AGS Council is a group of undergraduate students who support the program and its mission by helping to advise the leadership about programming, assist in event execution, and coordinate mentoring opportunities, activities, and other series to support students in the larger Duke community. AGS Council provides a student perspective to ensure the program is a space for all students to learn, engage, and collaborate.
VALUES:
We value inclusiveness, celebrating the diverse strengths, experiences, backgrounds, interests, beliefs, perspectives, and voices of all members of our community. We value open-mindedness and treat others with respect. We honor intellectual curiosity through active engagement within our community, programming, and curriculum. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of integrity, scholarship, acceptance, and professionalism, and we value collaboration with the student body to continually grow and evolve. For more information on our commitments to these values, please read here.
Meet the Council
RUTHIE KESRI
AGS Co-Chair
Ruthie Kesri, Class of 2024, is a prospective Political Science and Global Health major from Bowling Green, Kentucky. Her interests include international humanitarian law, cybersecurity policy, and the national security implications of conflict resolution. On campus, Ruthie is a part of the Baldwin Scholars program, serves as a Divisional Vice President for Duke-UNICEF, and is involved in the Cyber Team and the Polarization Lab. She also works as a policy research assistant for the Wilson Center for Science and Justice as well as a research analyst examining theoretical determinants of collective action in the contexts of global power struggles for the Duke Department of Political Science. Ruthie has worked as an intern in the office of Congressman Brett Guthrie and served as a Page in the United States Senate. This summer, Ruthie will be working with the Duke Law Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility analyzing the effectiveness of the Duke-based Innocence Project.
ANDREA REYES
AGS Co-Chair
Andrea Reyes, Class of 2025, is a Political Science and Russian Studies major from Northern California. She is a first-generation student with Mexican heritage. Her main interests are in national security, U.S.-Russian foreign policy, and political violence. On campus, Andrea is involved in research for the Political Science department, relating to the connection between state involvement in armed groups. Additionally, she does research on the subject of the Warsaw Pact and US-Russian historical policy. Andrea is fluent in Spanish and is currently working towards proficiency in Russian. After college, she hopes to pursue a career in national security. In her free time Andrea can be found hiking, working at the Perkins front desk, or practicing Krav Maga.
ZACHARY PATTERSON
AGS Co-Chair
Zachary Patterson, Class of 2026, is a sophomore majoring in public policy and economics. Zachary, who is originally from San Diego, California, previously served as a member of the San Diego Board of Education from 2019-2022. Much of Zachary’s work surrounds creating systems of formal student representation in governmental entities. Zachary is the co-founder and board chair of the National Student Board Member Association, the training and professional development organization for the thousands of high school students serving on their local or state school boards. During high school, Zachary spent a semester abroad living in Israel on a program diving into the history and current geopolitics of the middle east. Zachary has a passion for foreign affairs and economics and seeks to work in the fields of diplomacy and international trade. He is particularly interested in working throughout Latin America. Zachary is Robertson Scholar based at Duke University and takes courses in the Peace War and Defense Major at UNC Chapel Hill. In his free time Zachary loves hiking, running, spending time with family, and trying new foods.
GRANT WERNICK
AGS Co-Chair
Grant Wernick, Class of 2025, is a History major from Miami, FL. His interest in our nation’s past stems from a road trip to all 50 states with his family during elementary school. His favorite courses at Duke have included AGS’s Core Courses, including a National Security Simulation where he (very reluctantly) became Canadian for seven weeks and helped secure the scenic Northwest Passage from US and Russian prying. Over his summers, he is pursuing a commission into the Marines through the Platoon Leaders Class program. In his free time, he enjoys baking in the sauna and listening to the Bill Simmons Podcast.
IAN BAILEY
Ian Bailey, Class of 2025, is a Math and Economics double major from Garden City, NY. Outside of AGS, Ian researches the causal effects of social and economic stress from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on long-term health outcomes as a member of the Frankenberg/Thomas International Population Health and Development Lab. Previously, Ian conducted research with the Ocean Evidence Gap Map Bass Connections team to identify gaps in marine conservation literature. Ian has interned at the Pan-American Health Organization and has worked with the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute through DukeEngage. He is also a Woodman Scholar and has represented Duke at the UChicago Econometrics Game. In his free time, Ian enjoys hiking, reading, and watching Duke basketball games.
