Summer 2022 Young Global Professionals

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—Forward Defense

Baker is a graduate student at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, pursuing a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in international and global affairs. While there, he worked as a research assistant for the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Cyber Project, focusing on cybersecurity compliance for critical infrastructure. Julian previously served in the US Army and worked in the research office of the Texas Senate. He graduated with honors from Tulane University, where he received a BA in political science and spent time in Morocco and Spain.

Europe Center

Carpenter is a recent graduate of University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, where she completed a BSBA and a BA in contemporary European studies with a minor in politics, philosophy, and economics. As a senior she completed an honors thesis studying the recentralizing role of EU pre-accession funding in the executive governments of the Czech Republic and Hungary. Throughout her undergraduate career, Allison focused on U.S. foreign policy and the transatlantic relationship not only at UNC, but also while studying in Denmark and Hong Kong in 2021, and while completing two summer internships in Prague, Czech Republic. This fall, Carpenter will begin the Transatlantic Master’s Program in European Political Science through UNC–Chapel Hill and the Humboldt University of Berlin. In her free time, Carpenter enjoys swimming and is working on increasing her German proficiency.

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Chiriboga is finishing her undergraduate studies abroad at the London School of Economics (LSE). Her home institution is Trinity University, where she is double majoring in international affairs and international economics and minoring in political science. She is currently working as a research assistant at LSE’s Department of International Relations on a project about land inequality and its impact on Argentina’s democratization. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, she was a project management intern at DDB New York where she worked with multiple companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Kroger. Before that, she worked as a trade and political affairs intern at the embassy of Ecuador, where she participated in the bilateral trade agreement negotiations between Ecuador and the United States. She is also the founder and producer of Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States Ivonne Baki’s podcast. Chiriboga is very passionate about Latin American economic integration and development. She is originally from Quito, Ecuador, and is fluent in both English and Spanish.

GeoTech Center

Creasey is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, where she earned her BA in history and political science with a minor in interdisciplinary space studies. She is now pursuing her MA at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in international science and technology policy. Ellie is interested in the intersection of diplomacy and international activity in space, and how restrictionist policies inhibit the ability of governmental and commercial innovation in space technology. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, Ellie has worked with the US Department of State and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on finding and developing innovative solutions to issues of national security. While Creasey loves the fast-paced nature of current events, she likes to unwind with her two Great Pyrenees, Gemma and Sirius, and her small black cat, Gracie.

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Deshler is a senior at the University of Virginia (UVA), where she is double majoring in political philosophy and studio art. Her multicultural, immigrant upbringing taught her to engage multiple perspectives, translate cultural differences, and mitigate conflict across three languages, preparing her to be a community organizer and activist from early life. Her experience advocating for Hispanic and undocumented communities at UVA through organizations like Creciendo Juntos and Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society, combined with her research on structural and political justice, has brought her to understand that climate change is as much a social justice issue as an ecological one, involving issues of race, class, and migration. She hopes, in uniting her passion for philosophical understanding and egalitarian justice with her experience in community engagement, to help mobilize the Adrienne Arsht – Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center’s efforts to reach one billion people with solutions to climate challenges by 2030. In her free time, she can be found painting, singing and dancing, making jewelry, cooking, or watching reality shows!

Africa Center

Felix is a recent graduate of Temple University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in global studies with a concentration in international security. Narayan previously interned for the US African Development Foundation and the Africa Society where he helped promote transnational partnerships and sustainable enterprise. As an undergraduate student, he served as vice president of the Society of Emerging African Leaders and was selected to go on Temple’s inaugural Global X Inclusive Leadership trip to South Africa in 2019. Narayan is a 2022 Thomas R. Pickering foreign affairs fellow and will be pursuing a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University. In addition to his professional endeavors, Felix cherishes spending time with his loved ones, indulging in music and cinema, and relentlessly supporting his favorite sports teams.

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Gupta recently moved from India to the United States, where she completed her BA in psychology at the University of Delhi. After graduation, Nishtha was a digital journalist with the India Today Group where she worked as an editor, covering breaking national and international news. During her time working, she developed an interest in exploring the role of technology and media in democracy globally and how human rights can be secured in the digital space. Additionally, she is an avid cook, a passionate dog lover, and loves to travel and experience new cultures.

Global Energy Center

Helmeci is a rising senior at Rice University pursuing a BA in political science and history. Previously, he worked at the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for Energy Studies where he conducted research pertaining to fossil fuel subsidies in developed countries, petroleum dependency in the Middle East, and the geopolitics of energy. He is passionate about equitable sustainable development and designing leadership strategies for the energy transition. Out of the office, Helmeci is president of Jones College at Rice and loves to discuss movies, music, or really any form of media.

