Meet the Team | Economic Statecraft Program

Recently returned from a summer language immersion in Medellin, Colombia where he studied Spanish, Ian is finishing his Master of International Affairs at The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Before graduate school, Ian worked in public accounting where he audited financial statements for public and private companies. He then lived in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand for a year where he taught math and English at a private high school and traveled throughout Southeast Asia. Most recently, Ian worked in the yachting industry as a deckhand aboard a private yacht. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2014, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on accounting. Following graduate school, Ian aims to work in the intelligence community.

Joseph Balmain Rodgers is pursuing a B.B.A. in Business Honors and Finance from Texas A&M University, with a minor in Economics and a Certificate in Advanced International Affairs from The Bush School. Upon joining a graduate capstone project in December 2019, he contributed to a literature review of Chinese economic statecraft that led to the creation of the Economic Statecraft Program. Since then, he has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed published papers on issues of political economy and U.S. economic statecraft, and assisted with the development of the Eisenhower Working Group, inaugural Economic Statecraft Conference, and a master’s degree program and undergraduate certificate in economic statecraft. He has worked in the International Trade Administration, U.S. House of Representatives, and is currently interning for the Department of State. He is interested in international trade and business, U.S.-China relations, and analysis of contemporary geopolitical and security issues.

Dave Bowling is a second-year student pursuing a Master’s in International Affairs with a focus on National Security and Diplomacy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. He began assisting the ESP program in Spring 2022, conducting research on the Belt and Road Initiative. Prior to graduate school, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Indonesia and taught English in South Korea for five years. Dave graduated from the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah in 2012 with a Bachelors in Business Administration. Post graduation, he aspires to serve as a Foreign Service Officer or pursue a career in international development.

Elena Briggs is a third-year undergraduate student at Texas A&M University pursuing a double major in International Studies and History, with a minor in Chinese. Through her work as ESP, Elena is hoping to increase her knowledge about economic statecraft and further develop her professional writing skills. In addition to ESP, Elena is also involved in A&M’s International Student Mentor Alliance (ISMA), TAMU UNICEF, University Honors, and is a Dean’s list student. Academically, she is interested in Sino-American relations, and the repercussions of China’s economic involvement in Africa. After graduation, Elena is planning to apply for the Fulbright scholarship before pursuing a career in International Affairs and Diplomacy.

Allie Cerling is a senior at Texas A&M pursuing a BS in Sociology, with minors in Neuroscience and History. She joined the ESP team in Fall of 2021, helping coordinate the speaker series, serving with the Eisenhower Working Group, aiding in conference planning for May 2022, and leading the weaponizing globalization work stream. She has done previous research in intraracial bias with Houston Baptist University and published an article on the subject in February 2022. Allie has previously worked with Houston City Council and Brookwood Community- a nonprofit aiding adults with special needs. Allie’s interests are in using policies to aid under resourced communities through education and food equality. She hopes to attend graduate school for Public Service Administration and Applies Economics with the ultimate goal of running her own nonprofit.

In the fall of 2020, Grace graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University with a B.A in Russian studies and history. Her passion for international affairs, culture, and service led her straight to the Bush School. She is in the second year of her master’s degree in International Affairs with concentrations in American Diplomacy & Foreign Policy and Intelligence. Grace is deeply interested in US-Russia foreign policy and how to improve relations between the two countries. Upon graduating in May of 2023, she hopes to join the US Foreign Service and work as a diplomat in the post-Soviet space. When she’s not studying or drowning her husband with fun facts about the Russian language, you can find her teaching piano lessons, training in Brazilian jiu jitsu, or learning new recipes. Grace is also very active in her Eastern Orthodox parish, St. Silouan’s, where she helps lead Byzantine chanting.

Will Easton is a second-year Master of International Affairs student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, where he is pursuing the National Security and Diplomacy track; his areas of concentration include Intelligence and American Diplomacy and Foreign Policy. Will graduated from Texas A&M University in May 2021 with a BBA in Finance, a minor in Arabic Studies, and a certificate in International Business. As a research assistant with the ESP, Will has been involved with the BRI Database and Case Studies project and the Weaponizing Globalization Project. Economic Statecraft research combines his primary interests of foreign policy and international business.

