Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC
This summer I interned as a research assistant in environmental security at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars located in Washington, DC. This is my fourth summer interning in DC, and the Wilson Center has by far been the most enriching experience. It is ranked as the fifth best think tank in the U.S. and eighth best in the world. Because it receives federal funding, it is uniquely nonpartisan and effective at connecting academics with policymakers in and around government.
My primary job at the Wilson Center was to assist Senior Fellow Sherri Goodman with her research. