Current Students

Originally from North Carolina, Caroline graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature and a B.S. in International and Comparative Politics. Prior to her studies at Princeton, she worked as Resident Director for the Turkish Flagship Language Initiative and the Critical Language Scholarship program with American Councils in Baku, Azerbaijan. She has also worked as a consultant for NGOs focused on democratic development and peacebuilding in the South Caucasus. Earlier, she spent two and a half years teaching English in Turkey and Cyprus through the Fulbright program. Caroline spent last summer in Tunisia, where she worked as the Women, Peace, and Security intern at the UN Women Tunisia/Libya cluster office. She supported UN Women's work with the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on gender-inclusive peacebuilding and DDR projects, and contributed to research focusing on the needs of displaced women and girls in both Tunisia and Libya. Her policy interests center on peace and security, with additional focus areas in migration, gender, and climate issues.

Alex grew up in Milan, Italy, with family in Italy and California. Prior to joining Princeton SPIA, he was a political appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration, serving in various roles in the Department of Defense, including under the Deputy Secretary of Defense, under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, and under the Chief Strategy Officer for Research of Engineering. He previously worked on the Biden for President campaign in 2020, for Governor Gavin Newsom during the 2021 recall campaign, and was one of the first team members of Europe Elects, creating their website and poll averages. Alex studied Engineering of Computing Systems at the Politecnico di Milano and at Princeton will continue to explore the role of investment in emerging technologies and industrial policy in the future of the United States.

Joe graduated from Princeton with an undergraduate degree in history and a certificate in Russian language and culture before receiving the SINSI Graduate Fellowship, a four-year program that includes a SPIA MPA and two years of work in the federal government. At SPIA, his graduate focus was in Field I (International Relations). He completed three SINSI rotations: at the Federal Transit Administration, at the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and at the United States Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania.

From Groton, Massachusetts, Stephen graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 2019 with undergraduate degrees in International Studies, Chinese, and French. Stephen studied abroad at Peking University and the University of Strasbourg, focusing on language acquisition and regional security perspectives. He also interned at the U.S. Mission to NATO, supporting the U.S. Department of State lead negotiator in preparing the 2018 Brussels Joint Summit Declaration. Stephen earned his commission as an Air Force Intelligence Officer in 2019 and later served at the Intelligence Directorate for U.S. European Command Headquarters as well as the 612 Air Operations Center. He is a four‐year active duty veteran and seeks to transition from Defense Intelligence to a career enabling diplomatic engagements and security cooperation. This past summer, Stephen interned with the German Marshall Fund of the United States Technology Program in Berlin, supporting targeted research and projects related to European AI competitiveness, defense technology, and AI and democracy. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, yoga, weightlifting, and board games.

Nikita was born in Jakarta but spent much of his upbringing moving between Indonesia, China, Brazil, and East Timor as the son of a career diplomat. Growing up across continents – and seeing his father's dedication to public service – set him on a path toward diplomacy. He studied political science at the University of Indonesia, focusing on comparative politics, and interned for a Member of Parliament working on trade and industrial policy. After graduating, he joined Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he most recently served on the European Union (EU) Desk, managing a broad portfolio of Indonesia–EU relations, including political and economic cooperation, trade disputes, and negotiations. His work includes contributing to efforts around the Indonesia–EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a comprehensive trade agreement aimed at expanding market access and supporting Indonesia's long-term development through industrial growth. These experiences have shown him how influential diplomats can be, not only in shaping international partnerships, but also in steering critical domestic policy conversations. At Princeton, Nikita hopes to sharpen his policy and analytical skills in international political economy and contribute to global development strategies that reflect the priorities of emerging economies. After SPIA, he plans to continue serving as a career diplomat for Indonesia, representing his country abroad and helping shape its global political and economic strategy. Outside of work, he enjoys scuba diving across Indonesia's coral reefs and playing soccer whenever he gets the chance.