ABIGAIL BERGAN
Abigail Bergan, Class of 2026, is majoring in Public Policy and minoring in Arabic & Theater Studies. She is interested broadly in civil-military relations, Middle Eastern culture and politics, and the changing face of national security. The Middle East holds specific interest for her, as she spent last summer in Morocco and Egypt and will be teaching English in northern Oman this upcoming summer. In addition to AGS, Abigail is a Research Assistant within the department of Political Science; she is also involved with Duke Players, Duke’s oldest student-run theater organization. Originally from suburban Chicago but now calling coastal North Carolina home, Abigail enjoys reading, sailing, and baking when she has the time.
SAM CARPENTER
Sam Carpenter, Class of 2026, is hoping to major in Public Policy and Economics with a minor in Spanish. Having lived in Basel, Switzerland, for two years growing up caused Sam to grow an early interest in geopolitics and its ever-changing relationship with the national security apparatus. This interest has caused him to develop interests in defense policy as well as foreign relations, along with separate interests in aviation and artificial intelligence. On campus, Sam is a Senator in Duke Student Government on the Durham and Community Affairs Committee, a Tour Guide, and Director of Community Engagement for the Duke Aviation Association. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a pilot slot in the Air Force Reserves or Air National Guard. In his free time, he enjoys lifting, running, watching Cincinnati Bengals Football, and flying recreationally.
MILLIE CAUGHEY
Millie Caughey, Class of 2025, is from Auckland, New Zealand, but has also spent time living in Australia and Singapore. She is prospective history and religion major, with a broad interest in the intersection of religion and geopolitics. She is a part of the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, a fellow at the Kenan Institute of ethics, and is involved in Duke debate and the Chronicle. In her free time she enjoys roller skating, drawing and Duke basketball.
CAROLINE CORNETT
Caroline Cornett is a Political Science major and English minor from Signal Mountain, Tennessee. On campus, she is involved in research in the Political Science Department and spent last summer working at a nonprofit combatting gender violence. She hopes to work in foreign policy or cyber policy before pursuing a career in law post graduation.
CHARLOTTE DUFFY
Charlotte Duffy, Class of 2027, is a Political Science and Economics double major and Chinese minor from New York City. Her broad interests are in foreign policy, diplomacy, and international trade. She is particularly drawn to US-China relations and hopes to eventually gain fluency in Chinese. Outside of AGS, Charlotte is involved in the Duke-UNC China Leadership Summit, a shareholder in Campus Enterprises, and a student researcher for Bass Connections where she will be studying the political socialization of young teenagers through the 2024 election. In her free time, Charlotte loves to run, watch movies, and try new restaurants with friends, and she hopes to pursue a career in geopolitics after graduation!
GRACE ENDRUD
Social Media Chair
Grace Endrud, Class of 2024, is from Birmingham, Michigan, and previously lived in Paris, France. She is double majoring in Public Policy and International Comparative Studies with a French minor. She is broadly interested in international law and the intersection of human rights and national security. Much of her current work focuses on US efforts to combat trafficking in persons. Outside of AGS, Grace serves as a research assistant for Dr. Jennifer Siegel, on the Student Advisory Board for the Human Rights Center, and as a Duke Presidential Ambassador. She is also a Nakayama Public Service Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. She has held two Congressional internships and spent last summer analyzing transatlantic issues at the Center for European Policy Analysis. This summer, as a fellow with the Sanford Global Policy Program, she will intern for the International Organization for Migration’s Transition and Recovery Division. In her free time, Grace enjoys hiking, skiing, and reading.
