Strauss Center Announces 2024 – 2025 Brumley Next Generation Undergraduate Scholars
The Strauss Center is very pleased to announce the acceptance of nine undergraduate students to its 2024 – 2025 class of Brumley Next Generation Undergraduate Scholars. We are incredibly excited to welcome this dynamic cohort of students into the Brumley Program from across the Forty Acres, and know they will bring unique perspectives to the multi-disciplinary programs of the Strauss Center.
The Brumley Next Generation Scholars Program is designed to provide a clinic in policymaking for undergraduate students and consists of two core components. First, Brumley Scholars participate in a 3-credit introductory policymaking course in Fall 2024, taught by Strauss Center Distinguished Scholars Dr. Stephanie Holmsten and Dr. Michael Mosser. This course allows Scholars to develop essential skills in policy research, analysis, and writing. Scholars will take the lessons learned in the fall semester and refine these ideas in the spring, generating external policy deliverables to share with broader audiences.
Involving undergraduates in international affairs and civic engagement early in their career is a vital part of the Strauss Center’s mission to prepare the next generation of leaders to help develop solutions to the most pressing policy challenges we face today.
Meet the 2024 – 2025 Brumley Next Generation Undergraduate Scholars:
Steven Ahart is a senior studying International Relations & Global Studies and European Studies, with a concentration in International Security. He is also pursuing certificates in German and Security Studies. Steven’s academic research focuses on the Transatlantic relationship between the U.S. and Europe, specifically on U.S.-German relations.
On campus, Steven is a researcher on the Global Disinformation Lab’s Tearline team. Through his work with Tearline, he has become interested in military disinformation and its connection with human rights. In this role, he has published a report on Chinese investments in Papua New Guinea, which he hopes to continue studying in the future. In addition to this work, he is an undergraduate fellow at the Clements Center for National Security, has worked on Innovations for Peace and Development’s Government Responsiveness team and Data for Defense team, is a Terry Scholar, where he served as the Director of Service for the Terry Scholars Student Association, is a Liberal Arts Honors student, and is a recipient of the Lower-Division Best German Language Award.
Kareem Chavez-Escobedo is a highly-motivated first-generation Mexican American student, who is currently a senior studying Informatics and specializing in Data Science. She is also pursuing the Elements of Computing Certificate.
Throughout her time at UT, she has cultivated a keen interest in the nexus of technology, people, and policy, particularly regarding its impact on vital public infrastructure. She participated in the Strauss Center’s Applied Cybersecurity Community Clinic and collaborated with another Cyber Clinic student to start a Women in Cybersecurity student chapter, volunteering with WiSTEM’s annual UT Girl Day to teach K-8 students about cryptography. Over the past two summers, Kareem has interned with Procter & Gamble, engaging in diverse technology roles, most notably as a Senior Engineer in Operational Technology. In 2021, she earned the Terry Foundation scholarship.
As a Brumley Scholar, Kareem eagerly anticipates delving into research on the private sector’s obligations regarding transparency and accountability to the public sector.
As a minority, Kareem’s perspective is informed by her life experiences and her commitment to equity and social justice. She believes that bridging the digital divide is crucial in this day and age, and she is eager to use her skills and knowledge to make a meaningful contribution in this area. Kareem’s goal is to pursue a career that allows her to work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive society by leveraging technology for the betterment of all.
Emma Guan is a senior studying both International Relations & Global Studies and Economics, with concentrations in European Studies and Culture, Media, and the Arts. She is also minoring in Philosophy of Law, Art History, and French.
A native of Austin, Texas, Emma is grateful to have deepened her connections to her community throughout her time at UT. On campus, she participated in the Strauss Center’s Applied Cybersecurity Community Clinic. She also interns at the Texas Law Mithoff Pro Bono Program, where she supports clients throughout the Austin area. She is also proud to serve on the Executive Board of Minority Women Pursuing Law, an undergraduate pre-law student organization on campus. Last summer, Emma had the opportunity to study abroad in Paris, France, where she learned art history and fashion, and thoroughly enjoyed exploring France.
As a Brumley Scholar, Emma hopes to combine her interests by conducting research at the intersection of technology, culture, and legal policy. After completing her undergraduate studies, Emma hopes to attend law school. In her spare time, you can probably find her at a coffee shop, going for walks, tackling the ever-growing stack of books on her coffee table, or trying new restaurants around town with her friends.
Emma Hamilton is a junior from Spring, Texas. At UT, she is majoring in Plan II and Government, while pursuing her lifelong goal of fluency in Spanish and Portuguese. Her passion lies at the intersection of public policy and environmental sustainability, as she aims to strengthen international climate agreements as a Foreign Service Officer in her future career. In summer 2024, Emma looks to tackle some of the challenges presented in the world of politics as an intern in the U.S. House of Representatives.