GeoEconomics Center

Hsu is a junior at Harvard University, where she studies government, economics, and English. Prior to participating in the Young Global Professionals program, she worked on the communications team for current Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s campaign. She also worked on various policy papers commissioned by the European Court of Justice, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, and the National Resources Defense Council. She is deeply interested in the intersection between macroeconomic and foreign policy, as well as its impact on labor markets. In her free time, Hsu enjoys cooking, creative writing, and boxing.

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Kaiss is a rising senior at American University studying international relations with a focus on justice, ethics, and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Her research and interests lie in the advancement of democratic systems in the Levant and Tunisia. Prior to the Atlantic Council, Kaiss worked through the Ukrainian and Afghan refugee crises to advance refugee and immigration policy in the US Congress as an advocacy intern at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Kaiss has served as a research intern at Middle East and North Africa Spotlight, a start-up nonprofit that provides students in the MENA region with open-access educational resources about democracy and human rights. Furthermore, she has contributed to the US Department of State’s public diplomacy initiatives as a professional exchanges intern at the World Trade Center Institute. At American University, Kaiss is an active member of the American Literary Magazine and the American University International Relations Society. In her free time, Kaiss can be found reading, writing, and traveling.

Global Energy Center

Kumbaraci is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where she is pursuing her MA in international relations with concentrations on Europe and Eurasia and development, climate, and sustainability. Kumbaraci’s specific interests include the geopolitical dimensions of energy and climate policy, managing the energy transition, and the implications of the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism. She graduated as valedictorian from Middle East Technical University in Turkey, in 2021 with a BS in political science and public administration and a minor in European studies. Kumbaraci has previously interned at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is a Fulbright grantee from Ankara, Turkey.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—Scowcroft Strategy Initiative

Levitan is a second-year student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where he is completing his Master of Arts in international relations and writes for the school paper, the SAIS Observer. He received his Bachelor of Arts at Washington University in St. Louis in 2018, with a major in Eurasian studies and a minor in Russian language and literature. Levitan studied abroad in St. Petersburg in the spring of 2017 and conducted a university-funded field research trip in the summer of the same year to determine the influence of nationalism on Russian foreign policy. Following a series of internships at DC think tanks, Jacob spent six months living and teaching in Kazakhstan. Levitan also speaks Russian. In his free time, Levitan can be found cooking and baking new recipes in his kitchen, out on a hike, at one of the Smithsonian museums, or adding a new book to his ever-growing collection.

Digital Forensic Research Lab

MacWilliamson is a rising junior at Lewis & Clark College, where she is majoring in political science and minoring in political economy. Originally from San Jose, California, MacWilliamson grew up surrounded by technology, which sparked her interest in how the internet affects politics. In her studies, MacWilliamson has researched how prosecution experience affects judicial decision making in the United States, and how social media influences protest in Russia. Particularly, MacWilliamson is fascinated by the increasing sway online social media platforms have in directing political discourse. At Lewis & Clark College, MacWilliamson has been involved with student government, serving as a senator and the engagement and outreach coordinator. Next academic year, MacWilliamson will serve as the student body president. Before interning at Atlantic Council, she worked as a seasonal cashier at Sephora, and as a staffer at her college’s sports center. MacWilliamson spends her free time attending live music performances or scrolling through social media to stay updated on humorous memes, internet fads, and online phenomena.

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Nettles is a junior at the University of Colorado Boulder where she studies international affairs with minors in Chinese and creative technology. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, she was an undergraduate research assistant in the University of Colorado Boulder’s political science research lab, STUDIO, where she conducted quantitative analysis on regional international organizations in Africa. Nettles is interested in continuing to study cyber policy, particularly how the lack of norms in censorship of social media affects access to information as well as vulnerabilities found through open-source intelligence. She speaks some Chinese and German and has experience with a variety of programming languages. In her free time, she continues her Chinese studies and practices Muay Thai.

Europe Center

Pozderac is an MA candidate in German and European studies at the Walsh School of Foreign Service and a certificate candidate with the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. Her diverse background includes her engagement with the European Youth Parliament and Global-In Fellowship where she held various leadership positions. She was also an intern at the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development and a co-chair for the 2022 Transatlantic Policy Symposium. She received her BA degree in political science and international relations, with a minor in International Law and Diplomacy from Sarajevo School of Science and Technology. Pozderac is from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—Forward Defense

Renaut is a graduate of King’s College London’s Department of War Studies and the University of St Andrews’s School of International Relations. Specializing in security and defense, she currently works as a research fellow at the French Institute for International and Strategic Relations. Her research focuses on examining how the European Union can effectively and sustainably meet strategic challenges and become a more assertive global actor. Prior to that, Renaut interned at the European Parliament in the Policy Department and at the United Nations Headquarters Operations and Crisis Centre. Bilingual in French and English, Renaut also speaks some German and is learning Russian. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, reading psychological thrillers, and shopping.

