Highly NRiched fosters a rich community of educators, activists, and students and promotes synergistic interactions between them. Becoming a mentor means playing a central role in this community. Our mentor portal includes a diverse cross-section of practitioners working in the nuclear field, from intergovernmental organisations and government agencies to think tanks. Mentors are available for informational interviews with students and educators, and guest lectures in universities and high schools.
Bio
Dr. Natasha Bajema has built a 20-year career in national security with a specialized focus on reducing the risks of nuclear weapons, biological weapons, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Natasha is the CEO and Founder, Nuclear Spin Cycle, LLC, an innovative startup which produces creative content with national security impact. She is also currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic Risks and an NSquare Fellow. From 2008 to 2019, Natasha spent more than ten years at the National Defense University where she taught an elective course on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that examines the development of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons through documentaries, TV, and film. At NDU, she also led a multi-year initiative exploring the impact of emerging technologies on WMD. From 2010 to 2013, Natasha held a long-term detail assignment serving in various capacities in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics, Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs and in Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Natasha has also completed stints at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch of the Office for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations. Natasha is the author of three published science fiction mystery novels in the Lara Kingsley Series and the host of the Authors of Mass Destruction podcast. She holds an M.A. in international policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a Ph.D. in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Bio
Alex Bednarek joined the Nuclear Threat Initiative in September 2016 ,and currently serves as a program officer with the International Fuel Cycle Strategies team, where he focuses on issues relating to verifiable warhead dismantlement, safe and secure management of commercial spent nuclear fuel, and applications of international safeguards.His prior experience includes work with the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Subcommittee for Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade under the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.Bednarek holds a master's degree in Security Policy Studies from The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, where he focused on transnational security and non-state actors. He also holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Bio
Senior Research Associate, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Bio
Toby Dalton is senior fellow and co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His work focuses on nonproliferation, deterrence, and regional security in Northeast and Southern Asia. Prior to joining Carnegie, he held senior policy positions at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. He received a PhD in public policy from the George Washington University.
Bio
Kelsey Davenport is the Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, where she focuses on the nuclear and missile programs in Iran, North Korea, India, and Pakistan and on international efforts to prevent proliferation and nuclear terrorism. She also reports on developments in these areas for Arms Control Today and runs the Arms Control Association’s project assessing the effectiveness of multilateral voluntary initiatives that contribute to nonproliferation efforts.She is the lead author of the P4+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alert newsletter, which assesses developments related to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, and the North Korea Denuclearization Digest, which tracks efforts to negotiate with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program. Kelsey is also the co-author of a series of seven reports assessing the impact of the Nuclear Security Summits on efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism. Kelsey joined the Arms Control Association in August 2011 as a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow.Kelsey has been quoted in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, Reuters, Christian Science Monitor, Vox, and The Guardian and has provided commentary on NPR, CBC, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, Fox News, al-Jazeera, and C-Span. She has published opeds in various outlets, including TIME, Reuters, CNN, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and Defense One.Kelsey is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the advisory committee for the National Committee on North Korea. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship.Prior to joining the Arms Control Association, Kelsey worked a think tank in Jerusalem researching Middle East security issues. She holds a masters degree in peace studies from the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor of arts summa cum laude in international studies and political science from Butler University.
Bio
Thomas is a researcher, professor and writer. He is currently working at Texas State University. Thomas has written multiple books which explore ethics and safety in the Nuclear field. His contributions include lesson plans and discussion prompts.
Bio
Dr. Tara Drozdenko is the director for the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists working on the federal-level policy changes and commitment to diplomacy, so the United States is a leader in reducing the nuclear threat. She earned a Ph.D. in plasma physics and has worked for the U.S. Navy on issues related to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) and for the U.S. State Department on Nonproliferation and Arms Control issues.
Bio
I am a DoD civilian and retired U.S. Air Force retired officer. My experience centers around the fields of science, technology, engineering and acquisition. The majority of my career has been spent in the nuclear field, ranging from countering WMD, treaty monitoring and nuclear weapons. I have worked on cutting edge science bringing new capabilities to our operational forces in areas of meteorological satellite observations, numerical weather prediction, electronic warfare, and space-based nuclear detonation detection.
Bio
MassChallenge Gold Winner, tackling nuclear security. PI on R&D with the Air Force, NASA, CASIS, and the NSF.