On campus, she has facilitated research with Innovations for Peace and Development that explored the efficacy of intergovernmental peacekeeping projects. She has also supported the Global Disinformation Lab in their effort to investigate the reasons behind belief in climate disinformation. Currently, she works closely with the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life – the other Strauss – advancing civic engagement and voter education efforts across Texas. Beyond the 40 Acres, Emma volunteers at Casa Marianella tutoring refugee children and helping international students gain English proficiency through Texas Global’s Talk Time program.
As a Brumley Scholar, Emma eagerly anticipates delving into migration policy, promoting pathways for individuals displaced by disasters and researching other nations’ climate migration agreements. In her free time, Emma can be found listening to niche podcast episodes, learning new country dancing lifts, and baking unique cookie recipes (latest: halva and chocolate pistachio).
Miles Hammond is a senior studying Economics and International Relations & Global Studies. Throughout his time at UT, he has developed interests in foreign and domestic policymaking, economic development, and Latin American politics. On campus, Miles proudly serves as a co-president on the International Relations and Global Studies Council and is a general member of Texas Votes. Additionally, he is a research assistant at the Innovations for Peace and Development Research lab, contributing to a project concerning tax abatement transparency.
Miles will be a legislative aide at the Texas Capitol during the summer of 2024, but his future plans are largely undecided. After graduation, he hopes to work in the public sector before attending some form of postgraduate program, either law school or a master’s degree in public policy. In the meantime, he enjoys playing intramural soccer, spending time in Austin’s public spaces, and practicing his Spanish.
Alexis Hoeller is a senior studying in International Relations & Global Studies and East Asian Cultures & Languages. Additionally, Alexis is pursuing a minor in Government and a certificate in Core Texts and Ideas with the Jefferson Scholars Program. Throughout her time at UT, Alexis has developed an interest in the intersection of national security challenges, cybersecurity, and economic relations between China, countries within the Indo-Pacific, and the United States. Alexis first developed an interest in U.S.-China relations in high school when she began to learn more about Chinese culture and developed Mandarin language skills.
After graduation from UT, Alexis plans to build upon the experiences in the classroom to pursue international law and later embark on a career of furthering engagement between the U.S. and China.
Outside of the classroom, Alexis served as the 2023 President of Texas Spirits, as a Peer Mentor and Living Learning Community Resident Assistant for the Jefferson Scholars Program, and as the Vice Chair of the Student Conduct Board. During the Spring 2024 semester, Alexis was an Archer Fellow, and is involved with the Clements Center for National Security as an undergraduate fellow.
Raahin Karim is a senior from Dallas, Texas. At UT, he is studying Biology and following the Pre-Medical track. He is also minoring in Social Work and pursuing certificates in Social Inequality and Health & Policy. His interest in health policy began during an internship at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he witnessed the pressing need for tailored cancer research within Kenyan and broader African communities.
Alongside his studies, Raahin co-founded and served as co-president for the Texas Brain Exercise Initiative, where student volunteers are organized to conduct simple reading, writing, and math exercises with individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease in assisted living facilities, to help slow cognitive decline amongst the senior population in Austin. Currently, Raahin serves as a Resident Assistant on campus, fostering a supportive environment for first-year students transitioning into college life. After graduation, Raahin hopes to work with agencies that focus on building and strengthening U.S. health initiatives both domestically and internationally.
Asha Lamba is a senior studying Neuroscience and minoring in Law, Justice, & Society and Social & Behavioral Sciences. Her educational pursuits center on developing an interdisciplinary understanding of neuroscience, sociology, and law. For Asha, learning at UT extends beyond the lecture hall: participating in the Explore Law program enriched her knowledge of the legal field and its profound potential to further social justice initiatives, and her time as the former Deputy Secretary-General of Central Texas Model United Nations crystallized her passion for encouraging young people to educate themselves about international relations and diplomacy efforts.
Asha is excited to apply the insight she gains as a Brumley Scholar to a future career practicing law and making policy to advance innovative, upstream solutions to social issues including health inequity, the mental health and addiction crisis, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Outside of academics, Asha enjoys fulfilling her duties as a member of Texas Orange Jackets, one of UT’s oldest honorary service organizations, bouldering at ABP, and playing guitar.
Jaxson Shealy is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Government and Economics with a minor in Philosophy. On the 40 Acres, he was the vice president of BridgeTexas and a staff writer for The Texas Orator. Off campus, Jaxson worked as a research assistant for the IC2 Institute and as a teacher’s assistant for Professor Jackson Dorsey. Additionally, he served on the Board and Finance Committee of College Houses Inc., and was the director of the Taos student housing cooperative.
After working full time as an intern for the Federal Fiscal Policy team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, he became interested in international tax and climate law. After graduation, Shealy plans to pursue graduate studies in law and public policy.