Our Team

Pranav Pattatathunaduvil is a junior studying Global Affairs at Yale. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Geopolitics of Technology Initiative and is extremely passionate about the intersection between technology and foreign policy, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. From June to December 2023, he interned with the Special Competitive Studies Project, supporting its efforts to set up the Quad Tech, Business, and Investment Forum in partnership with the NSC and writing policy recommendations on how US foreign policy can leverage GenAI's rise. Before that, he interned for over a year with the Hudson Institute, researching the evolution of India-US relations for Dr. Aparna Pande and Ambassador Husain Haqqani and analyzing imperial China's foreign policy for Eric Brown. At Yale, he is the Co-President of the Yale Policy Institute, the incoming President of the Alexander Hamilton Society, and a dancer on Rangeela, Yale's Bollywood fusion dance team. He was also awarded the 2024 Millstone Fellowship for Public Service at Yale.

Asher Ellis is a junior at Yale studying applied mathematics, interested in technology and national security. He previously interned at In-Q-Tel and the Special Competitive Studies Project, and he plans to serve in the US Air Force after graduation. In his free time, Asher enjoys hiking, surfing, and traveling.

Axel de Vernou is a junior at Yale University majoring in Global Affairs and History with a Certificate of Advanced Language Study in Russian. He focuses on Russian history, military strategy, and American foreign policy in response to the rise of adversarial great powers. He looks forward to pursuing a career in the U.S. government after graduation. Axel speaks French, Russian, and Spanish.

Shankara is a junior in Yale College studying economics and statistics & data science. His main interests lie in economic development and financial markets, as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Shankara has interned at Lockheed Martin as an AI/ML & Data Science Intern, focusing on supply chain defect detection and production forcasting. Additionally, he also worked as a cybersecurity intern, working on isolating and protecting critical systems from external threats. At Yale, Shankara is a part of Yale's International Relations Association, Yale's Student Quantitative Research Group, Yale Alternative Investments, Yale Computer Society, and the chess club. In his free time, Shankara enjoys reading, watching movies, and playing chess.

Originally from Glen Ellyn, IL, Luisa is a junior in studying Global Affairs with a focus on East Asian relations. Interested in technology policy, she is currently researching the legislative implications of export controls on the semiconductor industry. In her free time, Luisa enjoys practicing yoga, going to concerts, and traveling.

Kaashif is an Indian-American born in Long Island, New York and now lives in Richmond, Virginia. He is a junior studying Global Affairs at Yale where his interests lie in international security, intelligence, and public policy. He served as the Vice President of Yale’s International Relations Association, Yale’s largest student organization and Vice President of the Yale Muslim Students Association. Kaashif served as an intern for the United Nations Security Council primarily serving as a researcher and speaker on counterterrorism, warfare strategies, and the ethics of biological and chemical weapons. He regularly travels to give Friday sermons across various mosques in the northeast. He is a coffee aficionado and makes legendary Indian Masala Chai!

Ethan Chiu is a sophomore at Yale University studying Global Affairs and History at the intersection of foreign policy and emerging technologies. He is currently working with the DOD Information Strategy Research Center on developing cyber conflict and disinformation theories, along with the National Defense University on examining PRC perceptions in the Middle East. On campus, Ethan is the President and Co-founder of the Yale Foreign Policy Initiative, International Liaison for the Yale Review of International Studies, Political Chair of the Taiwanese-American Society, and an Executive Board Member of the Yale College Council. He has previously worked at the American Enterprise Institute, Department of Defense, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, focusing on Taiwan, semiconductor, and humanitarian AI issues. Ethan also has an extensive background in data analysis, machine learning, stem cell development, CRISPR gene editing, affordable healthcare advocacy, and clean water issues. He is proficient in Mandarin and Spanish.

Andy is a junior at William & Mary pursuing a B.S. in Digital Humanities and International Relations. As a founder and director of the Geopolitics of Technology Initiative, Andy has played a large role in researching responsible technology policy on campus, creating a national team of students from Yale, W&M, the University of Chicago, and Georgetown University to work on new initiatives with Eric Schmidt's Special Competitive Studies Project, the State Department, and more. Previously, Andy has also been awarded the competitive Freeman Fellowship to conduct peace studies research at Seoul National University in South Korea. He has also built up a repertoire of data analytical projects at the GRI's own AidData Lab, using geolocational data skills to provide new methods of studying Chinese technology developments and publishing research with the RAND Corporation. On campus, Andy plays volleyball for the W&M Men's Club team, loves to volunteer at the W&M Greenhouse, and helps lead the Asian American Student Initiative, a political action club tied to W&M's APIA Studies department.

Gauri is a junior studying Computer Science and Economics with an interest in the intersection between tech and finance. This past summer, she was a sophomore summer analyst at Bank of America in their leveraged finance group, and will return next summer. She has previously interned at Cerity Partners, a $50B+ investment advisory firm. She also currently serves as the head research assistant at the Yale School of Management for Dr. Matthew Spiegel, overseeing a team of 20+ assistants. Gauri is the president of Code Haven (leading over 75 student mentors serving over 300 students per semester), vice president of Yale Undergraduate Diversified Investments, treasurer of Women and Gender Minorities in Computer Science, and the undergraduate representative of the Yale CS Climate and Diversity Committee, serving alongside various esteemed professors. She also serves as president of Yale’s premier South Asian fusion dance team Rangeela and enjoys performing with her a cappella group Yale Avaaz, playing guitar, and reading in her free time.

Kate Carline is a sophomore Murray 1693 Scholar at William & Mary with a deep interest in issues at the intersection between the sciences and public policy, specifically exploring how we maintain national security, promote social well-being, and establish global standards for novel biotechnologies. She is currently studying biology and public policy while actively conducting research in several major initiatives spanning both the scientific and political fields. As part of William & Mary’s International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team, Kate developed synthetic biology tools for real-world applications concerning bioengineered bacteria and bacteriophage in soil. She also continues her research as part of Dr. Saha's Phage Lab, where Kate recently published a paper on her discovery and analysis of a novel bacteriophage.  On the policy side, Kate has been working for the Geopolitics of Technology Initiative, a joint research project with Yale University, where she is now leading a team to research key questions surrounding biotechnology regulations and U.S.-China competition.

Neil Sachdeva is a Junior at Yale doing a major in Computer Science with additional course work in the Yale School of Management, and the Jackson School of Global Affairs. Last summer he interned with Amazon AWS working on Deep Learning Compilers, and the previous two summers he worked with Siemens Digital as a Machine Learning engineer, building their machine failure predictive systems and applying AI technologies to forecasting parts breakdown. He has been working on Generative AI for the past few years, beginning with his research during ‘19-’21 at the Machine Perception & Cognitive Robotics (MPCR) Lab at Florida Atlantic University on Computer Vision applications to Healthcare. Neil has a background in AI startups with his own chatbot company Vulcan AI winning investment awards, and is a Venture Associate at Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking @ Yale. He also interned at NASA and led a research team in designing lunar colony bases to protect from potential infectious diseases. Neil is the President of the Yale Undergraduate Virtual Reality and Emerging Technologies Club, plays club golf, and is an amateur podcaster.