Piper Gilley is a third-year undergraduate student at Texas A&M pursuing a double major in International Studies and Women & Gender Studies, with two minors in Spanish and Environmental Geosciences. She joined ESP in January 2023, and during her time with the program Piper hopes to further her understanding of economic relations and the interdisciplinary factors of international affairs. Piper is passionate about equity, service, and culture, but her specific academic interests are focused on environmental humanities. After graduation, Piper plans to pursue higher education studying geography and work in public service or research.

Colleen Goggin is a senior at Texas A&M University pursuing a double major B.A. in International Studies and Political Science, with a minor in Economics. She joined ESP in January 2023 and hopes to further develop her academic research skills, understanding of Economic Statecraft, and writing techniques. Colleen previously interned for The House of Representatives and completed The Fund for American Studies Leadership Program, where she developed strong interests in political journalism and economic policy research. She then spent 10-weeks developing her understanding of German language and culture by living in Bonn, Germany. Outside of ESP, Colleen serves as the Executive Vice President for the Senior Class Council where she assists with planning Texas A&M’s beloved traditions. She plans to attend graduate school with a focus on International Economic Development. Colleen’s ultimate goal is to combine economic research and journalism by working as an international economic correspondent.

Sabrina Hasik is an undergraduate student at Texas A&M University pursuing a BS in Applied Mathematical Sciences, with an emphasis in Economics. She is a class of 2024 Brockman Scholar, and will complete an MS in Business as a part of her scholarship program. She is passionate about academic research, and she worked on a team studying agent-based modeling and social networks under the Aggie Research Program in 2021. Sabrina is on the Dean’s Honor Roll, a member of University Honors and Math Honors, and a National Merit Scholar. She is also a writer for the A&M chapter of Her Campus, an online magazine for college women. As a Research Assistant for ESP, Sabrina is interested in studying developmental economics, Chinese foreign investment, and alleviating global poverty. Currently, Sabrina is working on a project studying the weaponization of globalization.

Austin Hillebrandt is a first-year graduate student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, where he will be pursuing the National Security & Diplomacy track of the Master of International Affairs program. His academic concentrations are cyber policy and China. After graduating from the Bush School, Austin plans to work in the aerospace security industry. Some of his academic interests include researching the resiliency of American infrastructure, analyzing how governments interact with the private space industry, and studying the relationship between network platforms and partisanship. Austin graduated magna cum laude from William & Mary in 2022 with a double major in Government and Religious Studies; he is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Trinity Johnson is an incoming graduate student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service pursuing a Master of International Affairs with a focus on China and international economics. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in National Security Studies. She earned the Sino-American Friendship award through the University of Houston for her excellence in Chinese language courses, and studied abroad in China from September 2019 to January 2020. Trinity interned at the Center for Civic and Public Policy Improvement researching affordable housing and its effects on the Third Ward in Houston. She also interned at the Association of Industry Analytics which developed her data management and analytical skills with emphasis on energy and domestic economics. Trinity plans to combine her expertise on China and economics in the Economic Statecraft Program and onward.

Gracia is a current student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service pursuing a Master of International Affairs; her studies focus on China, intelligence, cybersecurity, and defense policy. Her academic interests consist of studying internet technology policy, US-China relations, and defense policy regarding the resiliency of US technology infrastructure. Gracia’s internships with US Space Force public affairs, Texas A&M’s Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center (ITEC), and the American Red Cross are experiences that have informed her academic and professional pursuits. Prior to the Bush School, Gracia graduated from Texas A&M University in May of 2022 with a B.S. in Political Science and minors in Chinese and Business. She hopes to mesh her personal story and academic interests to ultimately give back through a career in public service and invest in the next generation of leaders in international and domestic technology policy.

Kayla Nguyen is an undergraduate student at Texas A&M University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. In addition to being an undergraduate student researcher, Kayla has served in the Executive Cabinet of Texas A&M’s Student Government Association. Her academic interests include international security, economics, and public policy.

Nimesh Babu Oli is a first-year MIA student at the Bush School focusing on International Politics and Grand Strategy, International Economics and Trade, and Cyber Policy. He has a deep interest in US foreign policy, regime change politics, China, and the Middle East. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and went on to pursue M.A. in International Relations at South Asian University, New Delhi, India, for a year. He has previously worked in Kathmandu-based foreign policy think tanks as an Intern and later as a research assistant. Nimesh strives to work in the think tanks and development sectors after he graduates from Texas A&M University.

