About Us
Our Mission
Established in January 2019, the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service is a research organization focused on studying the security impacts of emerging technologies, supporting academic work in security and technology studies, and delivering nonpartisan analysis to the policy community. CSET aims to prepare a generation of policymakers, analysts, and diplomats to address the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies. During its first two years, CSET will focus on the effects of progress in artificial intelligence and advanced computing.
CSET is supported by grants from the Open Philanthropy Project, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Public Interest Technology University Network.
Our Team
Jason Matheny
Founding Director
Jason Matheny is founding director of Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Previously he was Assistant Director of National Intelligence, and Director of IARPA, responsible for the development of breakthrough technologies for the U.S. intelligence community. Before IARPA, he worked at Oxford University, the World Bank, the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Center for Biosecurity, and Princeton University, and was the co-founder of two biotechnology companies. He is a member of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the National Academies’ Intelligence Community Studies Board; is a recipient of the Intelligence Community’s Award for Individual Achievement in Science and Technology, the National Intelligence Superior Service Medal, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers; and was named one of Foreign Policy’s “Top 50 Global Thinkers.” He has served on various White House committees related to artificial intelligence, biosecurity, high-performance computing, and quantum information science. He co-led the National AI R&D Strategic Plan released by the White House in 2016 and was a member of the White House Select Committee on AI, created in 2018. He holds a Ph.D. in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University, an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from Duke University and a B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Tessa Baker
Director of Operations
Tessa Baker is Director of Operations at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She previously worked as a Senior Principal at Gartner conducting survey and qualitative research. Prior to working at Gartner, Tessa served government executives at the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a consultant with IBM and NSI. Tessa holds a B.A. in Government and Economics and an M.A. in American Government from Georgetown University.
Ben Buchanan
Director of Cybersecurity and AI Project
Ben Buchanan is a Senior Faculty Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), where he directs the Cybersecurity and AI Project. Currently, Ben is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he conducts research on the intersection of cybersecurity and statecraft. His first book, The Cybersecurity Dilemma, was published by Oxford University Press in 2017. Previously, he has written journal articles and peer-reviewed papers on artificial intelligence, attributing cyber attacks, deterrence in cyber operations, cryptography, election cybersecurity, and the spread of malicious code between nations and non-state actors. He is also a regular contributor to War on the Rocks and Lawfare, and has published op-eds in the Washington Post and other outlets. Ben received his Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College London, where he was a Marshall Scholar. He earned masters and undergraduate degrees from Georgetown University.
Igor Mikolic-Torreira
Director of Analysis
Igor Mikolic-Torreira is the Director of Analysis at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He was previously a Senior Fellow at the RAND Corporation, where he led research on military cyber operations, cyber weapon effects, and Army force structure. Prior to RAND, Igor worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he supported Secretary Gates’ efficiencies efforts and Secretary Hagel’s Strategic Capacity and Management Review. Earlier he served as Director of the Operations Evaluation Group at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA). Igor also spent many years as an operations analyst in overseas assignments and deploying with several carrier strike groups. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics from the California Institute of Technology. His awards include the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the Department of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, and CNA’s Phil DePoy Award for Analytic Excellence.
Dewey Murdick
Director of Data Science
Dewey Murdick is the Director of Data Science at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to joining Georgetown, he was the Director of Science Analytics at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, where he led metric development, data science, and machine-learning and statistical research for Meta and science-related initiatives. Dewey served as Chief Analytics Officer and Deputy Chief Scientist within the Department of Homeland Security. At IARPA, he led program managers and programs in high-risk, high-payoff research in support of national security missions. Dewey has also held positions in intelligence analysis, research, software development, and contract teaching. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Physics from the University of Virginia and a B.S. in Physics from Andrews University. He is the recipient of the DHS Under Secretary’s Award for Outstanding Collaboration, ODNI’s Exceptional Achievement Award, the Distinguished Analysis Award for Excellence in Intelligence Community Collaboration and Analytic Insight, and the National Ground Intelligence Center Commander’s Civilian of the Year Award.
Helen Toner
Director of Strategy
Helen Toner is Director of Strategy at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She previously worked as a Senior Research Analyst at the Open Philanthropy Project, where she advised policymakers and grantmakers on AI policy and strategy. Between working at Open Philanthropy and joining CSET, Helen lived in Beijing for nine months, studying the Chinese AI ecosystem as a Research Affiliate of Oxford University’s Center for the Governance of AI. Helen was a lead co-author on the seminal report The Malicious Use of AI, and has also been published in Foreign Affairs and the People’s Daily. Helen holds a B.S. and a Diploma in Languages from the University of Melbourne.