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Sinha is a master of public administration candidate at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). After completing her BA in history and politics from the University of Oxford, Abhisvara worked at Accenture Strategy in Southeast Asia advising government agencies, government-owned companies, and multinational corporations on issues at the intersection of business and technology. Sinha is deeply interested in issues of community resilience with a focus on climate adaptation and health equity. Through her academic and professional experiences, Sinha has worked on issues including climate resilience—exploring initiatives such as urban greening to cutting-edge green building technologies—and health equity—ranging from malnutrition among women and children in India to barriers to healthcare access for ethnic minority communities in New York City. Sinha is a published writer, having served as a freelance contributor and editor writing on sociopolitical issues for a variety of leading publications including the Indian Express, the Times of India, and SIPA’s the Morningside Post. In her free time, Sinha can be found obsessively scrolling through Twitter, wandering through art galleries, or listening to podcasts.

Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Smith is a recent graduate from the University of Notre Dame where she studied Arabic, global affairs, and peace studies. Before joining the Atlantic Council’s Young Global Professionals Program, she worked with the American Civil Liberties Union in Louisiana where she organized a campaign promoting police reform. Her experience with domestic policy and advocacy enables her to approach foreign policy through a local lens. In addition, she developed research and leadership experience as a project co-lead for a team conducting research for the US Department of State on technology and early warning signs of conflict. Smith also conducted research with Human Rights Watch on the Global Magnitsky Act, which charges international criminals and freezes their US financial accounts. Smith is interested in conflict mediation and stabilization operations within the Middle East and North Africa region and aspires to bring decolonial approaches to foreign policy. She has visited eleven countries and has lived in three countries, her favorite being India. Smith spends her free time thrift shopping and training her dog, Kaemon.

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

de Barros Torres is a recent graduate of the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, where he obtained a master’s degree in international studies, with a focus on economic development. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, he worked as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme’s International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth, where he developed training materials on shock-responsive social protection and resilience-building. He also worked as an advisor for the German Agency for International Cooperation, where he supported public-private partnerships to strengthen regulatory quality in Brazil—where he is originally from. Previously, he worked with project management, policy-oriented research, and fundraising at the Brazilian Center for International Relations, helping bridge expert knowledge and policymaking in areas such as global trade and climate change. He holds a BA in international relations and an MA in international policy analysis and management from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and writing music.

Global China Hub

Wong is currently pursuing a master’s degree in security studies at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. She recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she completed her BA in history and minors in anthropology and global studies. Her primary research interest is great-power politics, focusing on the rise of Chinese power and Chinese foreign policies; her interest stems from growing up in Hong Kong. In her free time, she enjoys playing the recorder, reading classic novels, and watching history documentaries.

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security—New American Engagement Initiative

Yuan is a rising junior at Columbia University, where she is majoring in political science and with a concentration in education studies. Her academic interests include international security, authoritarian and democratic governance, and education politics and policy. Jenna is also the treasurer of the Columbia Political Union, the center of political dialogue and service on Columbia University’s campus. In her role, she coordinates a variety of events about critical developments in foreign affairs with the aim of informing the student body about current happenings. Outside of school, Yuan co-leads, alongside three other undergraduate students, a nonprofit organization called Student Voice, where she works to train public school students from across the United States as advocates for educational equity. Yuan is from Seattle, Washington and enjoys baking and running in her free time.

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Zgorzelski is a rising senior at Baylor University where she is double majoring in international studies and Spanish with minor concentrations in political science and leadership studies. This past semester she was a member of the 2022 Baylor in Washington cohort and also a full-time intern at the US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. She focused on issues related to public affairs and public diplomacy mainly throughout Latin America. She is currently studying government and Latin American politics, evaluating the migration patterns of immigrants in her honors thesis. In addition, she has spent time volunteering abroad in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mexico as an English teaching assistant through various international organizations, working directly with children’s orphanages in these countries. She is also highly involved on her university’s campus as the Baylor University 2022 homecoming chairman for the second consecutive year. She is also the internal vice president of Baylor Ambassadors, a student organization dedicated to advocating for higher education funding at the federal and state levels for Baylor students in need. As a native southern Californian, she loves to be outdoors running, kayaking, hiking, and reading at the beach in her free time.

GeoEconomics Center

Zhu is a senior at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service studying international political economy with a minor in government. On campus, Zhu works with the Georgetown Federal and DC Relations Committee to advocate on policy issues impacting Georgetown students such as voting rights, DC statehood, and health equity. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council’s Young Global Professionals program, Brian worked in the Government Affairs department at Community Options Inc., a healthcare and housing nonprofit supporting people with disabilities. Brian hopes to conduct data-driven research to find solutions to pressing global problems like climate change and sustainable development. In his free time, he can be found watching his beloved Boston Celtics, seeking out specialty espressos, and trying on weird sunglasses.