Texas National Security Network Fellowships
Texas National Security Network:
Educating Future Leaders in National Security
Educating Future Leaders in National Security
The Texas National Security Network unites the expertise and resources of the fourteen institutions that comprise the UT System, with the goal of creating the premier university system in the country for national security work. The Network operates research and education programs, including the Archer Center National Security Fellows program. The Archer Center is located in Washington, D.C., and provides talented undergraduate and graduate students from across the UT System with the opportunity to live, learn and intern in the nation's capital.
The network is proud to offer a generous scholarship opportunity to graduate students from any UT System campus who are accepted into the Archer Center's summer 2019 Graduate Program in Public Policy and secure a national security-related internship in the Washington, D.C.-area. Students who receive the fellowship will be part of the National Security and Global Affairs Policy Track in summer 2019.
Our nation’s capital stands as the epicenter of the national security ecosystem, and firsthand exposure to national security work can provide students with indispensable perspectives on areas such as foreign policy, defense policy, intelligence, and technological research and development related to national security. In addition to its demonstrable educational benefits, a successful internship can also serve as a tremendous asset for students in eventual permanent employment. Potential internships can include, but are not limited to, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, intelligence agencies, relevant Congressional committees and offices, and think-tanks or research institutes undertaking national security-related work.
The Texas National Security Network scholarship will be no less than $3,000 per student.
Applicants will be evaluated based on their academic record, statement of purpose, references, and the alignment of their academic and professional goals with the broader purposes of the National Security Fellowship. In the event that there are more applicants than available slots, preference will be given to students with a demonstrated commitment to pursuing a professional career in a national security-related field.
Applications for the 2019 Graduate Archer Fellowship are no longer being accepted. The application for the summer 2020 Graduate Archer Fellowship Program will open in September 2019. Please contact the Archer Center's executive director, Katie Romano, with any questions.
The network is proud to offer a generous scholarship opportunity to graduate students from any UT System campus who are accepted into the Archer Center's summer 2019 Graduate Program in Public Policy and secure a national security-related internship in the Washington, D.C.-area. Students who receive the fellowship will be part of the National Security and Global Affairs Policy Track in summer 2019.
Our nation’s capital stands as the epicenter of the national security ecosystem, and firsthand exposure to national security work can provide students with indispensable perspectives on areas such as foreign policy, defense policy, intelligence, and technological research and development related to national security. In addition to its demonstrable educational benefits, a successful internship can also serve as a tremendous asset for students in eventual permanent employment. Potential internships can include, but are not limited to, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, intelligence agencies, relevant Congressional committees and offices, and think-tanks or research institutes undertaking national security-related work.
The Texas National Security Network scholarship will be no less than $3,000 per student.
Applicants will be evaluated based on their academic record, statement of purpose, references, and the alignment of their academic and professional goals with the broader purposes of the National Security Fellowship. In the event that there are more applicants than available slots, preference will be given to students with a demonstrated commitment to pursuing a professional career in a national security-related field.
Applications for the 2019 Graduate Archer Fellowship are no longer being accepted. The application for the summer 2020 Graduate Archer Fellowship Program will open in September 2019. Please contact the Archer Center's executive director, Katie Romano, with any questions.
Texas National Security Network Summer 2018 Fellows
The Texas National Security Network at The University of Texas System has awarded scholarships to seven Archer Fellows participating in the 2018 Graduate Program in Public Policy at the Archer Center in Washington, D.C.
Applicants were competitively selected. They were evaluated based on their academic record, statement of purpose, references, and the alignment of their academic and professional goals with the broader purposes of the National Security Fellowship.
The 2018 Texas National Security Fellows are:
Omar Araiza| UT Austin
U.S. Department of Defense - National Defense University
Omar Araiza is an MGPS student candidate at The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs. Growing up along the U.S.-Mexico border, Omar was exposed from a young age to the various humanitarian issues surrounding forced migration. This personal connection led him to work with refugees, political asylees, survivors of human trafficking, and other displaced populations of people. He speaks English, Spanish, and French, and was selected as a Fulbright-Hays Fellow for the opportunity to advance his Persian language skills abroad. He joined the LBJ School this past fall as part of the Texas National Security Network's inaugural class of Chancellor's Scholars. Araiza was an Archer Fellow in 2011, and is excited to return to Washington, D.C., this time as a Graduate Archer Fellow. This summer, he will be focusing on security issues in the Americas.