Lynne Weil
Director of External Affairs
Lynne Weil is Director of External Affairs at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to joining CSET, Lynne spent a dozen years on Capitol Hill – moving from congressional fellow to Senate Foreign Relations Committee press secretary to communications director for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs – and four years in the Executive Branch, as a State Department senior advisor and a senior executive with the Broadcasting Board of Governors, now the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Lynne teaches policy skills to graduate students as adjunct faculty at American University’s School of International Service and George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She’s a member of the PYXERA Global board of directors. Previously, Lynne was a journalist for NPR, the BBC, The New York Times and others. She earned an MPP at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a B.A. in Communication Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Jamie Baker
Distinguished Fellow
Jamie Baker is a Distinguished Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). In addition to his work at the Center, he is a Professor at Syracuse University, where he directs the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism. Starting his career as an Infantry Officer in the US Marine Corps, Judge Baker subsequently joined the staff of Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan before serving the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, and National Security Council. He served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces for 15 years—the last four as Chief Judge. Since 2015, Judge Baker has served as a Member of the Public Interest Declassification Board, established by Congress in 2000 to promote transparency in national security activities; as a Consultant for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, for which he reports on international laws and norms relating to emerging technology; and as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security. He has taught as an Adjunct or Visiting Professor at Yale Law School (his alma mater, where he received a B.A. and J.D.); University of Iowa College of Law; University of Pittsburgh School of Law; Washington University School of Law; and the Georgetown University Law Center. In 2017-2018, Judge Baker was Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at MIT’s Center for International Studies, where he pursued scholarship on emerging technologies and artificial intelligence. Judge Baker is the author of two books, In the Common Defense: National Security Law for Perilous Times (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and Regulating Covert Action (Yale University Press, 1992, with Michael Reisman). As a Marine Corps Reserve Officer (1979-2000), he authored the revised Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual.
Reginald Brothers
Distinguished Fellow
Reginald Brothers is a Distinguished Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). In addition to his work at the Center, he is Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Peraton, where he oversees strategic planning, technology solutions and business development. Most recently, Dr. Brothers was a principal with The Chertoff Group. Prior to that, he served as Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he was responsible for a science and technology portfolio that included basic and applied research, development, demonstration, testing and evaluation with the purpose of helping DHS operational elements and the nation’s first responders achieve their mission objectives. From 2011 to 2014, Dr. Brothers served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research at the Department of Defense. In this position, he was responsible for policy and oversight of the Department’s science and technology programs and laboratories. He has also held senior roles at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and BAE Systems. Dr. Brothers received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Robert Cardillo
Distinguished Fellow
Robert Cardillo is a Distinguished Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Until February 2019, Robert was the sixth Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, responsible for embracing and leveraging the growing commercial capabilities in the geospatial industry. Prior to that assignment, he served as the first Deputy Director for Intelligence Integration, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, from 2010 to 2014. Robert also served as the Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Deputy Director for Analysis, DIA, from 2006 to 2010. In the summer of 2009, he served as the Acting Intelligence Directorate of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, a first for a civilian. Before he moved back to DIA, Robert led Analysis and Production as well as Source Operations & Management at NGA from 2002 to 2006. Robert has been awarded the Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive (twice), the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive, the Director of National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal (twice), the Secretary of Defense Distinguished Service Medal (twice) and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award. In 2019, he received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Saint Louis University. Robert earned an M.A. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Government from Cornell University. He is the founder and President of The Cardillo Group
Sue Gordon
Distinguished Fellow
Sue Gordon is a Distinguished Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She was the fifth Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from August 2017 to August 2019. As PDDNI, Sue was a key advisor to the President and National Security Council and led the 17-member Intelligence Community. With more than three decades of experience in the IC, Sue has served in a variety of leadership roles spanning numerous intelligence organizations and disciplines. Prior to the DNI, Sue served as the Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency from 2015 to 2017, helping the director lead the agency and manage the National System of Geospatial Intelligence. Before joining the NGA, she served for 27 years at the Central Intelligence Agency, rising to senior executive positions in each of the Agency’s four directorates: operations, analysis, science and technology, and support. In 1998, she designed and drove the formation of In-Q-Tel, a private, non-profit company whose primary purpose is to deliver innovative technology solutions for the agency and the IC. She is the recipient of numerous government and industry awards, including the Distinguished Intelligence Medal and the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. Sue earned a Bachelor of Science from Duke University. A trusted authority on strategy, innovation and leadership, Sue is currently a consultant on global risk, technology, cyber and space issues and a member of the Board at Pallas Advisors, a Washington D.C.-based consultancy.
