In a remarkable achievement, undergraduates Noah Tan and Adrian Feinberg have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the prestigious James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship, an honor bestowed by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Each year, universities across the nation nominate over 200 exceptional students for this national fellowship program, ultimately awarding around 15 coveted one-year fellowships. The Gaither fellows play a vital role in supporting Carnegie's senior scholars by providing research assistance and engaging in a variety of impactful projects. These projects can include writing op-eds, research reports, and even books; contributing to congressional testimonies; and organizing briefings that involve scholars, activists, journalists, and government officials.

For those interested in learning more about the Gaither Junior Fellowship, further details are available on the Undergraduate Research website. It's important to note that applications for this esteemed fellowship are due in November each year.

Noah Tan, a senior majoring in international relations with a minor in music composition, is also pursuing a coterminal master's degree in public policy. His inspiration to apply for the fellowship came after attending a lecture by Herb Lin, a senior research scholar focused on cyber policy and security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). During the final session of his Technology and National Security class, Lin emphasized the significant role that young individuals play in the realm of international security and urged students to consider dedicating part of their lives to national service.

That can take many forms, such as soldier, civil servant, or diplomat, Tan reflected, who is also pursuing honors in international security through CISAC. I believe my contribution before I head off to law school is to work as a scholar, contemplating our worlds most complex and intractable issues. The opportunity to serve as a Junior Fellow at Carnegie will not only deepen my understanding of international relations but also allow me the privilege of being mentored by some of the leading scholars in the field.

Following his fellowship, Tan has plans to attend Harvard Law School through its Junior Deferral Program, ultimately aspiring to carve out a career as an international lawyer.

Adrian Feinberg, who is also an international relations major, is pursuing honors in democracy, development, and the rule of law and holds minors in history and film & media. His interest in the fellowship was piqued during a visit to the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, D.C., last September, where he fortuitously engaged in an extensive conversation with Tom Carothers, the director of Carnegie's Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program.

I am thrilled at the prospect of collaborating with leading scholars on democratic recessions during such a critical juncture for our country and the globe, Feinberg expressed enthusiastically. Unbeknownst to me when I applied, the work I will be involved in is more urgent than ever, and I eagerly anticipate contributing to research that engages audiences outside the academic sphere whether that be journalists, readers of Emissary, or members of Congress.

After the fellowship concludes, Feinberg intends to apply for JD-PhD programs in history, signaling a commitment to merging legal and historical perspectives in his future endeavors.