Zhilin Lu is a first-year Ph.D. student in Cornell University’s government department. Her research focuses on US-China on AI governance and the intersection of emerging technologies such as AI and biotechnology with strategic stability and power shifts.

Paul Caruso is a first-year MPA student at the Brooks School of Public Policy. Paul’s concentration is in Government, Politics, and Policy Studies, focusing on international affairs and peace studies. He is the President and Founder of the Cornell Negotiation Student Society and leads workshops on conflict resolution. Paul achieved his bachelor’s in international studies and legal studies at the School of International Service at American University, during which time he concentrated on peace, global security, and conflict resolution. 

Carmine Couloute is a PhD student in the Department of Government, concentrating in International Relations and Political Theory.

Her doctoral studies will ethnographically examine the enduring impact of French colonialism in Francophone West Africa. She aims to explore how telecommunications boycotts and protests over 'war taxes' facilitate practices of sovereignty and self-determination during political upheaval.

Esam Boraey is a PhD student in government, specializing in comparative politics and political economy with a regional focus on the Middle East. His research explores the intersection of authoritarianism, social movements, and economic development, particularly how state structures and societal norms shape political and economic outcomes in the region. 

Salvador Ernesto Pineda is a second-year MBA student at Cornell University and holds an MA In Latin American Studies from Georgetown University.

Mursal Rahim is a MPA student in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, concentrating on human rights and social justice. Holding a Bachelor of Law from Afghanistan, she has extensive experience in legal, educational, and refugee community support roles. 

Elisha Smith has a BS in supply chain management from the University of Texas in Dallas. For the past five years, he has worked in global development and agriculture in post-conflict regions in Iraq and Syria. He is currently pursuing an MPS in Global Development at Cornell University. 

Dayra Lascano is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Government at Cornell University, specializing in International Relations with a minor focus on Comparative Politics. Her academic pursuits revolve around the in-depth study of International Organizations and their pivotal role in managing and facilitating international cooperation. 

Zorana Knezevic holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of South Florida and an MA in International Human Rights from the University of Denver. Her research areas are at the intersection of conflict studies and human rights, human security, and international organizations. She is a published co-author in the Journal of Peace Research. 

Nicole T. Venker is a human-environment geographer whose work explores how conflict-driven migration shapes rural livelihoods, environmental access, and food sovereignty. 

She is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. Her dissertation investigates the impacts of Myanmar’s protracted civil war on refugees’ experiences of displacement, temporary relocation, and resettlement in the U.S. and Thailand.