Jasmin Alsaied
Research Associate class — Spring 2023
Where are you now? Surface Warfare Officer, US Navy
Research areas — Nuclear challenges in the Indo-Pacific; adversarial cognitive warfare
How has your experience at CGSR positively impacted or prepared you for your future career and/or current position? I found my time at CGSR to be really rewarding. I got to interact with practitioners and peers who were interested in similar lines of efforts and learned from their experiences and different perspectives, which was valuable in informing my research. I still keep in contact with mentors and peers from LLNL who help me hone new ideas and research proposals. I now to get to use the knowledge and experience I gained at CGSR when engaging with our allies and partners across the globe.
Sydney Brashears
Alma mater — University of Georgia, Master of International Policy
Research Associate class — Fall 2024
Where are you now? I am currently an intern for the Nuclear Material Security (NMS) team at Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington, D.C. In this capacity I have contributed to a variety of projects including the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) and Nuclear Scaling Initiative (NSI).
Research areas — At CGSR I was able to expand my knowledge base by studying arms control verification mechanisms across threat landscapes. Specifically, I researched emerging challenges affecting the implementation of verification mechanisms for nuclear, chemical, and biological arms control agreements. In addition to this research, I contributed to annotated bibliographies and summary reports for workshops on U.S. Space Strategy and Deterrence in the 2025 National Defense Strategy Review.
How has your experience at CGSR positively impacted or prepared you for your future career and/or current position? CGSR provided me with the opportunity to expand my understanding of CBRN weapon threats and the critical role of verification in upholding international arms control norms. I have benefitted not only from the subject matter knowledge imparted through this research opportunity, but also from the candid career conversations I was fortunate to have with a diverse array of national security experts. Finally, to CGSR and its supportive staff, I also owe my first publication, which has encouraged me to set new goals as an early career professional.
Publication — Verification at Risk: Examining Growing Challenges to Verify Arms Control Regimes
LinkedIn — www.linkedin.com/in/sydneybrashears
Genevieve Collins
Alma mater — Claremont McKenna College
Research Associate class — Summer 2022
Research areas — PRC-Saudi relations
Where are you now? Research Specialist at the Center for Naval Analyses with the China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division
How has your experience at CGSR positively impacted or prepared you for your future career and/or current position? My summer at CGSR allowed me to investigate a topic and area of study that I had been unable to explore during my coursework in college, and I used the research I conducted to inform my undergraduate thesis. My time at CGSR also helped me to hone my research, writing, and analysis skills, which I use on a daily basis in my current job
Ray Hughes
Alma mater — Georgia Institute of Technology
Research Associate class — Spring 2024
Research areas — Tritium and Fusion Energy
Where are you now? I am currently an Export Licensing Analyst in the Nonproliferation and Arms Control Program, which is part of LLNL's Z Program
How has your experience at CGSR positively impacted or prepared you for your future career and/or current position? CGSR provided me with the opportunity to pursue independent research while offering valuable support in contributing to broader research efforts and facilitating engagement with experienced professionals across the lab. These experiences and connections were instrumental in helping me secure a full-time position at LLNL. Additionally, the mentorship and support of the CGSR staff enabled me to publish my own article during my time as a research associate.
Elliot Ji
Alma mater — Emory University, B.A.
Research Associate class — Summer 2022
Research areas — Chinese Nuclear Strategy, Major Power Rivalry and Deterrence
Where are you now? Research Fellow, National Defense University; Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow, RAND Corporation (2024-2025)
How has your experience at CGSR positively impacted or prepared you for your future career and/or current position? CGSR is my intellectual home for my training in nuclear security areas. It was an eye-opening and rewarding experience that resulted in long-term mentorship and made many exciting opportunities possible in my career so far.
Nathan Lissy
Alma mater — United States Air Force Academy, Class of 2025
Research Associate class — Summer 2024
Research areas — Wargaming, Integrated Deterrence, Information Warfare
Where are you now? 2d Lt, USAF. Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, TX
How has your experience at CGSR positively impacted or prepared you for your future career and/or current position? CGSR has provided me with the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the nuclear world as a whole, and gave me the chance to dive deeper into my research areas of interest. Notably, CGSR is not a busywork internship, but rather an opportunity to craft and conduct a research project, which is unique when compared to other summer programs for undergraduate students. I look forward to taking the skills I developed and honed at CGSR and leverage them as I pursue graduate education throughout my Air Force career.
Quinn Urich
Alma mater — American University
Research Associate class — Fall 2023
Research areas — Emerging technologies, conflict, and the environment
Where are you now? Research Assistant at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
How has your experience at CGSR positively impacted or prepared you for your future career and/or current position? My time at CGSR exposed me to the research done at the national labs and allowed me to hone my research skills. I not only learned how the broader nuclear policy community works but also saw how much intersection there is with various other policy research fields! CGSR equipped me with the skills to conduct further research in the nuclear and national security space and prepared me for future work outside this space as well.
