Allen is grassroots coordinator for the Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program at Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). He works as one of the principal liaisons between PSR’s national office and PSR chapters engaged in nuclear weapons-related activities and with other groups working on nuclear disarmament—particularly on shared federal priorities. He also represents PSR as a focal point for Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy. Allen is particularly interested in how nuclear weapons abolition intersects with wider movements for social justice, environmental justice, and efforts to reimagine a more peaceful US foreign policy. He has a BA in conflict analysis and resolution from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University.

I am most excited to work on projects that… redefine our vision of security so that we better protect all people, rather than just the privileged few.

I am looking for partners who can help me… place the nuclear threat in terms of the here and now, intersecting with other current issues, rather than always framing the threat in the context of the Cold War.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… when an activist told me that they felt like they were touching “the fabric of history” when they got an influential co-sponsorship on disarmament legislation.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… build spaces inside the disarmament community for individuals to speak their truth, when they previously may have felt like they had to remain silent.

Bryce is an incoming graduate student at the University of Chicago’s Committee on International Relations. Previously, he was a research assistant with the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he worked on a range of programs designed to develop the next generation of nuclear professionals. His research and analysis at PONI focused on emerging technologies and their implications for situational awareness and strategic stability. He currently serves on a strategic advisory board for Foretell, a crowdsourced forecasting project exploring technology security policy at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. Previously, Bryce held positions as a research intern at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and a policy intern with the Defense and Foreign Policy Department at the Niskanen Center. He also worked for several years at the United States Department of the Treasury. He holds a BA in political science from the University of Washington.

I am most excited to work on projects that… advance innovative methods for strengthening international security.

I am looking for partners who can help me… build transpartisan coalitions to address complex, intractable problems.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… being invited to discuss my research with a congressionally established national security commission. 

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… include interdisciplinary approaches to identify and address emerging risks that threaten humanity’s long-term prospects.

Kelsey is director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, where she focuses on the nuclear and missile programs in Iran and North Korea and on international efforts to prevent proliferation and nuclear terrorism. She also runs the Arms Control Association’s project assessing the effectiveness of multilateral voluntary initiatives that contribute to nonproliferation efforts. She has been quoted in numerous publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian, and has provided commentary for outlets such as NPR, CNN, and Fox News. Kelsey is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the board of directors for the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship and the advisory committee for the National Committee on North Korea. Previously, she worked at a think tank in Jerusalem. She holds an MA in peace studies from the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

I am most excited to work on projects that… foster inclusivity and creativity in the nuclear policy community.

I am looking for partners who can help me… better understand the intersections between nuclear weapons and social justice.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… meeting Pope Francis after he declared the possession of nuclear weapons immoral. 

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… include using different types of media to increase the saliency of the nuclear threat and forge connections with new communities.

Jeff is executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), a physician-led organization in the US working to protect the public from the threats of nuclear proliferation, climate change, and environmental toxins. An attorney by training, much of his career has been spent in nonprofit management and in policy roles, primarily with membership organizations and associations and, until he joined PSR, mostly in the areas of adult education and workforce development. (“I was once the only full-time person lobbying on behalf of adult literacy on the Hill, which is both frightening and sad, considering the seriousness of that problem.”) Jeff’s most enjoyable professional experiences have involved startups (business and nonprofit) and coalitions. Previously, he served as president of the National Coalition for Literacy and president of the Committee for Education Funding. Before going to law school, he worked as a writer/editor, and sometimes in even more questionable lines of work, although those experiences provided important life lessons and some still-valuable personal connections.

I am most excited to work on projects that… make a positive difference in people’s lives.

I am looking for partners who can help me… see things from a different perspective, and who I can learn from.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… anytime I have the opportunity to meet people with real courage—people who have risked their lives or freedom to stand up for what they believe in. 

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… involve, generally speaking, any effort to expand the conversation outside of the traditional spheres of presumed influence and expertise.

Shannon is a research assistant on disarmament and threat reduction at the Arms Control Association, where she focuses her research and analysis on nuclear disarmament, the defense budget, and US-Russian arms control. Previously, Shannon was communications and writing manager at the Truman Center for National Policy and the Truman National Security Project, assisting members and senior staff in media outreach and message development. She was also a research assistant in the International Scholars Program at the University of Notre Dame, coding IHS Jane’s Defense and Security Reports to determine the involvement level of a country’s military in mass atrocity or genocide. With funding from two competitive Notre Dame grants, she visited Ireland and Northern Ireland in the summer of 2015 and conducted archival research and more than a dozen interviews to understand the role of literature in the Northern Ireland peacebuilding process during the 1990s. Shannon has a BA in peace studies, English, and business economics from the University of Notre Dame.

I am most excited to work on projects that… encourage the nuclear community to think creatively about how to support and mentor those who want to enter or are already in the field.

I am looking for partners who can help me… challenge myself to always keep learning.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… reading the stories of the hibakusha.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… involve finding new, effective ways to talk to people about nuclear weapons.

Jack is a program officer with the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s materials risk management team, where he works on two projects: the NTI Nuclear Security Index and Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy. Jack previously served as deputy executive director of Partnership for a Secure America, where he lead congressional education and advocacy programs focused on nuclear security, arms control, and nonproliferation. Having also worked in international development, information technology, and food service, he loves unconventional approaches and questioning the status quo. Jack holds an MA in international affairs with a concentration in international security from American University, and a BA in political science and international relations from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

I am most excited to work on projects that… make people uncomfortable and challenge assumptions or preconceptions about ourselves, our work, and our field. 

I am looking for partners who can help me… think outside of my own perspective, challenge myself, and wear down the status quo.

A moment when I felt most inspired in my work was… when I first realized how powerful the artful collection and expression of information can be, especially as a tool for cooperation.

Innovations in my field that I am most excited to work on… involve using data, communication, and cooperation to break through the cultural logjam that has made the nuclear policy community stiff, elitist, and slow moving.