Current Students

Margot is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Science Technology and Environmental Policy (STEP) cluster, jointly advised by Jesse Jenkins and Michael Oppenheimer. Prior to coming to Princeton, Margot received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, where she discovered a passion for energy and power systems. Now, Margot is interested in the technical and regulatory trends of transmission and power systems, both in the United States and abroad. While at the University of Washington, Margot completed three computer vision and autonomous robotics internships with the Office of Naval Research and a regional transmission planning internship with the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). In her spare time, Margot enjoys running, weight lifting, watching movies, and eating at fun restaurants.

Anderson is a Ph.D. student at the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs. He obtained his A.M. in Regional Studies—East Asia from Harvard University, and his A.B. in Japanese Studies and Political Science from Middlebury College.

As a junior scholar of political science with a regional interest in East Asia, Anderson researches the emergent patterns of cooperation and competition in the Indo-Pacific. On a theoretical level, he is interested in explaining how political preferences originate, the mechanisms by which they are shaped, and the processes by which they may become policy therein. On the empirical side, he is interested in the mode and manner in which alliances and blocs form, the conditions under which bilateral and multilateral arrangements emerge, and the varying effects that geopolitical alignments can have on the region. His doctoral advisors are Professor G. John Ikenberry and Professor Naima Green-Riley.

Fluent in Japanese (JLPT N1) and proficient in Mandarin Chinese, Anderson is an alumnus of the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Scholarship Program (Japan/Research) and the Critical Language Scholarship Program for Advanced Japanese. He has traveled to the People's Republic of China as a visiting scholar through Peking University, and to the Republic of China as a scholar with the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Anderson draws upon this area expertise to incorporate primary source materials into his research.

An aspiring public servant, Anderson has professional experience working at every level of government. Previously, he has been with the City of Burlington (CEDO), the Vermont General Assembly (Senate), the U.S. Department of State (EAP/China), the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP/USTR-South & Central Asia), and the World Bank Group (IEG).

Yemi graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Georgetown University and received a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Cambridge. Her research interests center on group dynamics within the context of ethnic conflict in the Horn of Africa, with a particular focus on modern Ethiopian history. She is currently advised by Dr. Betsy Levy Paluck and Dr. Lacy Leigh. During her undergraduate studies, she completed a thesis examining how various forms of perceived threat influence an individual’s willingness to relinquish civil liberties. At Cambridge, her independent research explored the role of third-party mediation and its applicability in addressing Ethiopia’s internal conflicts. Prior to her graduate studies, Yemi served as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow with Check & Connect, an intervention program dedicated to improving high school graduation rates across U.S. school districts. She has also interned at the Association for Psychological Science, worked on academic development projects in Ethiopia, and contributed as a graduate researcher to the Active and Accessible Team at the U.K.’s Department for Transport. Yemi aims to amplify underrepresented narratives and shape peacebuilding and policy strategies rooted in the local histories, identities, and lived experiences that define ethnic conflict in East Africa.

Christian Chung is a Ph.D. student in Security Studies at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. His research examines the interplay between emerging technologies, national security, and geopolitical competition, with a focus on how states develop strategies to navigate technological change competitively and implement effective AI governance.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Christian spent over a decade in the U.S. Intelligence Community, specializing in Middle East and technology issues. He is currently a U.S. Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer, a Technology and Security Policy Fellow at RAND, a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, and a 2025 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Christian holds BSFS and M.A. degrees from Georgetown University and is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.

Inspired by a polar explorer at the age of 11, Natalie has dedicated her life to climate action. She is the co-founder of V'air Sustainability Education, a social enterprise that provides nature-based climate change education for schools and corporations, reaching over 2 million people. Natalie is recognized by Eco-Business and The Japan Times as one of the most impactful sustainability leaders in Asia Pacific. Natalie's professional experience with the World Bank on a Pacific Island environmental project led her to realize the life-and-death consequences of extreme weather for vulnerable communities, sparking her research interest in climate resilience. In recognition of her climate research and advocacy efforts, Natalie has been appointed by the Hong Kong government as a member of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, the Green Tech Fund Assessment Committee, and the Country and Marine Parks Board to advise on policy decisions. As a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Natalie initiated the Lead for Sustainability Mentorship program. She was also the sole Hong Kong representative at the Dr. Sylvia Earle Antarctic Climate Expedition, advocating for the ocean-climate crisis.