Stephanie O'Sullivan
Distinguished Fellow
Stephanie O’Sullivan is a Distinguished Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Stephanie served as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence from 2011 to 2017. There, she focused on the operations of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the intelligence community as well as integration initiatives and resource challenges. Prior to that assignment, she served as the Associate Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Stephanie also led the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology for four years, overseeing the part of the Agency responsible for developing and deploying innovative technology in support of intelligence collection and analysis. Stephanie joined the CIA in 1995 after working for the Office of Naval Intelligence and TRW, and held various management positions in the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology over the course of her career. In addition to being an independent contractor for the CIA, she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Aerospace Corporation, and serves on the Board of Directors of Battelle Memorial Institute and the CIA Memorial Officers Foundation.
Catherine Aiken
Survey Specialist
Catherine Aiken is a Survey Specialist at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Catherine was previously at the University of Maryland, where her doctoral research explored non-mainstream political organization and participation through surveys, interviews, and experiments. She has conducted research for the International Crisis Behavior Project, Cross-Domain Deterrence Project, and Assessing Revolutionary and Insurgent Strategies Project and taught research methodology at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Catherine also currently teaches courses in American Politics at the University of Maryland. Catherine holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Maryland.
Olivia Albrighton-Vanway
People and Operations Analyst
Olivia Albrighton-Vanway is the People and Operations Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She previously worked as the assistant director of faculty services in Georgetown’s Center for Security Studies, where she managed course planning and provided administrative support for faculty. Olivia is a master’s candidate in Georgetown’s Security Studies Program and received her B.A. in International Studies from West Virginia University.
Zachary Arnold
Research Fellow
Zachary Arnold is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Previously, Zach was an associate at Latham & Watkins, where he specialized in project finance and environmental law. He received a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal, and an A.B. (summa cum laude) in Social Studies from Harvard University. He clerked for Judge Patrick Higginbotham of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Husanjot Chahal
Research Analyst
Husanjot Chahal is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to CSET, she has worked in the World Bank’s Corporate Security division and in New Delhi-based research organizations looking at security issues in South Asia. Husan finished her graduate degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University, where she was the School of Foreign Service’s Junior Centennial Fellow. She holds a Master’s in International Security and Terrorism from the University of Nottingham and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi.
Ben Chang
Research Fellow (non-resident)
Benjamin Angel Chang is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He is currently completing his Ph.D. in international relations and security studies at MIT, where he studies the impact of artificial intelligence on the global military balance. Previously, Ben also worked as a Senior Analyst at the Long Term Strategy Group. He holds a B.A. (summa cum laude) from Princeton University, where he majored in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Huey-Meei Chang
Research Analyst
Huey-Meei Chang is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She earned a B.S. in mathematical statistics from National Taipei University’s College of Law and Commerce. Huey began her career in Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, Institute of Biomedical Sciences as a data analyst, emigrated to the United States, and left the workforce temporarily to raise a family. She taught Chinese at local institutions, took courses in language pedagogy and information systems, and held full-time U.S. government contracts designing and teaching Chinese language programs and document analysis to staff at the State and Defense departments and intelligence community officers for the past 12 years.
Tarun Chhabra
Senior Fellow
Daniel Chou
Data Scientist
Daniel Chou is a Data Scientist at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) focused on transforming data into knowledge. He previously worked at Defense Group supporting government clients with analytics of geospatial, unstructured, and text-based data sets. Daniel enjoys playing the game of Go. He was a member of the U.S. Go Team in the 1st World Mind Sports Games. Daniel holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University (MSE, Computer Science) and Caltech (B.S., Mathematics).
Jack Clark
Research Fellow (non-resident)
Jack Clark is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). In addition to his work with CSET, Jack is OpenAI’s Policy Director, a member of the Steering Committee of the AI Index, an AI measurement, assessment, and forecasting initiative, part of the Stanford One Hundred Year Study on AI, and is the author of the weekly ImportAI newsletter. Jack frequently participates in fact-finding studies and forums relating to AI, including attending the Aspen Strategy Group, and participating in events with the GAO and the Army Cyber Institute. Prior to OpenAI, Jack was the world’s only neural network reporter at Bloomberg and the world’s only distributed systems reporter at the Register.