 Kedar Pandya is a senior at Texas A&M University pursuing a dual degree in History and Political Science, with a minor in Economics. As a researcher with the ESP, Kedar has worked on a broad research portfolio relating to Chinese and American economic statecraft using novel quantitative methods such as text mining and network analysis, resulting in peer-reviewed academic publications and several policy products. He has previously interned at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Department of State, and the geopolitical risk firm Stratfor-Rane. He is interested in Chinese domestic politics, the political economy of Northeast Asia, US-China relations, and the impact of emerging technologies on international security and political economy. After graduating he aims to work in policy research related to China in or adjacent to the federal government. He is working towards professional proficiency in Mandarin and Hindi.

Gordon Peters is a second year graduate student at the Bush School of Government & Public service, where he is pursuing a Master of International Affairs (MIA) degree. Prior to coming to the Bush School, Gordon graduated cum laude from Temple University in 2021. He received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Chinese, with a minor in History. His research interests involve China, East Asian politics, and U.S. Foreign Policy regarding Asia.

Ruth Philip is a second year graduate student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. She graduated in 2020 as an International Baccalaureate recipient with Latin honors from Temple University (PA). She received a B.B.A. in International Business with a marketing concentration and also studied Mandarin in which she has an intermediate high proficiency. She is now finishing her Master of International Affairs with a National Security and Diplomacy Track; her areas of concentration will include American Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, Conflict and Development, and China. Ruth has previously done research on multiple Asian countries for different companies as well as the World Trade Center and has continued to develop her knowledge of the intersection between economics/security/China through her work with ESP. She hopes to one day work for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer.

Srikar Satish is a second-year undergraduate student at Texas A&M pursuing a double major in Political Science (B.S.) and International Studies – Politics and Diplomacy (B.A.) with a minor in Chinese. Prior to joining ESP, Srikar has led and served on two political science research projects, and won the top Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship Prize for his research related to the topic of Hegemony and National Power. Srikar’s research focuses on Asian Policy and power shifts, as well as great power competition strategies. In addition to research, Srikar is involved in Texas A&M Mock Trial, a Public Speaking and Advocacy teacher, as well as assists in government – serving as a National Finance Fellow under Senator Catherine Cortez Maso. After graduation, Srikar hopes to go to law school.

Kurt Sernett most recently returned from interning for ISN Software Corporation in Dallas, Texas, where he worked on the corporate governance and sustainability team. Kurt previously interned for the Iowa Governor’s Office, Work of Our Hands non-profit, and the OFECUM education center in Granada, Spain. As a second-year student at the Bush School, Kurt has conducted research on cybersecurity policy and global governance, and he has extensively studied the current state of US-China relations. In the Economic Statecraft Program, Kurt has examined how China asserts its influence and power in the digital world. Kurt graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors and membership in Pi Sigma Alpha from Central College (Pella, Iowa) in 2021. He received a B.A. in Political Science, Communication Studies, and Spanish, with special Honors for completing a senior thesis. Post-graduation, Kurt hopes to work in cybersecurity policy and strategy in government or the private sector.

Avie is a current student within the Master of Economics program at Texas A&M and will be joining the Bush School of Government and Public Service in the spring of 2023 as a Master of International affairs student; at the Bush School his studies will focus on conflict and development, international economic development, and international politics and grand strategy. His academic interests include trade policy, economic development, US-China/Middle East relations, and political philosophy. Avie has previously worked for the Mosbacher Institute at the Bush School as well as the Cato Institute in Washington D.C. as a trade policy research intern. During his time at the Cato Institute, he worked on the advocation to repeal the Jones Act as well as conducted research on immigration policies within the United States. In the future, he wishes to go into the think tank space to further conduct research on policy with the intention of later going into economic development consulting. Avie completed his bachelor’s of economics in December of 2021 and serves as the current president of Gents of Texas A&M.

Allen Zhang is a sophomore at Texas A&M University pursuing a BA in International Studies, with a minor in Chinese. Allen is interested in learning and dissecting the international relationships in the Asian region. As a research assistant with ESP, he analyzed China’s Communist Party and their role in private sector affairs through examining multinational conglomerates like Bytedance, assisted the mapping of federal agencies that maneuver economic statecraft, and helped with the planning of the conference in DC. Allen is also involved with Texas A&M’s Student Government Association, Mock Trial, Liberal Arts Student Council, University Honors, and is a Dean’s List student. Once he graduates, Allen wishes to go to law school.