After receiving a record number of applications and a highly competitive selection process, the John Quincy Adams Society is pleased to announce its Fall 2026 cohort of Marcellus Policy Fellows. This is the Society’s thirteenth cohort of fellows. The Fellows will spend the next eleven weeks learning from top experts on foreign policy as they develop a think tank style policy analysis on a pressing issue facing U.S. strategy. They will also be trained to produce supporting materials to make their work more likely to have impact, culminating in production of an op-ed and a one-page policy memorandum. Past fellows have gone on to work at a number of prominent foreign policy institutions in government, academia, the media, and think tanks. You can read the bios of our Fall 2026 Fellows below.
Tom Sarsfield is the legislative assistant to Delegate Virgil Thornton, Sr., who represents parts of Hampton, York, and all of Poquoson in the Virginia state legislature. Previously, he worked on campaigns in Wisconsin and Virginia and completed internships with the Biden-Harris White House Domestic Policy Council and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. A United States Army veteran, Tom deployed to Iraq and Syria as an aircraft maintainer in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in 2019. His topic focuses on strengthening Congressional war powers.
Joseph Bouchard is a PhD candidate in Foreign Affairs at the University of Virginia. His work focuses on US security policy in South America and its impact on regional democracy, including foreign assistance programs, support for parastate violent groups, and partnerships with autocratic governments, particularly in Brazil and the Andean region. He has worked as a journalist in the region, including for Responsible Statecraft, The Intercept, Drop Site, and CBC News. He also serves as a Doctoral Fellow with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and a Research Associate in Drug Policy with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Rebecca Draeger is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying International Relations, as well as completing a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. She is a research assistant at the MacIver Institute for Public Policy, where she writes on various public policy issues, and was an editorial intern for The American Conservative. She was a 2023-2024 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals Fellow in Germany, and a 2025 Critical Language Scholar in Mandarin in Taiwan. She speaks advanced German and is studying Chinese and Persian. Rebecca is interested in China’s growing role in the Middle East and its implications for international finance and U.S. sanctions policy.
Jay Philbrick is a private equity analyst at Bain Capital. He holds a BSc in Applied Mathematics-Economics and Computer Science from Brown University. His work experience includes internships as a speechwriter to Secretary Yellen at the Treasury Department, in economics research at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and the Federal Reserve, and in international affairs research with Eswar Prasad at Brookings and at the State Department. He is a Harry S. Truman Scholar. His policy interests focus on economic statecraft, international finance and development, and regional studies of East and Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Christopher Kirch is a junior at Claremont McKenna College, majoring in economics. He is a 2026 Critical Language Scholar in Korean and has interned at the U.S. State Department, the Hudson Institute, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. His research centers on geoeconomics and economic security in the Indo-Pacific.
Mark Tang is a Space Force officer, pursuing a dual MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics. He is a Marshall Scholar and Harry S. Truman Scholar, who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in May 2026 with a BSc in political science and business management. He has interned at the White House, Pentagon, and on Capitol Hill. His research interests are nuclear deterrence and orbital warfare.
Yoonki Lee recently completed his MPhil in International Relations at the University of Oxford and graduated summa cum laude from Yonsei University with a BA in International Studies. He is currently a Marcellus Policy Fellow, Pacific Forum Young Leader, RUSI NextGen member, and Korea Times Global Supporter. As a Marcellus Policy Fellow, his current research examines how the United States can approach the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea while preserving the credibility and effectiveness of the U.S.–ROK alliance.
Isabelle Hayslip is an Advocacy Associate at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN). She holds a Master of International and Comparative Law (MICL) from Abo Akademi University and a BA in International Relations from Florida International University. Her policy interests focus on U.S.-Middle East relations.
Vivek (Victor) Thangam is a chemical engineer working at the Bureau of Industry and Security in the Treaty Implementation Branch. He supports American private sector compliance with the Biological Weapons Convention, Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Additional Protocol. As part of the Marcellus Fellowship, he is developing a strategy to reinvigorate American engagement in the CWC treaty space to protect American national security while minimizing burden.
Colby Shumway is a junior at American University studying Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government (CLEG), with a minor in History. He is a member of American University’s Nuclear Studies Institute, and his academic interests include U.S. grand strategy, European security, nuclear policy, and U.S.-Russia relations.
Christopher Ynclan is a master’s student at Ohio University studying American diplomatic history. His research interests include 20th century American grand strategy, Intelligence, Defense policy and Diplomacy.
Lucas Tessarollo is a senior at George Washington University studying international affairs, political science, and Arabic. He has studied abroad in Amman, Jordan, and Shanghai, China, and has previously interned in a congressional office, with U.S. Central Command, the American Foreign Policy Council, and the Council on Foreign Relations. His research interests include China’s influence in the Middle East, security issues in the Horn of Africa, and the role of public opinion in shaping U.S. foreign policy.
Danielle is a graduate of the University of Denver, where she studied International Affairs and Political Science as a Daniels Scholar and has been a National Security fellow at the Front Range Consortium and the Hertog Foundation. Her policy interests center on grand strategy and great power competition in the MENA region, and as a Marcellus Policy Fellow, her research will focus on U.S. partnerships with Gulf countries.
Asher Johnson is a versatile professional with extensive international fieldwork experience, with a Master of Philosophy, and a second Master’s of International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. He works as a senior research specialist, living a life driven by curiosity, a passion for understanding America’s role in the world, and a desire for felicity. He is currently investigating how public sector economics have contributed to a continued overstretching of US foreign policy, most strikingly showcased by instances in Venezuela and Iran.