SOPHIE ENDRUD
Sophie Endrud, Class of 2027, is a prospective Public Policy major from Birmingham, Michigan. She also plans to pursue minors in Global Health and Journalism and Media. Living in Paris, France in her childhood sparked early interest for her in cultivating an international worldview. She is broadly interested in international development and human rights as they intersect with global health. On campus, she is a research assistant for Dr. Jennifer Siegel, a Duke Presidential Ambassador, a member of the Student Advisory Board for the Human Rights Center, and a news staff writer for The Chronicle. She is joining a Bass Connections team focused on information inequalities and their relation to public policy for the 2024-25 school year. This summer, she will be teaching English and digital literacy to adults and working for a humanitarian organization in Dakar, Senegal with DukeEngage. In her free time, she enjoys long distance running, hiking, and reading.
CAMERON EVANS
Cameron Evans, Class of 2025, is a British-American dual citizen and Political Science/History double major from Greenwich, Connecticut. He is broadly interested in the MENA region and U.S. national security strategy, with a particular focus on Iran and the Axis of Resistance. Cameron has been an intern at AEI’s Critical Threats Project, where he wrote daily reports and produced intelligence forecasts on Iranian-backed militants and the IRGC. He has also served as a historical researcher for the Pacific Atrocities Education, focusing on East Asian independence movements after WW2. On campus, he competes for Duke’s NCAA Fencing Team and is also on the AGS Council. In his free time, Cameron enjoys reading, skiing, and spending time with friends. He also hopes to develop a higher level of Persian proficiency and to travel to Tajikistan at some point in the future.
ALI FISHMAN
Ali Fishman, Class of 2026, is a Political Science and Comparative Studies double major from San Francisco, California. She is particularly interested in international humanitarian law and the conduct of war, especially in the Middle East. At Duke, Ali serves as the Director of Human Rights Education for the Amnesty International Student Group and is a research assistant for the Duke Political Science department. Beyond the classroom, she has worked at San Francisco City Hall for Supervisor Catherine Stefani and as a research intern for JUMA Enterprises. This upcoming summer, she will be working as a legal and policy intern for the Human Rights Foundation. After graduation, Ali hopes to attain a JD and a Master's in International Affairs through a dual degree program. Following that, she aspires to either practice international humanitarian law or work in policy at the State Department. In her free time, you can find her surfing in the freezing San Francisco Bay, curled up with a book, or coaching basketball to second graders in Durham.
ELIE GENATT
Elie Genatt, Class of 2024, is a Public Policy Major with a minor in Political Science and a certificate in Markets and Management Studies. Elie is interested in national security, diplomacy, and the role of domestic politics in international relations. Her internship for Congressmen Lee Zeldin solidified her passion for foreign policy and allowed her to see how the House of Foreign Affairs Committee operates first-hand. On campus, Elie coordinates events for the Bench & Bar pre-law society, and is a member of the Duke Votes Coordinating Committee and Women in Politics. After graduation, Elie hopes to attend graduate school in Public Policy, and assist in Congressional policy-making with the goal of one day running for office. In her free time, Elie likes to watch biopic films, find new ways to solve a Rubik’s cube, and play soccer.
ROHAN GUPTA
Rohan Gupta, Class of 2024, is an Economics major from Nashville, Tennessee. His interests in regards to foreign policy mainly reside in Sino-Pacific affairs and Eastern European geopolitical growth. Alongside serving as a member of AGS Council, Rohan is a research assistant with the Margolis Center on Health Policy working to publish his findings on the effectiveness of hypertension intervention in Black men. He also serves as a research assistant with Duke’s Department of Political Science working to investigate and quantify changing racial attitudes in the American South. In the summer of 2021, Rohan is working with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as an analyst for military and economic developments in the Middle East and the Balkans. After college, Rohan hopes to attend medical school and eventually work in the health policy field. He is UN-certified fluent in Spanish, and spends his free time learning photography, working on cars, and reading.
ANNA HADLEY
Anna Hadley, Class of 2026, is planning to major in Public Policy or Political Science with a minor in Spanish and also plans to pursue a certificate in Human Rights. Anna is broadly interested in history, international development, and human rights. She is a member of the Polis Student Committee. On campus, Anna has also been involved with Duke Votes and Duke Women in Politics, and works with the Latino Educational Achievement Partnership to tutor Latino children in Durham. In her free time, Anna enjoys listening to music and podcasts, being outdoors, and travelling.
