2023 Fellows
2023 Fellows

Daniel Amick is a strategy advisor, geopolitical expert, organizational leader, and intelligence professional with experience supporting senior executives in the private sector and government. He leads complex research and analysis efforts in support of GM’s global strategic initiatives, including the transition to electric and autonomous vehicles. Prior to joining GM, he led global research and analysis for a strategic advisory and management consulting firm. He worked across complex domains—including geopolitics, risk management, communications, compliance, and technology—to produce intelligence-driven insights and advice for multinational companies, private equity and venture capital firms, law firms, and startups. Earlier in his career, he worked for more than a decade as an analyst at the U.S. Department of Defense, focused on some of the world’s most critical national security challenges. He earned an M.B.A. from New York University, an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and a B.S. in International Affairs from Georgia Tech.

Khaliah Barnes is a Senior Manager for Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, where she leads global privacy, safety, and security policy and political strategy for Android, Chrome, and Google Play. Previously, she was a Privacy and Public Policy Manager at Meta. While there, she led strategy and public policy initiatives on U.S. federal and state privacy legislation. Before joining Meta, she served two years as an Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties, advising Department components on privacy-related legal and policy issues, including data breach response, social media policy and guidelines, obligations under federal privacy laws, and privacy training. She started her career at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), where she represented EPIC before Congress, federal courts, administrative agencies, and local and national media on a variety of issues, including student privacy, connected cars, air traveler rights, drones and domestic surveillance, and consumer privacy.

Kristen A. Cordell is a Senior Advisor to the Director for Foreign Assistance (F) at the State Department, where her portfolio is focused on infrastructure and investment. She came to the Department following a decade at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where she established the agency's architecture on global competition, including authoring the inaugural strategy on the development impact of autocracy and corrosive capital worldwide. Ms. Cordell has been detailed to high level G-7 and Presidential initiatives and served on delegations to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Organization for Economic Cooperation on Development (OECD) and the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). She has also spent significant time working in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Liberia, Lebanon and the DRC. In 2020 Kristen received the prestigious Council on Foreign Relation International Affairs Fellowship in International Security (CFR-IAF) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where her widely-published research focused on the People's Republic of China (PRC) role in international development institutions. Ms. Cordell is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and a Truman National Security Fellow. She is an active mentor and practices sustainable and empathetic leadership.

Christopher Culver is currently the speechwriter to the Secretary of the Air Force where he drafts public remarks to connect with military, industry, Congressional, and civilian audiences across the country and globe. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor and Director of Education and Training for the Department of Political Science at the United States Air Force Academy. He oversaw the department’s curriculum and assessment, and taught courses in International Political Economy, Security Studies, Global Development, and African Politics. He also served as an adjunct Chinese language instructor and glider instructor pilot. He has published research on the political effects of remittances, Chinese investment in Africa, and the Science of Teaching and Learning. Early in his career, he was an MQ-1B Predator instructor pilot flying in support of worldwide operations. He has deployed to Afghanistan and served as a Director of Operations at the largest remotely piloted aircraft base in Africa. He earned a dual-title Ph.D. in Political Science and African Studies from the Pennsylvania State University, a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and was a distinguished graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. He is a Truman Scholar and served as a missionary in Taiwan for two years. He and his wife, Stacey, are raising five children in elementary through high school.

Damian Felton is a Vice President with The Cohen Group, working within the firm’s China practice to help clients navigate geopolitical risks, and regulatory and policy changes in China. Before The Cohen Group, Mr. Felton spent 16 years focusing on international trade policy and export promotion at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. He served at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, for eight years, across two postings, where he advised business executives and senior embassy leadership on complex U.S. and Chinese tariff proceedings. Mr. Felton also led an embassy team researching the structural impediments posed by China’s state-directed economy, including market distortions from industrial policies and subsidy programs. He led several U.S. delegations to China, conducting detailed audit verifications of Chinese companies’ and Chinese government financial reporting. Before the Commerce Department, he worked as an auditor in both the public and private sectors, and he is a certified public accountant.

