Current Ph.D. Students

Troy is a Ph.D. student in Security Studies at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. His research examines great-power competition across two theaters: South America and Antarctica. In South America, he studies how the People's Republic of China engages regional middle powers, how those governments respond to China's expanding economic and strategic presence, and how the United States adapts to the resulting national security challenges. In Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, he examines how that competition extends toward the poles, where governance, resource access, and strategic positioning are increasingly contested.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Troy served as an F/A-18 fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy and worked with Naval Special Warfare in Coronado, California. He was subsequently appointed U.S. Naval Attaché in Santiago, Chile.

He earned an M.A. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, and is fluent in Spanish.

Beyond his research, he enjoys travel, aviation, and spending time with family and friends.

Yinyin is a second-year Ph.D. student, advised by Professor Denise Mauzerall, in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) program at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Her research interests lie at the intersection of energy infrastructure and development finance in the Global South, focusing on the critical role that financial mechanisms play in advancing sustainable development. At Princeton, she hopes to investigate the effectiveness of energy development finance and provide policy insights on how to better mobilize financial resources for clean energy transition and sustainable development in emerging and developing economies. Yinyin holds a B.Mgt. in International Business from Shanghai Customs College, as well as an MPA and an M.S. in Regional Science from Cornell University.

Michelle is a Ph.D. student in Security Studies at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. Her research interests focus primarily on the issues of limited resources and competition in the space sector and how those aspects affect the policies driving the operationalization and commercialization of space technologies. She is also interested in the intersections between space and cybersecurity. Prior to Princeton, she worked for the FBI in the New York Field Office after interning at the Columbus Resident Agency under the Cincinnati Field Office. She holds a dual B.A. in English and security and intelligence with a minor in Japanese from The Ohio State University.