Tantum Collins
Research Fellow (non-resident)
Tantum Collins is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), and serves as Principal for Research and Strategy at DeepMind. He received a B.A. in Global Affairs from Yale University and, as a Marshall Scholar, earned an M.Phil. in International Relations and Politics from the University of Cambridge and an M.Sc. in Philosophy of Science from the London School of Economics. In 2014, together with General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, he co-authored the New York Times bestseller Team of Teams, which examines the restructuring of Joint Special Operations Command during the fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq. He is proficient in Mandarin.
Jeff Ding
Research Fellow (non-resident)
Jeff Ding is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) focused on China’s development of AI. In addition to his work supporting CSET, Jeff serves as the China lead for the Center for the Governance of AI and researches China’s development of AI at the Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford. His writing has appeared in Foreign Affairs and MIT Technology Review and his research has been cited in the Washington Post, Financial Times, and other outlets. A fluent Mandarin speaker, he has worked at the U.S. Department of State and the Hong Kong Legislative Council. He is also reading for a D.Phil. in International Relations as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford.
James Dunham
Data Scientist
James Dunham is a Data Scientist at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He was previously at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where his doctoral research addressed measurement problems in political science using unstructured data, natural language processing, and information extraction. He has also worked on open civic data at the MIT Election Lab; developed survey methods at MIT’s Political Experiments Research Lab; and built digital campaigns for non-profits. James holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, an MPA from New York University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT.
Ryan Fedasiuk
Research Analyst
Ryan Fedasiuk is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). His work focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and strategic stability. Prior to joining CSET, Ryan authored research on air and missile defense, space security, and arms transfers for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Arms Control Association, the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a B.A. in International Studies from American University (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and studies Russian language and literature.
Melissa Flagg
Senior Fellow
Dr. Melissa Flagg is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University. Previously she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research, responsible for policy and oversight Defense Department science and technology programs including basic research through advanced technology development and the DoD laboratory enterprise. She has worked at the State Department, the Office of Naval Research, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Army Research Laboratory. She also ran her own consulting business and was the Chief Technology Officer of a small consumer start-up. Melissa has served on numerous boards including the National Academy of Sciences Air Force Studies Board and the Department of Commerce Emerging Technology Research Advisory Committee; she is on the Board of Humanity 2050 and a full trustee with the DC Chapter of the Awesome Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a B.S. in Pharmacy.
Carrick Flynn
Research Fellow
Carrick Flynn is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) focused on national security and technology law and AI policy. Previously, Carrick served as the founding Assistant Director of the Center for the Governance of AI at the University of Oxford. He has lived and worked in public interest organizations in the United States, Kenya, Liberia, Timor-Leste, India, Malaysia, Ethiopia, and the United Kingdom. He studied at Yale Law School, where he received his J.D., and The University of Oregon, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Economics and International Studies.
Dakota Foster
Visiting Researcher
Dakota Foster is a Visiting Researcher at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She is a graduate student in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where she is studying the Third Offset Strategy and the national security implications of changing innovation patterns between the public and private sectors. Previously, she has conducted research on terrorism and U.S. national security policy for the U.S. military, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Washington Institute. She holds a B.A. from Amherst College and is an incoming student at the University of Oxford.
Daniel Hague
External Affairs Specialist
Daniel Hague is an External Affairs Specialist at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to joining CSET, Daniel worked on Capitol Hill for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bill Nelson (FL), and Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA), among others. During this time, he provided counsel on legislation and outreach initiatives, developed policy agendas and supported communications strategies on a wide range of defense, foreign affairs and homeland security issues. Daniel earned a B.S. in Political Science from Truman State University.
William Hannas
Lead Analyst
William Hannas is Lead Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to joining the Center, Bill was a member of the Senior Intelligence Service at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served as an executive expert for advanced technical projects, and was a three-time recipient of the McCone Award for technological innovation. Bill was an Assistant Professor of Chinese at Georgetown, where he taught Chinese and Korean, and concurrently served with the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, monitoring Asian language publications. He began his career with the US Navy, serving on submarines and as a cryptanalyst of foreign codes and ciphers. He holds a B.A. in Chinese and Russian history from Temple University, an M.A. from the University of Chicago in Chinese language, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in East Asian languages and linguistics. Between degrees Bill studied and taught at Yonsei University in Seoul and National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, and served with the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg. Bill is the author of Asia’s Orthographic Dilemma (1997), The Writing on the Wall: How Asian Orthography Curbs Creativity (2003), and primary author of Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernization (2013).