Colonel Greg Gordon currently serves as the Commanding Officer, Sixth Marine Regiment, Second Marine Division, Camp Lejeune NC. An infantry officer, Colonel Gordon has commanded infantry units at the platoon, company, battalion, and regimental level and led Marines and Sailors in all three operational Marine Expeditionary Forces. In addition to traditional infantry units, he has served as an embedded advisor to the Iraqi Army, within specialized units such as 2d Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company, and within amphibious Marine Expeditionary Units. He has completed nine overseas and combat deployments. Outside of the Fleet Marine Force he successfully commanded a Marine Corps Recruiting Station in the Midwest and served at Headquarters Marine Corps. While at Headquarters Marine Corps he served as the section head for ground officer assignments, acting as the senior HR representative for a population of approximately 13,000 active-duty officers. In this capacity he was responsible for the reconciliation of requirements, assignments, and talent management. Colonel Gordon holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School for National Resource Strategy, and a Master of Business Administration from The College of William and Mary’s Raymond A Mason School of Business. His academic interests include international relations and foreign policy with a specific interest towards the confluence of economic policy, industry, and national security. He and his wife Tara have three children and reside in coastal North Carolina.

Dr. Xueying “Shirley” Han is Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) where she is leading the evaluation of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program. Prior to joining NSF, she was Assistant Director at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She brings experience and expertise in the areas of China science and technology policy, particularly regarding China’s STEM research environment; metrics development and assessment; and data analytics. Her recent publications include an assessment of challenges facing China’s academic STEM research ecosystem, and China’s commercial space sector. Prior to joining STPI, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS) at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Her research at CNS included assessing the impacts of China’s industrial policies on the development of nanotechnology; conducting a national level survey of faculty STEM researchers at Chinese institutions of higher education; and studying what motivates international graduate students to stay in or leave the United States after graduation. She received her doctorate in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and her Master’s in Applied Statistics and Probability from UCSB; and dual Bachelors in Mathematics and Biology from Colgate University.

Wally Hsueh is Staff Vice President of International Affairs for FedEx Corporation where he is responsible for building and maintaining diplomatic and economic relationships throughout FedEx’s global footprint. Through his long-standing relationships with U.S. and foreign embassies and governments, he is charged with identifying, preventing, and resolving international hurdles for the company. Before joining FedEx, Wally served over 25 years in the U.S. Congress, in leadership and policy positions for both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives including: Deputy Chief of Staff for Senator Steve Daines (Montana); Staff Director for the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee under Senator Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Deputy Staff Director for Senator Jim Risch (Idaho); Staff Director for the Senate Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development under Senator Ted Stevens (Alaska); Legislative Assistant to Senator Gordon Smith (Oregon); and Professional Staff on the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. Wally holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a BA in Communications from California State University, Long Beach.

Meagan Linn is Director Policy, Operations, and Integration at Northrop Grumman. In this role, she leads the company’s public policy and regulatory portfolios as well as association activities. In addition, she manages coordination of the Corporate Strategy and Development organization’s activities and its operations, including overseeing budget and compliance. Prior to her current role, she served as Director Operations and Integration, in which role she led operations for the Corporate Strategy and Development organization; acted as a liaison to the United States Congress on behalf of the company; and oversaw the company’s political action committee. As Director, Legislative Affairs she also previously served as liaison to the United States Congress on behalf of the company, supporting legislative and policy goals. Prior to her employment at Northrop Grumman, Meagan spent over eight years on Capitol Hill. She served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to a member of the House Armed Services Committee. In that role she managed the Congressman’s Washington office, directed the legislative staff, and advised the Congressman on all defense, military construction, foreign affairs, homeland security, and intelligence issues. Prior to that position, she worked for a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a member of the National Defense Industrial Association Board of Directors.

Mark MacKercher is a Corporate Strategy Manager at the Bechtel Group. He advises senior executives on markets, competitors, macro risks and customer intelligence. He also advises on enterprise strategy development, including evaluation of new operating regions, new service offerings and emerging opportunities for cross-portfolio collaboration. His interests include the development and security of conventional and emerging energies, earth resources and large-scale infrastructure. Prior to joining Bechtel, Mark was an investment banker at Lazard, where he advised global energy and infrastructure clients on a range of M&A and strategic financing matters. Mark began his career in the government services sector, where he worked in management consulting and strategic planning for clients including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State. Mark holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Houston, Texas with his wife.

Sean McClintock is the National Security Advisor (NSA) to Senator Ben Cardin. As the Senator’s NSA, his portfolio includes national security, defense, intelligence, homeland security, and veterans’ affairs. Before joining Senator Cardin’s team, Sean served as the NSA to Senator Cortez Masto. Prior to working in the Senate, he was a career Naval Aviator with multiple worldwide deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Global War on Terror, and capacity building with our allies and partners in the Pacific. Sean has led Sailors in combat and ashore, and has earned Air Medals for both combat missions and life-saving humanitarian assistance missions. In 2018, Sean served as a DoD Legislative Fellow in a Senator’s personal office. During his Fellowship, Sean served as the acting National Security Advisor for a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and worked on the National Defense Authorization Act. Sean was then selected as U.S. European Command’s Chief of Senate Congressional Affairs and advocated for additional authorities and appropriations for the European theater prior to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. Upon his retirement from active duty, he continued his career in public service by working in the Senate on critical national security issues. Sean holds an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, a B.S. in Political Science and a B.S. in English from the U.S. Naval Academy. He also earned a certificate in Legislative Studies from Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute and is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College, where he completed Joint Professional Military Education Phase 1 and 2. Sean lives in northern Virginia with his wife and two children.

