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NSPC Sponsors Batten Students Pursuing National Security Internships

May 23, 2026

 

The National Security Policy Center at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring seven students working in exciting, external internship roles this summer. These interns will gain valuable real-world experience in fields including foreign affairs, defense budget policy, and corporate sponsorship development. Six interns will work at high-impact national security organizations: three at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), two at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), and one at the Center for New American Security (CNAS). A seventh intern will work locally at Impact Greene in Greene County, Virginia. We look forward to seeing the work that each of these talented individuals will contribute to their respective organizations in the coming weeks. 

Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization that develops strong, pragmatic, and principled national security and defense policies. CNAS engages policymakers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to shape and elevate the national security debate. A key part of its mission is to inform and prepare the national security leaders of today and tomorrow.

This year, UVA undergraduate Celeste Wetmore will be a Joseph S. Nye, Jr National Security Intern with CNAS, focusing on their Middle East Security Program. This internship program will explore policy choices to advance U.S. national security objectives in the Middle East, identifying strategies and tools available to promote regional stability and security, advance partnerships and alliances, and anticipate emerging challenges. Additionally, the program will examine the strategic choices facing U.S. partners and adversaries in the Middle East region to better understand and predict their decision-making in the context of a fast-evolving strategic landscape.

Celeste is an Arlington, Virginia native studying Foreign Affairs in the Distinguished Majors Program with a second major in English and a minor in French. Her interests include strategic resource investment, soft power in American foreign policy, and reconciling political and economic objectives in the Middle East.

 

Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)

Founded in 1983 as the Defense Budget Project, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) has long been a leading source of independent, path-breaking research focused on the future of defense, and defense budget data and analysis. CSBA provides timely, impartial and insightful analyses to senior decision makers in the executive and legislative branches, as well as to the media and the broader national security establishment. The Center encourages thoughtful participation in the development of national security strategy and policy, and in the allocation of scarce human and capital resources.

UVA graduate students Ryan Faddis and Imane Akhanous are joining the CSBA’s 2026 summer internship. This opportunity will teach them about the day-to-day functioning of a think tank, help them refine their administrative and research skills, and increase their knowledge about the key issues involving defense strategy and policy, budget and resources, future warfare and concepts, and military forces and capabilities.

Ryan is a rising second-year Master of Public Policy student from Fairfax, Virginia. He holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia, where he focused on critical mineral mining and resource policy. His current interests include remote sensing and satellite intelligence, small modular reactors, and nuclear nonproliferation. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in the intelligence community.

Imane is an Accelerated Master of Public Policy student from Williamsburg, Virginia, majoring in Government with a concentration in American Politics. Following the completion of her M.P.P., Imane plans to pursue a career at a think tank, where she aims to contribute to research in the national security field.

 

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) 

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to providing strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity. CSIS is one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of approximately 250 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe. CSIS scholars bring their policy expertise, judgment, and robust networks to their research, analysis, and recommendations.  

This year, three UVA students will be joining two different CSIS internship programs. Rising fourth years Anna Douglas Piper and Hovsep Seferian will serve the Center’s Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, dedicated to developing a deeper understanding of Europe’s political, security, and economic evolution and its future role in the world. Their internships will support the program’s work exploring a wide variety of topics, including the forward-looking agenda for European defense and NATO; the European Union; geopolitical developments in the Arctic region; transatlantic economic relations, trade, and technology; the implications of Russia’s foreign and defense policies for transatlantic security; and political and economic developments in Russia and Eurasia. 

Anna Douglas is double majoring in Public Policy & Leadership and Foreign Affairs with a minor in French. Her academic interests include global politics, diplomacy, democratic resilience, and conflict and justice. Hovsep is in the Honors Politics Program and is also a member of the UVA Undergraduate Mock Trial team, where he is a two-time All-American and a 2024 National Champion. His undergraduate thesis examines investment and security dynamics in the Caucasus. 

CSIS has also accepted MPP candidate Santana King to an internship role supporting the Center’s Australia Chair. Housed within the Center’s Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department, the CSIS Australia Chair has, since its creation in 2021, served as the premier platform in Washington, D.C. for high-level policy discussions on Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. The Australia Chair’s 2026 summer internship will be a valuable opportunity to learn how the organization drives policy deliberation, informs congressional thinking, engages with the private sector, and shapes the narrative on what is both politically and strategically feasible.  

Outside of the Batten School’s MPP program, Santana is a Graduate Student Researcher at the National Security Data and Policy Institute and Founder and President of the Virginia Political Advisory Group (VPAG). Prior to Batten, he was an International Policy Analyst supporting the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, where he managed European defense portfolios. He previously worked as a management consultant at Guidehouse within the defense and security practice and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. 

Impact Greene

Impact Greene is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Greene County’s vision for responsible growth and vibrant community development. Its focus is on bringing improvements to local infrastructure, education, civics, and recreation for the benefit of Greene County residents.  

UVA Batten Accelerated MPP candidate Ali Asfour will serve as Impact Greene’s summer intern in 2026. His work will support grant writing and corporate sponsorship development for specific program activities the organization plans to implement. The 10-week internship  offers hands-on experience in nonprofit development, fundraising strategy, and community impact planning.  

Ali received his undergraduate degree in Foreign Affairs from UVA. His areas of interest include national security and defense, Middle East policy, great power competition, and unconventional warfare. Upon graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in the national security field.