Roxanne Heston
Research Analyst
Roxanne Heston is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She is currently a Georgetown Security Studies master’s student and organizes associated activities with an Individual Project Grant. Most recently, Roxanne assisted research by Richard Danzig, Ben Buchanan, and the Center for the Governance of AI (GovAI). She received a B.S. in Economics with honors on a full scholarship from Tulane University, where she was an Altman Scholar in International Studies & Business and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa.
Tina Huang
Research Analyst
Will Hunt
Visiting Researcher
Andrew Imbrie
Senior Fellow
Andrew Imbrie is a Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He previously worked as a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and as a senior advisor to Visiting Distinguished Statesman Secretary John F. Kerry. Prior to Carnegie, he served as a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the State Department, where he was a speechwriter to Secretary Kerry. Before moving to the Department of State, he served as a professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He teaches foreign policy speechwriting and rhetoric to graduate and undergraduate students at Georgetown University. He received his B.A. in the Humanities from Connecticut College and an M.A. from the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Georgetown University. His book on the future of American power is under contract with Yale University Press.
Rebecca Kagan
External Affairs Specialist
Rebecca Kagan is an External Affairs Specialist at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to CSET, she worked as Deputy Finance Director and Social Media Manager for Maura Sullivan for Congress, and as Senior Finance Staffer for Elaine Luria for Congress. Previously, Rebecca worked in social innovation and entrepreneurship, serving as Associate Director of Changemaker Campus at Ashoka U, the leading global designation for social innovation in higher education. She also co-founded the Food Recovery Network. Rebecca holds a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Brown University.
Elsa Kania
Research Fellow (non-resident)
Elsa Kania is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), focused on Chinese military innovation in emerging technologies. She was co-founder of the China Cyber and Intelligence Studies Institute, was a 2018 Fulbright Specialist and Non-Resident Fellow with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre, Adjunct Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and has advised the China Aerospace Studies Institute, and Technology for Global Security. Her prior professional experience includes time with the Department of Defense, the Long Term Strategy Group, FireEye, and the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy. She has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC). Elsa is a Ph.D. student at Harvard University’s Department of Government, and is a graduate of Harvard College (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). Her thesis on the evolution of the PLA’s strategic thinking on information warfare was awarded the James Gordon Bennett Prize. Elsa was a Boren Scholar in Beijing, and she has professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese.
Saif Khan
Research Fellow
Saif M. Khan is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Previously, he was an intellectual property attorney at Brinks Gilson & Lione and at Hewlett-Packard and successor companies, where he supported enterprise software businesses with analytics and machine learning portfolios. Saif has a J.D. (cum laude) from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and a B.S. (cum laude) in physics and an M.A. in Physics from Wayne State University.
Margarita Konaev
Research Fellow
Margarita Konaev is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) interested in military applications of AI and Russian military innovation in emerging technologies. Previously, she was a Non-Resident Fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point, a post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Strategic Studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. Margarita’s research on international security, armed conflict, non-state actors, and urban warfare in the Middle East, Russia, and Eurasia has been published by the Journal of Global Security Studies, Conflict Management and Peace Science, French Institute of International Relations, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, War on the Rocks, Lawfare and a variety of other outlets. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, an M.A in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Brandeis University.
Lorand Laskai
Visiting Researcher
Lorand Laskai is a Visiting Researcher at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to CSET, he was a Research Associate at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Lead Researcher at Danwei, the research arm of the Financial Times in Beijing. His writing on China and its approach towards cyberspace and high-tech development has appeared in publications like Foreign Affairs, Slate, China Brief, and Foreign Policy. He holds a B.A. from Swarthmore College and is an incoming J.D. candidate at Yale Law School
Jennifer Melot
Senior Software Engineer
Jennifer Melot is a Senior Software Engineer at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Previously she worked in the Artificial Intelligence Technology and Systems (formerly Human Language Technology) group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, supporting work for government sponsors in areas including pronunciation modeling and feedback, data management and review, and test and evaluation of human language technology systems. She holds an S.B. from MIT, where she double-majored in Computer Science and Linguistics.
Ben Murphy
Chinese STEM Translation Lead
Ben Murphy is Chinese STEM Translation Lead at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He joined CSET following a 14-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served in a variety of roles including project manager, instructor, translation manager, linguist, analyst, and editor. Ben is a member of the American Translators’ Association. He earned his M.A. in East Asian Studies at Harvard University and his B.A. in History at Reed College. Ben is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has studied at National Taiwan University in Taipei and at Fujian Normal University in mainland China.