Dewardric L. McNeal is Managing Director and Senior Policy Analysts at Longview Global, LLC, an international boutique firm that provides strategic guidance, policy analysis, and government relations services to clients seeking to better understand or shape complex and challenging global geo-political events and long-term trends. Longview represents a range of clients in the financial services, energy and mining, chemical manufacturing, health and fitness and transportation industries. Dewardric is a former Obama Administration appointee to the U.S. Department of Defense where he served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy working on East Asia and China security relations with the United States. He was appointed by President Obama in May 2009 after serving on the 2008 Obama for America Campaign’s Asia Advisor Team. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, he served as the Assistant Director for International Programs at the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Center. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Brookings Institution’s first foreign joint research center, which is located in Beijing at the Tsinghua University’s School of Public Policy. After leaving the Obama Administration he joined the senior management team at OIC International, an international development organization with offices and partnerships throughout sub-Saharan Africa. As Director of Global Strategy and Policy, he was the principal strategic advisor to the President and Chief Executive Officer at OIC International responsible for the organization’s US policy advocacy work, China engagement and Africa growth strategy, and the organization’s global policy and strategic initiatives. His early career included positions as the Special Assistant to the Director of Information at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles and as an analyst in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division of the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Dewardric was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer to serve on the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioids Trafficking, a congressionally mandated study commission. He also currently serves on the board of the American Mandarin Society and serves on the board of advisors for the National Bureau of Asian Research. He is a CNBC network contributor and frequently appears on the network to discuss China issues. He has deep knowledge of international affairs, trade and security policy and has an extensive network and relationships in Washington, Beijing, and capitals throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa. Dewardric is a graduate of Morehouse College (B.A. International Affairs) and studied at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, and studied Mandarin at Nanjing University.

Brittany Bramell Punaro is a battle-tested public affairs professional with extensive experience in crisis management, strategic communications, principal management, and press relations. Brittany joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 2017 as a senior advisor to the CIA Director and was then named Director of Public Affairs in 2018 under Director Gina Haspel. During her service on the Agency’s senior leadership team, she successfully guided the organization through many complex and sensitive issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining the ranks at CIA, she garnered a reputation as a creative and steady advisor following her work in the private sector and advising some of the most influential political leaders in the nation. In 2016, Brittany worked for transportation and technology startup, Uber Technologies, Inc. as the lead spokesperson on matters related to national politics and federal affairs. She also served as a strategic communications advisor for leaders such as the late Senator John McCain, Former Speaker of the House John Boehner, Senator Lindsey Graham, Former Governor Chris Christie, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Neel Kashkari, and others. Brittany is a California native and graduated from Santa Clara University with degrees in Political Science and Sociology. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children.

Chryssa Rask is a private equity investment professional with Cerberus Capital Management, an alternative asset manager with $65Bn in assets under management. She is a member of an investment strategy dedicated to funding technologies and companies that strengthen national and economic security and improve supply chain resiliency for the U.S. and its allies. In this role, she evaluates companies for investment and works closely with investee companies on strategy and operations. Her role investing at the nexus of technology, industry, public policy, and national security gives her unique insight into the nuances of the escalating competition between the U.S. and China. Beyond her current experience, Chryssa has nearly two decades of experience as a China watcher, having begun studying Chinese language and culture as an undergraduate student. She later spent over five years living in Mainland China, where she launched her career in financial services. Subsequently she gained experience in investment banking at Morgan Stanley in New York, before returning to her interest in international affairs with roles focused on investing in emerging economies in Asia and Africa, both with Cerberus Capital and the World Bank Group, including two years living overseas in Tbilisi, Georgia. Chryssa holds a BA with honors from Tufts University, as well as an MBA from the Wharton School and a MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute, both at the University of Pennsylvania.