Raymond (Ray) Banks | UT San Antonio
U.S. Department of Defense
Raymond (Ray) Banks hails from The University of Texas at San Antonio where he is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. He is interested in serving his community at the local, state, or federal level.
Casey Boyles| UT Austin
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Casey Boyles is pursuing her master's degree in middle eastern studies at The University of Texas at Austin. She holds a bachelor's degree in politics from Princeton University. Currently, she is a Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellow with the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law, co-president of the Middle Eastern Studies Graduate Student Association, and a Teaching Assistant for the Middle Eastern Studies department. Her policy interests include national security and intelligence with a focus on the Middle East and she hopes to pursue a career in national security working for the federal government.
Kingsley Burns | UT Austin
U.S. Department of Justice
Kingsley Burns is a master’s student in Global Policy Studies at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs. He previously studied international business and management of information systems as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma before turning towards public affairs.
Ryan Duffy | UT Austin
Scoop News Group
Ryan Duffy is a young writer hoping to work at the intersection of journalism and international security. He is pursuing a master’s of arts. in global policy studies at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs and graduated magna cum laude from Boston College in 2017. His interests include U.S. foreign policy, intelligence, special operations, cybersecurity, climate change, and technology. A Dallas native, Duffy spent the last four years in Massachusetts, a summer in D.C., a six month stint studying abroad in Parma, Italy, and two months studying on a scholarship in Dubai.
Kelsey Ritchie | UT Austin
American Enterprise Institute
Kelsey Ritchie is a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs, where she is pursuing her master’s degree in global policy studies. Ritchie is interested in the intersection of national security and religious studies. She currently works as the graduate assistant at the Clements Center for National Security and serves as the head global writer for the Baines Report policy journal. She plans to enter a career in national security or foreign policy after graduating from the LBJ School and eventually get her Ph.D. and teach at a university.
Harris Weisz | UT Medical Branch
Government Accountability Office
Harris Weisz is currently a doctoral candidate in the Human Pathophysiology and Translational Medicine program at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. His research focuses on understanding long term genomic changes after traumatic brain injury, which could potentially serve as targets for therapeutic or biomarker development. Utilizing his extensive scientific training, Weisz is keenly interested in researching and crafting informed, evidence-based science policy that addresses the present and future needs of the United States.
2017 Texas National Security Fellows:
Marlene Campos (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is pursuing a master’s degree in international political economy with a concentration in development at UT Dallas. She also earned her Bachelor of Science in international political economy with a minor in Spanish/Hispanic area studies from UT Dallas. Her goal is to develop long-term policies to foster sustainable country development and improve global welfare.
Claire Miller (U.S. Representative Will Hurd) is pursuing a master’s degree in the Engineering Management program at the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin. She graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and is a commissioned reserve officer in the Coast Guard. Her academic and policy interests center on emerging gaps in communication interfaces and outlining cyber security policy responsibilities.
Jolie Schafer [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)] is pursuing a Ph.D. in immunology at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research focuses on using immune cells called “natural killer” cells to develop possible treatments for leukemia. In her internship, Schafer is working on research about pandemic threats, bioterrorism and preparedness and response to such threats. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in both biology and biochemistry molecular biology from Houston Baptist University.
Allison (Allie) Swatek (National Defense University) is pursuing a Master of Public Affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT Austin. Her specific policy interests include transitional economies and the impact of political and economic changes on national security. Swatek graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in political history.
Joaquin Villegas (New America Foundation, International Security Program) is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at UTHealth. He was born in Mexico and began his education at the South Texas High School for Health Professions in Mercedes, Texas. He has a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, and an M.D. from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. In his internship, Villegas’s tasks include working with researchers to study the impact of social media on war and politics.
Applicants were competitively selected. They were evaluated based on their academic record, statement of purpose, references, and the alignment of their academic and professional goals with the broader purposes of the National Security Fellowship.
