship between foreign policy and international business. To explore these interests, she has interned at the embassy of France in Washington, DC, and Vital Voices Global Partnership. She has also served on the Elliott School of International Affairs Leadership, Ethics, and Practice Student Advisory Council. Outside work, La Rosa enjoys traveling, trying new fitness classes, and reading.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—Forward Defense

Lad is a second-year student in the master of arts in international affairs program at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Her concentrations are international security and science and technology policy, with an emphasis on space policy, cyber security, and strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. She formerly interned with the Stimson Center’s Cyber Program in Washington, DC, and is currently doing her capstone project on the implications of demographic changes in China, Japan, and Korea, on regional security and alliance dynamics. She is an international student originally from Nashik, India, and speaks French, Japanese, Hindi, and Marathi. Out of the office, she enjoys learning new languages, hiking, baking for her friends, and reading books about a range of topics from Cold War history to contemporary social justice.

Atlantic Council Development Team

Lee is a recent graduate of George Washington University, where she majored in international relations with a concentration in Asia and comparative political, social, and economic systems, and a minor in history. She is currently volunteering at Finpublica, a nonprofit organization focused on helping financial institutions incorporate environmental, social, and governance considerations into their long-term strategy. In her free time, she enjoys attending Pilates and high-intensity interval training classes, reading, and shopping.

Global Energy Center

Mathews is a senior at George Washington University, where she is pursuing a double major in international affairs with a concentration in international development and environmental and sustainability science. She has previously worked as a climate security research intern for the American Security Project, where she authored reports related to the nexus of climate, food security, and conflict. She also applied her research capabilities at CNN as a row researcher and at the Peruvian Consulate’s Trade Commission as an international trade and development intern. In her free time, Mathews can be found running, enjoying the outdoors, and reading.

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Mohamed holds a master of international affairs degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs with a concentration in international security policy and a specialization in Middle East studies and conflict resolution. This past spring, Mohamed worked on a project with the US Department of State-US Libya External Office, where she developed recommendations for conflict prevention and stabilization in Libya, in line with the Global Fragility Act. Mohamed participated in a study abroad program at The American University in Cairo, where she focused on the long-term impacts of the Arab Spring. Simultaneously, she served as an intern at the Andersen Global Law Firm, where she contributed to the firm’s annual book publication, concentrating on the progressive trends and existing challenges within Egypt’s economy. She has interned for the Permanent Mission of Jordan to the United Nations (UN), the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN, the Office of Senator Charles E. Schumer, and the US Census Bureau. She enjoys reading, biking, and traveling.

Africa Center

Nyaoga is a graduate of Tufts University, where he received a BA in political science and Africana studies. Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, he also completed a two-year pre-university diploma at African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nyaoga is passionate about understanding Africa’s evolving relationship with other world regions. He wrote his undergraduate thesis on recent British immigration restrictions toward former colonies. During his third year, Nyaoga completed a year-long study abroad program at London School of Economics. He has also interned with Songhai Advisory and Safe Hands Kenya. In his free time, Nyaoga enjoys running and playing GeoGuessr.

GeoTech Center

Oliss is a junior at Georgetown University majoring in biology and political economy and minoring in chemistry. He has interned with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, where he supported the conservation team on several initiatives, and at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, where he researched global science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education trends. He has also studied Mandarin Chinese at Georgetown and at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei.

Europe Center

Paquette is a recent graduate from American University’s School of International Service where he specialized in global and comparative governance, global development, and Russian language and area studies. His passions lie in strengthening transatlantic engagement through increased cooperation on issues relating to development, governance, and security. Paquette spent the summer of 2022 studying the Russian language and Baltic area studies in Daugavpils, Latvia, before spending the fall 2022 semester studying European integration and German public policy at Freie Universität Berlin. Paquette has previously interned with the Center for European Policy Analysis as a transatlantic defense and security intern, where he conducted analysis on the leadup to the war in Ukraine, Black Sea security, and the European Union/NATO response to Russia’s invasion. He has also interned with the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center, where he researched issues relating to secession, federalism, mobilization, and institutional collapse within the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. During his free time, Paquette enjoys hiking, cooking, gardening, traveling, and freediving.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—Forward Defense

Ryan is a second-year master’s student at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver earning her degree in international security with a graduate certificate in homeland security. She graduated summa cum laude with dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and communication studies from Colorado State University. Previously, she has worked for North American Aerospace Defense Command/US Northern Command, the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures, and the Colorado General Assembly. Most recently, her graduate work has included research on strategic competition in the Arctic, Russian and Chinese propaganda, and modernizing military infrastructure. In her free time, Ryan can usually be found traveling around the country in pursuit of her goal to visit all fifty states.

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Stanski is a second-year graduate candidate at Georgetown University, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in Latin American studies with a concentration in governance and leadership and a specialization in development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations with Spanish honors from the University of Southern California. Stanski was brought up in a household where Spanish was often spoken and is also proficient in Portuguese, given her extensive interest in Brazil. Her experiences at various think tanks like Global Americans and the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, along with nonprofits like TechnoServe, have shaped her commitment to improving the lives of marginalized children in Brazil, understanding the root causes of drug trafficking throughout South America, and advocating for human rights in the region. Additionally, Stanksi has produced expansive research on populist trends, particularly in Central America. In her spare time, Stanski enjoys hiking, strength training, reading, and watching Gilmore Girls with a hot cup of coffee in hand.

Global China Hub

Stern is a graduate of Wake Forest University, where he majored in politics and international affairs with a double minor in Chinese and African studies. After graduating, Stern spent time in Taiwan studying Mandarin Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University. He previously worked in both the tech startup world and at Meridian International Center, where he helped to implement the US Department of State-funded Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program. In his free time, Stern enjoys spearfishing, seeing live music, and playing chess.

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Wright recently graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in history with an emphasis in the history of science and technology. While at Berkeley, Wright worked as an undergraduate research assistant at the Global Initiative for Psychedelic Science Economics, conducting a systematic review of the health effects of nonclassical psychedelics in nonclinical settings. She also spent time volunteering for Berkeley’s Center for Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society and as an English language tutor for university students at Uman National University in Kyiv, Ukraine. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, Wright was an active member of UC Berkeley’s Working Group on the Future of Cybersecurity and a cyber consultant for the Citizen Clinic, UC Berkeley’s public interest cybersecurity clinic. In her free time, Wright enjoys cooking, running, and sailing.

GeoEconomics Center

Yeung is a recent graduate of Swarthmore College, where he majored in political science and economics. He previously worked as an analyst for Project Canopy, where he researched evidence-based policymaking and conflicts in the Congo River basin. After the conclusion of the internship, he will leave for Malaysia on a Fulbright scholarship to conduct research on disaster policy. In his free time, Yeung enjoys playing badminton, tennis, and the piano.