The Strauss Center is very pleased to announce the acceptance of nine master, Law, and Ph.D. students to its 2026-27 cohort of Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellows. 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 Graduate Fellows Program at the Strauss Center provides research training and mentorship opportunities to exceptional graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. Involving students in international affairs early in their career is an important part of the Strauss Center’s mission to prepare the next generation of leaders to help develop solutions to the most pressing public policy challenges. The program is made possible by the generous support of Jon and Rebecca Brumley.

Meet the 2026-27 Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellows:

Abigail Taylor is a second-year Master of Global Policy Studies student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Her academic and professional interests focus on armed conflict and transnational crime in Sub-Saharan Africa. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Abigail earned degrees in International Relations and Economics from William and Mary and studied abroad as an undergraduate in Kigali, Rwanda. She has worked for War on the Rocks, American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, and Amnesty International.

As a Brumley Fellow, Abigail researches the effects of emerging technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence on conflicts in African countries. She is mentored by Dr. Michael Dennis, Associate Professor of Practice in Public Affairs at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

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Avica Burrill is a second-year Master of Global Policy Studies student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She earned her B.A. in International Relations and Global Studies with concentrations in international security and business from UT Austin. As an undergraduate, Avica researched the proliferation of long-endurance drones, which laid the foundation for her current work at the LBJ School where she focuses on weapons proliferation, drone technology, and international law.

Avica’s professional experience includes an internship in critical technology areas with the National Security Innovation Council, negotiation training in Andorra through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and a semester exchange in Spain where she deepened her understanding of international legal systems and policy by attending parliamentary sessions at el Congreso de los Diputados. After graduation, Avica plans to attend law school.

As a Brumley Fellow, Avica is mentored by Dr. Michael Mosser, Co-Director of the Brumley Scholars program and Director of UT Austin’s Center for European Studies.

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Connor Cowman is a Master of National Security student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Connor’s research focuses on transatlantic defense and Germany’s role in NATO.

Connor was previously a senior writer with The Cipher Brief, a non-partisan national security publication, and a programs and editorial associate at the Alexander Hamilton Society, which seeks to educate students and young professionals on the Hamiltonian perspective of foreign policy. Connor has also written articles on European affairs as a freelance analyst at the geopolitical risk advisory firm London Politica, and has contributed to other publications on national security, foreign affairs, and international economic policy. In the future, Connor hopes to pursue a career as an intelligence analyst contributing to U.S. national security.

As a Brumley Fellow, Connor is mentored by Dr. Alexandra Sukalo, Director of the Intelligence Studies Project.

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Connor Fiddler is a Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs. His research focuses on alliance politics, U.S. grand strategy, and security studies. He is currently a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and has previously held positions at the American Enterprise Institute, Ronald Reagan Institute, and Hudson Institute.

As a Brumley Fellow, Connor is mentored by Dr. Jaganath Sankaran, Associate Professor at the LBJ School.

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Demi Pappas is a third-year J.D. candidate at the University of Texas School of Law. At Texas Law, Demi is a Teaching Quizmaster for the Beck Center for Legal Writing, a Title IX Pro Bono Scholar, and a student attorney ad litem in the Children’s Rights Clinic. Demi has spent the past two summers working at Vinson & Elkins and plans on starting her legal practice there after graduation. Prior to arriving at UT Austin, Demi earned her B.S.B.A. in Marketing with minors in Journalism and Modern Greek from Georgetown University.

Demi’s research interest is in national security journalism and the potential use of the Espionage Act to prosecute third-party recipients of unauthorized disclosures. She is excited to build upon this work as a Brumley Fellow. Demi is mentored by Strauss Center Director and Texas Law faculty member Adam Klein.

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Grace MacLeod is a second-year Master of National Security student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, where she specializes in intelligence. Prior to coming to UT, Grace earned her B.A. in Sociology from Texas A&M University, which provided a foundational understanding of the social dynamics driving global conflict. Through her experiences in Senegal, Tanzania, and the Comoros, Grace developed an interest in how economic vulnerability, political instability, and external influence shape the African security landscape. In her professional work, Grace most recently completed internships with the Office of the Texas Governor’s Child Sex Trafficking Team and the Timbuktu Institute. After graduation, Grace plans to pursue a career in intelligence, with a focus on counterterrorism.

Grace’s professional and academic research focuses on how shifting regional dynamics in the Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa create permissive environments for terrorist organizations. As a Brumley Fellow, Grace is mentored by Ambassador (Ret.) Larry André, Professor of Practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

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Kevin Hoare is a second-year Master of Global Policy Studies student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, specializing in conflict studies. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Kevin is a dual citizen of the United States and Australia. After earning his B.A. in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College, Kevin founded a travel and documentary photography business, where his work has centered on visual storytelling and documenting communities around the world.

With an interdisciplinary background combining international affairs, field research, and documentary photography that informs his approach to studying conflict and political change, he is particularly interested in the role of technology, information flows, and digital media in influencing conflict dynamics and human rights documentation. At UT Austin, his research focuses on the impact of emerging mobile phone access in West Papua and how expanding digital connectivity is reshaping the long-standing conflict between Indigenous Papuans and the Indonesian government.

Through the Brumley Fellows program, Kevin hopes to deepen his understanding of conflict in Southeast Asia and contribute to research at the intersection of technology, security, and foreign policy. As a Brumley Fellow, Kevin is mentored by Mr. Robert Kaplan, Distinguished Senior Lecturer at UT Austin, and Dr. Michael Dennis, Associate Professor of Practice in Public Affairs at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

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Minji Kim is a Master of Science in Business Analytics student at the McCombs School of Business, where she earned her B.S. in Human-Centered Data Science. From her undergraduate research to her current role, Minji’s work has centered on responsible AI, data governance, emerging technologies, and policy innovation.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Minji joined the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, a state-affiliated venture capital nonprofit, as an AI Systems Fellow and Data Operations & Strategy Analyst. In this role, she has worked alongside senior executives and state IT leadership to build responsible AI governance frameworks and has designed data platforms that help the organization track its investment portfolio and identify commercialization opportunities. Minji has also held positions as a consultant with the Strauss Center’s Texas Cybersecurity Clinic and NobleReach Scholar.

As a Brumley Fellow, Minji is mentored by Francesca Lockhart, Assistant Director of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law.

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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.

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The Brumley NextGen Fellows and Scholars programs would not be possible without the generous support of Jon and Rebecca Brumley of Fort Worth, Texas.