Alexandra is a senior researcher at New America. She was previously a research fellow at the Middle East Initiative of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and a Minerva/Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar at the United States Institute of Peace. Alexandra has written for several leading publications, including Foreign Affairs, Lawfare, and The Washington Post, and has had peer-reviewed articles published. She holds a PhD from the government department at Georgetown University, an MSc in international relations from the London School of Economics, and a BA from Wellesley College, where she was a fellow of the Madeleine K. Albright Institute for Global Affairs.

I am most excited to work on projects that… seek to move beyond conventional foreign policy frameworks and explore possibilities for redefining what national security means.

I am looking for partners who can help me… see beyond my own perspective and build partnerships for change.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… reading the many responses we received from people of different backgrounds and at different places in their careers from all around the world for our essay contest to redefine national security.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… bring in more diverse perspectives to build a foreign policy that is innovative and better represents all Americans.

John is a senior communications associate in the Peace and Security Collaborative, where he works with leading experts, organizations, and community advocates on the intersection between national security, politics, and the media. Before working with ReThink, John used storytelling and communication tools in a variety of roles. These include working as a field organizer back home in Pennsylvania for the 2018 midterms, managing communications and fundraising for a local nonprofit while living in Mexico, and empowering peacebuilders around the world with technology tools at the PeaceTech Lab. John holds a BA in international studies and an MA in international communication from American University.

I am most excited to work on projects that… help bring more voices into the policy conversation.

I am looking for partners who can help me… imagine new ways to tell stories.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… any chance I get to help someone get published or interviewed for the first time.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… are new mediums of communications that go beyond the way we traditionally think of media.

Adina is a researcher specializing in applying open sources to research tasks at Ridgeway Information, a research consultancy in London. Her work centers around finding new tools and refining novel research techniques, particularly supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). She is interested in big data, machine learning, and natural language processing applications for the security sector. Adina is Ridgeway’s focal point for the Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy network and leads Ridgeway’s work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Previously, Adina worked in the European Commission’s polling services in Brussels. She has also supported numerous Economic and Social Research Council projects on pan-European governmental structures, electoral systems, voting behaviors, and security and environmental policies. Adina holds an MA in applied security and strategy from the University of Exeter, where her dissertation focused on strategies used by disparate groups at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. Her BSc in politics and international relations focused on big data and social movements.

I am most excited to work on projects that… bring together a diverse range of voices and give platform to marginalized ones. 

I am looking for partners who can help me… turn my enthusiasm into sustainable action. 

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… overcoming differences in opinion and delivering a piece of analysis the whole team was proud of. 

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… are those that learn from successes in other fields in order to improve. 

Lucas is an international relations analyst based in Brazil. For the last seven years, he has collaborated on a series of projects on Brazil’s and Latin America’s nuclear governance and global nuclear politics. He currently works as a research fellow and project associate at the School of International Relations, Fundação Getulio Vargas, where he collaborates on research and capacity-building initiatives on nuclear politics-related themes. His research interests include global nuclear governance, international relations theories, philosophical thinking, and science and technology studies in social sciences. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Lucas holds an MA and a BA in international relations from the Institute of International Relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He also spent one semester as an undergraduate exchange student at Georgetown University.

I am most excited to work on projects that… promote constructive dialogues through knowledge.

I am looking for partners who can help me… learn from different perspectives and backgrounds and provide a consequential contribution to global nuclear debates.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… when I collaborated on education and capacity-building initiatives on global nuclear politics.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… are those that integrate interdisciplinary thinking.

Nancy is a gifted leader who attracts talent. Over her career she has worked with local government associations and nonprofits creating public/private partnerships, developing active and engaged boards of directors, and navigating organizational change. She is known for building collaborative relationships, navigating times of transition or crisis, and leading organizations that people want to work in.

I am most excited to work on projects that… challenge me and give me the opportunity to mentor.

I am looking for partners who can help me… grow and who complement my skills by being good at the things I am not good at.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… at the 2019 WAND National Leadership Conference; the mix of activists, legislators, and experts was truly electrifying. Also, anytime that I get to help those earlier in their career learn and grow.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… involve building stronger, better aligned, and more sustainable organizations.

Ali is a molecular biologist and president of the Federation of American Scientists, an organization that for 75 years has been at the forefront of addressing global risks ranging from nuclear weapons to pandemics. His current policy focus includes addressing the current COVID-19 pandemic, combatting disinformation and educating the public, and building scientific advisory bodies for domestic and international institutions. Prior to assuming his role at FAS, he served in Congress, advising senators over a 10-year period as legislative director, national security advisor, energy and environment advisor, and science and technology advisor.

Ali is co-chair of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s New Voices initiative; co-chair of the NAS Forum on COVID-19; and serves on the National Academy’s Global Science Diplomacy Roundtable, where he co-chairs the subcommittee on countering disinformation. He also serves on the advisory board of the National Science Policy Network, a global network of early career scientists who engage in science policy, and as a member of the MacArthur Foundation’s 100 & Change Wise Head Panel. He holds a BA in biology from Reed College and a PhD from Princeton University.

I am most excited to work on projects that… involve building things.

I am looking for partners who can help me… conduct joint projects.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… when NJ Governor Chris Murphy thanked FAS during his COVID briefing.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… involve crowdsourcing scientific expertise to help institutions make better decisions.