Bio
Nuclear Weapons and Popular CulturePhD Candidate Newcastle University, UK
Bio
Tristan is the National Field Manager of Beyond The Bomb, where they lead volunteers across the country to mobilize and advocate for sane nuclear policy through No First Use. In 2019 Tristan launched Beyond the Bomb’s fellowship program, with the intention of bringing younger, more diverse voices into nonproliferation. Published in outlets such as The Hill, The Nation, and Inkstick Tristan has also led national trainings on decentralized organizing at conferences like Organizing 2.0.
Bio
Anne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Cardiff University in Wales, UK. Since earning her PhD from the University of Chicago in 2010, she has held academic fellowships at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Relations at Monterey, and the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich. In 2013-2014, she worked for the US Congress as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow, first as a National Security Fellow in the office of Senator Kirstin Gillibrand (D-NY) and then at the Congressional Research Service. Her research interests, located at the nexus of international relations and science and technology studies, include nuclear deterrence, disarmament and nonproliferation, cybersecurity, the evolution of military strategy and tactics, and women in combat. Learn more about Anne by watching her introduction video: https://youtu.be/DblWo1ywa7E
Bio
Dr. Jason T. Harris is Associate Professor of Radiological Health Sciences in the School of Health Sciences and Director of the Center for Radiological and Nuclear Security (CRANS) at Purdue University. He also currently serves as the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Online Education in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Purdue University. He received his BS in Biology at the University of Tampa, his MS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his PhD in Health Physics from Purdue University. Prior to his current position he was Associate Professor and Co-Chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Health Physics at Idaho State University and Associate Director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies. His research interests are in a number of areas related to environmental and reactor health physics, radiation detection and measurement, and nuclear security. He has graduated more than 25 MS and PhD students and has served on research committees for nearly 70 MS and PhD students in health physics, nuclear engineering, and physics. He has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers or proceedings and over 75 conference presentation abstracts and has secured nearly $9 million dollars in competitive external grants and contracts from federal funding agencies, international organizations, and private foundations. He has received a number of awards including the Health Physics Society Elda Anderson Award and the Purdue University School of Health Sciences Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Dr. Harris is active in the Health Physics Society, American Nuclear Society, the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Since 2009, Dr. Harris has worked in several endeavors related to nuclear security. In 2012, he became the Chair of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN). He has helped grow the network from about 20 members to over 100 (representing 40-member nations). His work has led him to participate in numerous nuclear security activities. He serves as an expert for the U.S. Department of State Partnership for Nuclear Threat Reduction (PNTR), lecturing at a number of professional development workshops throughout the world and leads the Purdue University DOE NNSA Nuclear Security Education Program (NSEP). He also served on the Advisory Board for the European Master’s Program in Nuclear Security, sponsored by the IAEA and European Commission. In 2018, he established the Purdue University Center for Radiological and Nuclear Security (CRANS) and presently serves as its Director. His research group is specifically working in the area of risk analysis for nuclear security where they have developed a comprehensive facility risk framework.
Bio
Kate Hewitt is a public affairs specialist with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Her portfolio includes national security infrastructure, acquisitions, safety, operations, and project management. Prior to joining NNSA, she was a security and strategy Research Assistant and Herbert Scoville Peace Fellow with the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. Kate was a Nuclear Security Innovation Fellow and is the co-founder of a nuclear Highly NRiched, a first-of-its-kind education start-up on nuclear issues. She is an early career board adviser for Girl Security. Kate has published extensively on nuclear weapons topics including: sanctions, Iran, and North Korea; and the importance of breaking barriers for women in STEM and national security. She is the recipient of the Leonard M. Rieser award for her work with Erin Connolly to teach fundamentals of nuclear history and policy in high schools nationally. She previously served as a volunteer in Peace Corps Moldova. Kate holds an M.A. in Global Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Farsi Foreign Language Fellow focused on nuclear weapons proliferation theory, and a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Gonzaga University.
Bio
Doreen Horschig is an associate fellow with the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for the Strategic and International Studies (CSIS PONI). She is also a non-resident research associate at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Previously, Doreen was a nuclear security policy fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Stanton nuclear security fellow at MIT. Her research is twofold and examines nuclear norms contestation and counterproliferation. Doreen holds a PhD in security studies from UCF, a MA in international relations from New York University, and a BA in international studies from Manhattan College.