Zachary Schaefer

Brumley Fellow

Zachary Schaefer is a second-year Master of National Security student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs specializing in intelligence and Asian regional security. His research focuses on Chinese gray-zone competition and the leveraging of infrastructure and development as tools for strategic intelligence gathering.

Prior to coming to LBJ, Zachary earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from UT Austin, while also serving as Battalion Commanding Officer of the University’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps unit. A graduate of Marine Corps Officer Candidate School Class 246, Zachary was named the Chief of Naval Operations Distinguished Graduate after completing his ROTC training. Currently on an aviation contract with the United States Marine Corps, Zachary will commission as a Second Lieutenant upon completing his degree. He has interned with the Texas National Security Review, the Dakar-based NGO CONCEPT, and the materials-science startup Eztia.

As a Brumley Fellow, Zachary is mentored by Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Director of the Asia Policy Program and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas National Security Review.