Robert G. Schwiers Jr. is the Chief Economist for Chevron’s Strategy & Sustainability Department. He advises senior executives on economic and energy market dynamics to aid in developing business plans and growth strategies for the company. Mr. Schwiers is currently a member of the American Petroleum Institute’s Economics and Statistics Committee, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Industry Advisory Board, and the IEA’s Energy Business Council. He has also contributed to several external industry publications including Energy & Security: Strategies for a World in Transition and the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook. Previously, Mr. Schwiers was a Senior Energy Analyst in Chevron’s Supply & Trading organization assisting energy traders with short-term energy market analysis. He also held several positions within Chevron’s strategic planning organization including senior staff analyst, principal consultant, and manager of forecast and business support. Mr. Schwiers graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in business administration with a focus on accounting and finance. He joined Chevron in 1998 and has more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Robert is based at Chevron’s corporate headquarters in San Ramon.

Atman M. Trivedi is a Senior Vice President at Albright Stonebridge Group, part of Dentons Global Advisors, and leads the firm’s South Asia practice. Mr. Trivedi brings deep experience across diplomacy, business, law, and politics, with particular expertise in India and significant knowledge and relationships across Asia. He was Managing Director at Hills & Company from 2017 to 2021, where he advised leading information technology, telecommunications, consumer goods, and financial clients on geopolitics, trade, investment, and sustainability with a focus on India and China. Previously, he was Senior Director for Policy in Global Markets at the U.S. Commerce Department, where he was the day-to-day policy lead on the U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue and the U.S.-India CEO Forum. He served earlier as Chief of Staff in the U.S. State Department’s International Security and Nonproliferation bureau. Mr. Trivedi worked extensively on nonproliferation activities in Asia, was part of the diplomatic team that eliminated Syria’s declared chemical weapons, and helped address North Korean and Iranian threats. Earlier, he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as Chairman John Kerry’s Counsel on India and Southeast Asia, and also worked on a range of policy and legal issues including on China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. Prior to government service, Mr. Trivedi was an international trade lawyer at WilmerHale LLP, counseling businesses and nonprofits on trade policy and litigation, sanctions, export controls, FCPA, and CFIUS matters. Mr. Trivedi is a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center; an Adjunct Fellow at the Pacific Forum; a National Committee on U.S.-China Relations member; and an Asia Society Asia 21 Fellow. He regularly teaches a course on India to American diplomats. His analysis has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg View, The Hill, The Times of India, and The Hindustan Times, among other outlets. He earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School, as well as an M.A. in International Policy Studies and a B.A. in International Relations (minor in Economics) from Stanford University. Mr. Trivedi is proficient in Spanish and understands spoken Gujarati.

Venkatesh Vasudevan is the Site Manager for the Baytown Technology and Engineering Complex, ExxonMobil’s primary global technology center located in Baytown, Texas. In this role, he is responsible for all site operations spanning R&D, product and process scale-up, and customer solution development. Venkatesh has more than 15 years of experience in the energy industry, and has held a variety of leadership roles in the business, manufacturing, and technology at ExxonMobil. Most recently, he managed polyethylene resin sales for the North America region. Prior to his role in sales, Venkatesh was in Singapore where he was responsible for the optimization of ExxonMobil’s chemical manufacturing assets in Asia. He has previously held roles in venture planning and financial/business analysis, and supported multiple strategy studies over the course of his career. Venkatesh has degrees in Engineering, MS and PhD, from Stanford University. He lives in The Woodlands, Texas, with his wife and two young kids.

As Regional Vice President for the INDOPAC region at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), Robert Zubeck is responsible for promoting opportunities for the company’s full line of remotely piloted aircraft systems, radars, electro-optical and related mission systems to customers in the entire INDOPAC region. Mr. Zubeck previously served as a Senior Director and Business Development Manager in the North Asia & Oceania region, as well as the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. Prior to that, he served as a Technical Sales Manager in International Strategic Development, where he provided technical expertise in support of worldwide capture campaigns. He also served as the Mechanical Engineering platform lead for the MQ-9B SkyGuardian program as a Project Control Engineer. Prior to joining General Atomics in 2016, Mr. Zubeck served 11 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, where he was a designated Naval Aviator. He has accumulated over 2,000 flight hours, mostly in the H-60F/H/S aircraft. He currently serves as the Executive Officer (XO) of the Reserve Component of TACTICAL AIR CONTROL SQUADRON 11 (TACRON 11) at the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), Coronado, CA. Mr. Zubeck is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he holds a BS in Systems Engineering. Additionally, he also holds a Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) from the University of San Diego and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Finance from Pepperdine University.
Contact Information
- Christine Brazeau
- Chief of Staff, Defense and Security Department
- 202.775.3169
- cbrazeau@csis.org