The 2018 Texas National Security Fellows are:
Omar Araiza| UT Austin
U.S. Department of Defense - National Defense University
Omar Araiza is an MGPS student candidate at The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs. Growing up along the U.S.-Mexico border, Omar was exposed from a young age to the various humanitarian issues surrounding forced migration. This personal connection led him to work with refugees, political asylees, survivors of human trafficking, and other displaced populations of people. He speaks English, Spanish, and French, and was selected as a Fulbright-Hays Fellow for the opportunity to advance his Persian language skills abroad. He joined the LBJ School this past fall as part of the Texas National Security Network's inaugural class of Chancellor's Scholars. Araiza was an Archer Fellow in 2011, and is excited to return to Washington, D.C., this time as a Graduate Archer Fellow. This summer, he will be focusing on security issues in the Americas.
Raymond (Ray) Banks | UT San Antonio
U.S. Department of Defense
Raymond (Ray) Banks hails from The University of Texas at San Antonio where he is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. He is interested in serving his community at the local, state, or federal level.
Casey Boyles| UT Austin
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Casey Boyles is pursuing her master's degree in middle eastern studies at The University of Texas at Austin. She holds a bachelor's degree in politics from Princeton University. Currently, she is a Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellow with the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law, co-president of the Middle Eastern Studies Graduate Student Association, and a Teaching Assistant for the Middle Eastern Studies department. Her policy interests include national security and intelligence with a focus on the Middle East and she hopes to pursue a career in national security working for the federal government.
Kingsley Burns | UT Austin
U.S. Department of Justice
Kingsley Burns is a master’s student in Global Policy Studies at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs. He previously studied international business and management of information systems as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma before turning towards public affairs.
Ryan Duffy | UT Austin
Scoop News Group
Ryan Duffy is a young writer hoping to work at the intersection of journalism and international security. He is pursuing a master’s of arts. in global policy studies at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs and graduated magna cum laude from Boston College in 2017. His interests include U.S. foreign policy, intelligence, special operations, cybersecurity, climate change, and technology. A Dallas native, Duffy spent the last four years in Massachusetts, a summer in D.C., a six month stint studying abroad in Parma, Italy, and two months studying on a scholarship in Dubai.
Kelsey Ritchie | UT Austin
American Enterprise Institute
Kelsey Ritchie is a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs, where she is pursuing her master’s degree in global policy studies. Ritchie is interested in the intersection of national security and religious studies. She currently works as the graduate assistant at the Clements Center for National Security and serves as the head global writer for the Baines Report policy journal. She plans to enter a career in national security or foreign policy after graduating from the LBJ School and eventually get her Ph.D. and teach at a university.
Harris Weisz | UT Medical Branch
Government Accountability Office
Harris Weisz is currently a doctoral candidate in the Human Pathophysiology and Translational Medicine program at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. His research focuses on understanding long term genomic changes after traumatic brain injury, which could potentially serve as targets for therapeutic or biomarker development. Utilizing his extensive scientific training, Weisz is keenly interested in researching and crafting informed, evidence-based science policy that addresses the present and future needs of the United States.
2017 Texas National Security Fellows:
Marlene Campos (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is pursuing a master’s degree in international political economy with a concentration in development at UT Dallas. She also earned her Bachelor of Science in international political economy with a minor in Spanish/Hispanic area studies from UT Dallas. Her goal is to develop long-term policies to foster sustainable country development and improve global welfare.
Claire Miller (U.S. Representative Will Hurd) is pursuing a master’s degree in the Engineering Management program at the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin. She graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and is a commissioned reserve officer in the Coast Guard. Her academic and policy interests center on emerging gaps in communication interfaces and outlining cyber security policy responsibilities.
Jolie Schafer [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)] is pursuing a Ph.D. in immunology at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research focuses on using immune cells called “natural killer” cells to develop possible treatments for leukemia. In her internship, Schafer is working on research about pandemic threats, bioterrorism and preparedness and response to such threats. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in both biology and biochemistry molecular biology from Houston Baptist University.
Allison (Allie) Swatek (National Defense University) is pursuing a Master of Public Affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT Austin. Her specific policy interests include transitional economies and the impact of political and economic changes on national security. Swatek graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in political history.
Joaquin Villegas (New America Foundation, International Security Program) is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at UTHealth. He was born in Mexico and began his education at the South Texas High School for Health Professions in Mercedes, Texas. He has a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, and an M.D. from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. In his internship, Villegas’s tasks include working with researchers to study the impact of social media on war and politics.
