NSPC Launches Summer 2025 Internship

On May 27th, the NSPC officially launched its Summer 2025 Internship Program. NSPC summer interns are dedicating two months to focus on a research topic under UVA’s National Security Data and Policy Institute (NSDPI). They will investigate issues in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning including data acquisition, deployment of AI/ML technologies, and the role data and AI/ML play in Great Power Competition. These students will produce a literature review and white paper as part of their work.

Click here to learn more about the NSPC’s internship program.

Click here to learn more about the NSPC’s academic research.

Meet Our Interns

Eli Beaubien

Eli is from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He graduated in May of 2025 with a bachelor’s in politics and is currently pursuing a master’s of public policy & leadership. His areas of interest include national security and defense, foreign policy in the Middle East, emerging tech policy and sustainable energy. Upon graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in national security.

Dillon Clark

Dillon is a 2025 summer intern from Washington, D.C. and is double majoring in Politics and Economics. His academic interests include national security, defense, foreign policy, and law. After graduation, he hopes to enter public service, with the goal of working in policy and national security or pursuing a career in law.

Rafa Del Rosario

Rafa is the NSPC’s 2025 summer intern supervisor and a rising second-year MPP candidate from Northern Virginia. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from James Madison University before serving in the United States Marine Corps. His interests include gray zone conflicts, strategic competition, and information warfare.

Lucia Fogler

Lucia is a rising third-year student from Richmond, VA majoring in Public Policy & Global Security with a minor in Chinese. Her policy interests include national security, defense, and foreign policy with an East-Asia focus. After graduating, Lucia hopes to pursue a career in the Foreign Service.

Colin Heffern

Colin is a third-year from Paris, double majoring in Systems Engineering and Economics, with minors in Engineering Business and Applied Mathematics. He is passionate about emerging technologies, data-driven decision making, and impact investing. After graduation, he hopes to start his career at a leading multilateral financial institution focusing on sustainable development.

Charis Lee

Charis is a rising fourth-year studying Statistics and Public Policy & Leadership. Her areas of interest include data policy, national security, constitutional law, and human trafficking. After completing her Accelerated Master of Public Policy degree at the Batten School, Charis plans to pursue a career in public sector consulting or policy analysis.

Cole Leis

Cole is a rising second-year Accelerated Master of Public Policy student from Columbus, Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Arts from UVA, where he majored in Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law and minored in Psychology. His areas of interest include political theory and ethics, behavioral economics, and national security. Upon graduation, Cole hopes to pursue a career at a think tank or on Capitol Hill.

RJ May

RJ is from Powhatan, Virginia; he majored in Political Theory and is in his second year of the Master of Public Policy program at the Frank Batten School. His areas of interest include artificial intelligence, emerging technology, cryptocurrency, and national security. Upon the completion of the MPP program, he hopes to pursue a career in consulting or in the national security field.

Annalise Pereira

Annalise Pereira is a rising third-year from Williamsburg, Virginia. She is majoring in Public Policy and Foreign Affairs with a minor in Chinese. Her academic interests include China-US relations and foreign policy. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in foreign service or national security.