JACOB HOCHSTEIN
Jacob Hochstein, Class of 2024, is from Duxbury, Massachusetts and is pursuing Public Policy and Political Science majors and an Asian and Middle Eastern Studies minor. He is interested in national security, counterterrorism, and human rights, with a specific passion for the Middle East. On campus, Jacob is involved with the men’s club soccer team and with Chabad. He is also currently working as an intern for the Washington D.C. regional office of the Anti-Defamation League. After his freshman year, he took a gap year in Israel and took classes on the mental health of refugees and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He currently hopes to enter the foreign service and potentially pursue a master’s degree in Public Policy after graduation. Outside of Duke, Jacob loves playing soccer and working at his summer camp.
LAUREL HOLLEY
Laurel Holley, Class of 2025, is a Public Policy and Asian & Middle Eastern Studies - Chinese major from Greenville, South Carolina. Growing up, she lived in Querétaro, México, and Clermont-Ferrand, France, which sparked her passion for international affairs. Her specific interests include conflict resolution, national security, and the US-China relationship. At Duke, Laurel is a Global Fellow with the Office of Global Affairs and International House, working to promote culturally attuned social and professional experiences. She also serves on the student boards of the Duke-UNICEF Innovation Accelerator and Duke-UNICEF Club. Her most recent research is under Dr. Rachel Kuo, investigating the influence of personal migration histories on political media consumption in Asian diasporic communities. Laurel is fluent in Spanish and French, learning Mandarin, and hopes to delve into Hindi while at Duke. Upon graduation, she plans to enter the American foreign service and serve as a diplomat. In her free time, you can find her dancing with Rhydhun, Duke’s premier Bollywood-fusion dance group.
AAMER HUSAIN
Aamer Husain, Class of 2026, is a prospective Economics and Public Policy major and Mathematics minor from Chapel Hill, NC. His academic interests include international political economy, finance, and foreign policy. Specifically, Aamer is interested in Middle East and South Asian affairs and the effects of economic policy on the region’s development. Aamer’s passion in foreign policy grew from watching Madam Secretary with his family and his annual trips to Pakistan which made him fascinated with how different peoples and cultures interact. On campus, he is a member of Scale and Coin Business Society and a research assistant at the Department of Political Science studying the impacts of third-party actors on sanction waiver implementation. This summer, he will work in Asunción, Paraguay, assisting the government with renegotiating the Itaipú Dam energy treaty with Brazil. In his free time, Aamer can be found on a run, making espresso, or cheering on Duke Basketball.
PETER LEHRMAN
Peter Lehrman, Class of 2024, is a Computer Science and Classical Civilizations major from Greenwich, Connecticut. His academic and career interests include international relations, Roman and Greek History, data science, and entrepreneurship. Outside of AGS, Peter serves as the President of the Duke Chapter of the Thomistic Institute, a Catholic organization that brings speakers to campus. Additionally, Peter is a writer and committee member of the Community Editorial Board of the Duke Chronicle and is a member of the Civil Discourse Fellowship. After graduating, Peter hopes to work in business or start a company that focuses on environmental conservation. In his free time, Peter enjoys playing the guitar and spending time backpacking and fishing.
JAZPER LU
Jazper Lu, Class of 2025, is a political science and public policy major from Dalian, China. His interests within foreign policy mainly reside in Sino-Pacific affairs and U.S.-China relations, as well as broader conflict resolution studies. At Duke, Jazper serves as managing editor of The Chronicle. Additionally, he competes with the Duke International Relations Association at Model UN conferences, is in charge of recruitment for the Duke-UNICEF Club, and is conducting research on the targeting of civilian infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa. After graduation, Jazper plans to attend law school. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton, travelling, and watching Duke basketball.
ISHANVI MALAYANIL
SHIVAM MANI
Shivam Mani, class of 2025, is a Political Science and Computer Science major from the California Bay Area. He is interested in political economy topics such as development finance and political risk in the Indo-Pacific region. Shivam has lived and studied abroad in India, Mexico, Spain, China, and Taiwan, and speaks six languages. He has been involved in research about Chinese development finance in Africa, India-China relations, and Mandarin socio/psycholinguistics. He also enjoys reading about history, philosophy, religion; collecting maps; trivia; playing bridge gardening; and jazz.