Michael Page
Research Fellow
Michael Page is a Research Fellow with the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He was previously policy and ethics advisor at OpenAI. Before focusing on artificial intelligence, he was a litigation associate at Williams & Connolly LLP, a staff attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group, and an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Law. Michael received a J.D. magna cum laude from Cornell Law School, where he was the editor-in-chief of the Cornell Law Review. He clerked for Honorable Guido Calabresi on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Dahlia Peterson
Research Analyst
Dahlia Peterson is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to joining CSET, she researched how China harnesses predictive policing algorithms and facial, voice, and gait recognition technologies for its AI-powered surveillance programs. She has presented her research at the Internet Freedom Festival and at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Previously, Dahlia interned for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), the State Department’s Virtual Student Foreign Service, and the Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Dahlia holds a B.A. in Economics and Chinese Language with a minor in China Studies from the University of California, Berkeley (Phi Beta Kappa).
Tim G. J. Rudner
AI / ML Fellow (non-resident)
Ilya Rahkovsky
Data Scientist
Ilya Rahkovsky is a Data Scientist at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) focused on turning data into value. Previously, he was a Research Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service working on consumer demand, spatial competition, information processing and scanner data. Ilya teaches Statistics and Machine Learning at the Johns Hopkins University. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Mathematics from University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Jacob Strieb
Visiting Researcher
Jacob Strieb is a visiting researcher at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). He is currently pursuing a B.S. at Carnegie Mellon University in mathematical sciences with a concentration in discrete math and logic, and minors in both computer science and public policy. Previously, he was a software engineering intern at Matician, Inc. where he worked on consumer robotics AI applications. Before that, he was a research intern at the CHIMPS lab in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute. In his free time at school, he is a member of the PPP, Carnegie Mellon’s competitive hacking team.
Alexandra Vreeman
External Affairs Specialist
Alexandra Vreeman is an External Affairs Specialist at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to joining CSET, she managed communications at Georgetown’s Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies. She also served as a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she conducted research on Russian cyber and information operations. Alexandra is currently pursuing an M.A. in Security Studies at Georgetown University and holds a B.A. in International Relations and Russian & Eastern European Studies from Claremont McKenna College.
Remco Zwetsloot
Research Fellow
Remco Zwetsloot is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). His writing on the security dimensions of artificial intelligence has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Lawfare and other publications. He is also a Research Affiliate and Ph.D. (D.Phil.) candidate at the University of Oxford’s Center for the Governance of AI. He has previously worked at OpenAI and holds degrees from Yale University (M.Phil., Political Science), the University of Oxford (M.Phil., International Relations) and University College Roosevelt (B.A., Social Science).
Our Alumni
Ashwin Acharya
Visiting Researcher
Ashwin Acharya served as a Visiting Researcher at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Before joining CSET, he researched AI arms-race scenarios and the strategic implications of AI, work he will continue as an incoming Research Scholar at the University of Oxford. Previously, he conducted risk-benefit analyses as a trader at Alameda Research. He holds a B.A. in physics from the University of Chicago.
Emefa Addo Agawu
Visiting Researcher
Jack Lucas
Visiting Researcher
Jack Lucas served as a Visiting Researcher at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) focused on cyber operations and artificial intelligence. Prior to joining CSET, Jack worked as a a cybersecurity consultant with PwC and as a software developer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Computer Science (Game Development) from the University of Southern California.
Schuyler Moore
Research Analyst (non-resident)
Schuyler Moore is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) and a Fellow at the Defense Innovation Board, where she focuses on 5G, AI, and battle network issues. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at Georgetown Security Studies Program, with a concentration in Technology & Security. She was previously a senior analyst at an aerospace and defense consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. and studied international relations at Harvard University. She has published work on various national security and foreign policy topics in The National Interest, The Diplomat, Strategy Bridge, and RealClearDefense. She has also worked with the National Defense University, the Marshall Center for Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany, and the U.S. Embassy in Rome.
Michael Sulmeyer
Senior Fellow
Dr. Michael Sulmeyer served as a Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) in the Spring of 2019. Previously, he was the Director of the Cyber Security Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also a Contributing Editor for the national security blog Lawfare. Before Harvard, he served as the Director for Plans and Operations for Cyber Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Previously, he worked on arms control and the maintenance of strategic stability between the United States, Russia, and China. In the mid-1990s, he was the System Operator (SysOp) of The Summit BBS in Santa Barbara, California. Michael received his PhD (D.Phil.) from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar, his M.A. in War Studies from King’s College London, and his B.A. and J.D. from Stanford University.