Current Ph.D. Students

Sydney Leigh Smith (she/her) is a PhD Candidate in Security Studies at Princeton University, co-advised by Kim Lane Scheppele and Barbara Buckinx. She holds an MA in Human Rights Studies with a specialization in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from Columbia University and a BA in International Studies and Women's and Gender Studies from the University of Michigan. She is also a Contributor for Global Voices. Her research focuses on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), the reintegration of children associated with armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG), and the implementation of human rights and humanitarian law.

At the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination (LISD), she is the Fellowship Lead of the Gender and Security Fellowship and Graduate Advisor of the Africa Program. She is also a Principal Research Consultant for the UN Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) and the All Survivors Project (ASP).

She has previously held roles at the Peace Research Institute Oslo, the Clooney Foundation for Justice (Lead Researcher and Project Manager), the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (DGRU) at the University of Cape Town (International Legal and Policy Consultant), and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (Legal Researcher and Data Analyst), where she continues to advise on data tools and women's and girls' rights.

Calvin is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) program. He is a member of the Behavioral Science and Policy Lab and is advised by Dr. Elke Weber. In his research, Calvin investigates the sociopolitical dynamics of energy transitions in the U.S., China, and Germany. Ultimately, he aims to facilitate a more nuanced understanding of energy policies across these three countries and improve the management of sociopolitical responses in energy transitions. Previously, Calvin worked as a power market reform intern at RMI, an energy and environmental policy intern at China Policy, and a transportation system analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Calvin holds a master’s degree in China studies from Peking University and a B.S. in Business Administration from The Ohio State University.

Silas is a PhD student in the Science, Technology, & Environmental Policy cluster. He is advised by Dr. Wei Peng and Dr. Jesse Jenkins.

His research is focused on energy system modeling, combining optimization, economics, and policy analysis to develop tools that evaluate emissions reduction goals, inform investments in new technologies, and guide planning for new energy infrastructure. He is interested in improving these tools to better represent sources of disruption and deployment frictions in the energy system.

Prior to Princeton, Silas was based in San Francisco working for the Electric Power Research Institute. He was also a research assistant at the Center for Global Energy Policy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He holds a BS in Environmental Engineering and a BA in Philosophy from Columbia University.

Megan is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) program. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 2018 with degrees in ecology and environmental studies. After her undergraduate studies, she did field research focused on the impact of climate change on plant communities in the Colorado Rockies, southeastern Australia, and central Florida. For the past several years, Megan has worked in local government in the Bay Area, implementing holistic, data-informed conservation approaches to better manage creeks and open space lands, and helping local farmers and ranchers implement carbon-sequestration practices on working landscapes. She is interested in plant conservation, climate change biology, local land management, and the policy-implementation gap. Outside of work, Megan likes to run, read fiction, cook, and find cats to pet.

Ava Thompson Wells is a Ph.D. student in Security Studies at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs, where she works closely with her advisor, Dr. Julian Zelizer. She earned her MPhil in History from the University of Cambridge and graduated with a high honors B.A. from the University of Michigan, where she received the James A. Knight Scholarship in History.

Her research explores urban policy and law enforcement dynamics, demonstrated by her thesis works, “Army of Occupation: Detroit’s Residency Requirement and the Detroit Police Officers Association" and "Mind Over Matter: Psychiatry, the Law, and the Making of Modern Criminal Sentencing." Ava has contributed to the Confronting Conditions of Confinement project, focusing on the conditions and consequences of confinement within Michigan's correctional system, notably co-authoring a detailed investigation into the 2016 Kinross prison uprising. She has also extensive experience working within incarcerated populations at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Saline, Michigan, via the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP). Additionally, Ava has collaborated with History Studio, a consultancy specializing in historical research and storytelling to inform contemporary policy and public engagement. Her current research investigates intersections between right-wing extremism, democratic backsliding, and domestic terrorism, incorporating both historical and policy-oriented analyses.

At Princeton, Ava actively participates in the Gender and Security Reading Group, which applies feminist and gendered frameworks to security studies. She also led a SPIA policy research trip to Atlanta, Georgia, to study the criminal justice landscape of the city. Recently, she presented her research at the 15th Annual Boston University Violence in American Public Life Conference.