June 24, 2024
Masako Toki
The 2024 Summer Undergraduate Nonproliferation Fellowship Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) started on June 3. This is the second year that CNS is conducting the Summer Program fully in-person since the pandemic. This summer again, a cohort of twelve highly qualified students has been selected as Undergraduate Fellows through a competitive and rigorous selection process.
2024 Summer Undergraduate Fellows with Dr. William Potter, CNS Director, and Masako Toki, Sr. Project Manager
The Program’s participants hail from top institutions across the United States including, Middlebury College, American University, Smith College, Wellesley College, Trinity Washington University, and University of Georgia.
The 2024 group is a diverse set of undergraduates from a variety of backgrounds and specializations, with several Fellows focusing on the field of international studies. The Fellows have specializations in Russian studies, history and philosophy, East Asian studies, Middle East studies, peace and conflict resolution, and geography. They all have advanced foreign language skills, including in Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, French, and German. They are keen to utilize and hone these skills and specializations over the course of this summer.
Lectures and Research Projects
During this program, Fellows receive invaluable job training, work closely with CNS experts, and participate in an engaging lecture series. Lecture topics include the spread and control of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), science of nuclear weapons, and regional nonproliferation issues including those in Eurasia, East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Lectures also focus on nuclear and radiological security, Artificial Intelligence and nuclear nonproliferation, humanitarian initiatives in nuclear disarmament, gender in nonproliferation and disarmament, export controls, open-source tools for nonproliferation, geospatial analysis, and more.
The Fellows also conduct independent research projects with under the tutelage of their CNS expert mentors. The Fellows have the opportunity to publish this work and share their findings with the broader professional community. Also, they are part of research teams, which allows them to collaborate and learn from their peers and experts in the field. All of this work is in line with CNS’ commitment to developing the next generation of global nonproliferation leaders.
About the Program
It has been 27 years since the start of the Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program. Since then, many students have gone on to make their mark in the world of nonproliferation. This Program runs from early June to late August.
This year’s Summer Program is funded by the Tom and Sarah Pattison Fund, the Middlebury College Provost Office, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
If you are interested in the Summer Undergraduate Nonproliferation Program, please contact CNS’ Senior Project Manager, Masako Toki.
Dr. Potter welcomes Summer Fellows