NEEL MEHRA
Neel Mehra, Class of 2027, is a Statistics and Economics double major from Vienna, VA, just outside of Washington, D.C. Having lived in the D.C area for over 14 years, being exposed to different agencies and events caused Neel to grow an early interest in national security, foreign relations, and geopolitics. Previously, Neel worked for four years at the D.C. National Headquarters of the American Red Cross as an Engagement Specialist and founded and ran a Global Non-Profit. Neel has interned at the Strata Clean Energy Company through the Duke Energy Club and worked at the Itaipu Dam between Brazil and Paraguay through DukeEngage. In his free time, Neel enjoys playing soccer + basketball, and piano, reading, trying new cuisines, and watching Duke basketball games.
TAHMARA OUEDRAOGO
Tahmara Ouedraogo, Class of 2024, was born in Paris, France, and grew up in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. She is pursuing a major in Public Policy as well as certificates in Journalism Studies and Markets and Management Studies. Her interests include European affairs, political science, international cooperation, and economic development. Outside of AGS, Tahmara is currently an intern with the Durham Progressive Democrats where she works on fundraising and voter registration. Tahmara is fluent in French and hopes to become proficient in Spanish during her time at Duke. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing, reading, and following the news. After graduation, she plans to go to graduate school for Journalism, Law, or Public Policy."
ZACHARY PARTNOY
Zachary Partnoy, Class of 2026, is a History major originally from San Diego, California. He is particularly interested in diplomacy, European security, and the U.S-U.K special relationship. At Duke, Zachary is the founder/editor-and-chief of The Lemur, Duke’s magazine for big ideas, where he writes essays about intellectual history and foreign policy. He has worked as a development intern at Paramount Pictures and this summer will be working as a researcher on a Bass Connections project titled Future Space Settlements: Lessons from History. After graduation, Zachary aspires to become a diplomat or a federal prosecutor. In his free time, you can find him arguing about science fiction movies and playing golf.
JACK RHODES
Jack Rhodes, Class of 2024, is a Political Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering double major from Purcellville, Virginia. For the past few summers, Jack has worked in the government contracting field, focusing on engineering solutions for government applications. He is most interested in the policy and national security implications of emerging technology, merging his two majors. On campus, Jack enjoys serving as the President of the Engineering Student Government, working on the organization council of DukeVotes, and engaging with the A. James Clark Scholarship program. Beyond campus, he loves weekend trips to the mountains or the beach, riding his bike around Durham and local trails, and cooking with friends!
JACOB ROSENZWEIG
Jacob Rosenzweig, Class of 2024, is a Classical Languages and Political Science major from New York City. His primary interests include the development of International Relations theory in the ancient Greco-Roman world and contemporary Middle Eastern/East Asian geopolitics. Over the summer he was a Political Studies Fellow at the Hudson Institute. On campus, Jacob is an International Law Editor for Juris and a member of Duke Moot Court. After graduating, he plans to attend law school. In his free time Jacob enjoys reading histories and classics, taking walks, and playing basketball.
ELEANOR ROSS
Eleanor Ross, Class of 2024, is a prospective International Comparative Studies Major focusing on French, Arabic, and Wolof and understanding the culture and politics of Africa's Sahel region and the Middle East. Before Duke, Eleanor spent a gap year in Taiba Ndiaye, Senegal, where she learned Wolof (Senegal's lingua franca) and assisted in teaching English at the local high school. She then worked as an Absentee Ballot Clerk at the Charleston County, South Carolina Board of Elections. At Duke, Eleanor is active in non-partisan voting initiatives including spearheading Bull City Vote's Duke outreach during the 2020 election and starting the KIDZ VOTE club to promote early voting engagement in schools. Eleanor also writes biographies for the Dictionary of Art Historians and reports for Durham's 9th Street Journal. This summer she hopes to study in Dakar, Senegal to continue expanding her knowledge of the country and region.
