CFR Welcomes 2026–27 Class of Visiting Fellows

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) welcomes the 2026–27 visiting fellows to the David Rockefeller Studies Program. Selected fellows have the opportunity to broaden their perspective on foreign affairs through a year in residence at CFR.  

The Fellowship Affairs program awarded seventeen fellowships for the 2026–27 cycle. Eight of the fellows will spend their tenure at CFR: two international affairs fellows; two international affairs fellows in national security, sponsored by Janine and J. Tomilson Hill; the Stanton nuclear security fellow; the Edward R. Murrow press fellow; the technologist in residence; and the military fellow. The remaining fellows will spend their fellowships at government agencies in the United States or at research centers or universities around the world. 

“I am delighted to welcome the newest class of visiting fellows to the Council,” said CFR Senior Vice President of Studies Shannon K. O’Neil. “The International Affairs Fellowship program has been bridging the gap between the study and making of U.S. foreign policy since 1967, expanding over the decades to encompass new regions and issues. The visiting fellows will conduct research on a range of topics, from regional relations to democratization to emerging technologies, and through their tenure gain new perspectives at a pivotal moment in their careers. They will also enrich and contribute to the work of our colleagues across the institution.” 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FELLOWS 

Gerald C. Brown previously served as a specialist on Chinese nuclear strategy, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, military doctrine, and strategic stability and security issues in the Indo-Pacific at the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research. At CFR, he will research Chinese military and security issues, cross-strait security, and strategic deterrence. 

Samuel Downing is a U.S. diplomat and former member of the secretary of state’s policy planning staff. At CFR, he will research U.S.-Latin America relations and explore ways to restore public trust in democracy by improving the ability of democracies to address the policy priorities that citizens care about, including combating organized crime and consolidating the rule of law. His fellowship will begin in late fall 2026. 

Bobwealth Omontese’s professional background spans academia, livestock production systems, and regulatory science, with increasing emphasis on international affairs and diplomacy. His fellowship work will examine U.S.-Africa bilateral health under the America First Global Health Strategy. His fellowship will begin in late fall 2026. 

Donatienne Ruy comes to CFR from the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program. She analyzes Europe, democratization, corruption, and the rule of law. Her fellowship research will examine Congress’s role in shaping the next phase of transatlantic relations. 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FELLOWS IN NATIONAL SECURITY, SPONSORED BY JANINE AND J. TOMILSON HILL 
 
Matthew D. Cebul was the lead research fellow for the Nonviolent Action Lab at Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. He studies democratization, political movements, and civil society. His fellowship work will explore the dynamics of contemporary nonviolent democracy movements and how U.S. foreign policy influences movement strategy. His fellowship will begin in early 2027. 

Connor Martin previously served as a career national security official, including as deputy director for the Department of the Treasury’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. He specializes in technology and innovation, capital flows, corporate governance, and privacy. At CFR, he will evaluate whether U.S. economic security authorities are fit for purpose amid artificial intelligence (AI)–driven national security risks. 

Katie Sizemore recently served as senior policy analyst for Oceania and Taiwan at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of International Affairs and as director of the international affairs division at FEMA. She specializes in conflict prevention, crisis and disaster management, security alliances, and Asia, specifically Taiwan. Her research at CFR will examine civilian preparedness in deterrence strategy and U.S.-Taiwan security cooperation. 

OTHER VISITING FELLOWS 
 
Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow 
Ishaan Tharoor is a global affairs columnist at the New Yorker and previously worked at the Washington Post as a columnist on the international desk and at Time as a senior editor and correspondent. At CFR, he will explore the erosion of liberal democracy across the world and the rise of a new global nonalignment.  
 
Military Fellow 
Captain Taylor Q. Lam most recently served as the U.S. Coast Guard’s Southwest District chief of staff and principal advisor to the district commander. He has more than thirty years of maritime experience in search and rescue, border security, facilitating maritime commerce, and crisis response operations. 

Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow  
Eleanor Atkins is a fellow at the Columbia-Harvard China and the World Program. Her work at CFR will examine Chinese foreign policy at the intersection of diplomatic statecraft and military power, with a focus on China’s efforts to develop a survivable sea-based nuclear deterrent. 

Technologist in Residence Fellow 
Andre Slonopas served with U.S. Army Special Operations Command and led many of U.S. Cyber Command’s most sensitive missions. At CFR, he will examine ways to leverage AI to advance semiconductor research and manufacturing, secure cyber-physical systems, and defend critical infrastructure. 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FELLOWS ABROAD 

Canada 
Jeremy McDonald is a manager in Deloitte & Touche LLP’s risk, regulatory, and forensic practice with a focus on enterprise risk management and critical infrastructure protection. He works on environmental governance, trade, infrastructure, and regulation. He will examine the renewable energy transition in the United States and Canada during his fellowship, emphasizing cross-government coordination. 

Indonesia 
Daphne McCurdy was the deputy assistant administrator for legislative affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development and a senior advisor in the Department of State’s Office of China Coordination. She specializes in U.S. foreign policy in the Global South, international development, and legislative affairs. Her fellowship research will examine the strategic benefits of responsible mining in the context of U.S.-China competition.  

Lamia Zia is a faculty member at the University of Maryland’s department of communication, where she teaches courses on AI, cybersecurity, digital communication, and communicating in a global society. During her fellowship, she will examine the effects of emerging technologies and AI on national security, with a particular focus on evolving cyber threats and digital communications and their broader implications for society. 

Japan 
Francisco Bencosme is a director on the government affairs team at the U.S.-China Business Council. He will research U.S.-Japan cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths during his fellowship. 

Bradford Mills is a senior technology advisor at the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. During his fellowship, he will research supply chain security, defense logistics, and advanced manufacturing, focusing on U.S.-Japan coordination to secure next-generation autonomous systems and robotics supply chains. 

ROBERT A. BELFER INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FELLOW IN EUROPEAN SECURITY 

Siobhan Steel served at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as deputy director for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Office of International Affairs. She specializes in intelligence and homeland security policy. Her fellowship research will examine Europe’s growing emphasis on sovereign capability and the implications for interoperability and transatlantic security coordination. 

Learn more about CFR’s fellowship program at https://www.cfr.org/fellowships.