EVELYN SHI
Evelyn Shi, Class of 2024, is from Shanghai, China and plans to major in public policy and biology. She is broadly interested in U.S.-China relations, as well as global health policy. At Duke, Evelyn is a graphics editor and staff writer for The Chronicle and a research assistant at the Duke Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. She is also involved in Duke International Relations Association and Business Oriented Women. Prior to Duke, Evelyn founded Xiaohusai, a social enterprise selling tea to sponsor girls' healthcare in tea-farming villages in China. She speaks Mandarin and Swedish, and can be found drawing comics or exercising in her free time.
ZOE SPICER
Information & Professional Development Chair
Zoe Spicer, Class of 2025, is a political science major from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is mainly interested in foreign policy and national security but hopes to continue developing expertise in other areas throughout her time at Duke. Outside of AGS, Zoe is a research assistant to Professor Feaver and Features Managing Editor of The Chronicle. Last summer, she interned at The Vandenberg Coalition, a foreign policy think tank based in D.C. She is proficient in Spanish and took Chinese classes while studying abroad in Taiwan in the fall. In her free time, Zoe enjoys reading novels and spending time with friends and family.
LILLIAN STURHAHN
Lillian Sturhahn, Class of 2027, is a prospective Political Science and French major from Denver, Colorado. She is interested in national security, cyber policy, and the impact of artificial intelligence on geopolitics. On campus, Lillian is involved in the international relations publication Borderless, in which she both writes articles and serves on the copy and layout editorial board. She is also an officer on the Duke Special Olympics team, works as a recruiting and scouting intern for the Duke football team, and is the social chair of the triathlon team. After graduation, Lillian hopes to pursue a career in the Foreign Service.
ELLIOT STRAUCH
Elliot Strauch, class of 2027, is a prospective Political Science major with minors in Spanish and Economics. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Elliot is broadly interested in foreign policy and national security, while he is specifically interested in the politics of Latin America, the history and future of the Middle East, and America’s role in the world. He has been fascinated with learning how history affects the present, both in his coursework and through participating in the 2024 international staff ride. In addition to AGS, Elliot is involved in the Duke Club Triathlon Team. After graduation, he hopes to work in government in a policy or diplomacy related capacity. Outside of Duke, Elliot enjoys watching college football and playing golf.
POLYNA UZUN
Polyna Uzun, Class of 2025, is a Public Policy major with a Human Rights certificate from Cary, North Carolina. Her interest in international relations flows from her Russian and Ukrainian heritage. Her career interests are in international law, diplomacy, and human rights. She is also fluent in Russian and is currently studying Mandarin. On campus, Polyna is an international law columnist for Juris, Duke’s Undergraduate Law Magazine. She works as a researcher at the Fuqua Business School Behavioral Lab as well as a program evaluator for the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy. She is also involved with the WXDU Radio Station and the Mirecourt SLG. After graduation, she plans to pursue law school. In her free time, Polyna likes to lift weights, practice DJing, read classical literature, and backpack outdoors.
HALLE WAGNER
Halle Wagner, Class of 2025, is a Public Policy and French & Francophone Studies double major and History minor from West Hartford, Connecticut. Her broad interests include international law, national security, and international development policy. Outside of AGS, Halle is a Case Law Editor for Juris, a historical research assistant in the French department, and a member of Phi Alpha Delta pre-law society. She interned at a small international development think tank last summer, during which her research focused on official development assistance efficacy and government corruption assessment. After graduation, Halle plans to pursue a career in law. In her free time, Halle enjoys hiking, traveling, and exploring new museums.
DANIEL ZHENG
Daniel Zheng, Class of 2026, is an Economics and Computer Science major from Maryland. His interests fall at the intersection of technology and macroeconomics, with a special focus on China and the developing world. He spent last summer in Taiwan, where he worked at an Asia-focused venture capital firm. On campus, Daniel is a research assistant for Dr. Duncan Thomas, where he studies causal relationships between health and natural disasters. Outside of class, he is also involved with Duke Conversations and serves as a Resident Assistant. This upcoming summer, he will be working at a tech-focused hedge fund. In his free time, Daniel enjoys poker, tea, and reading.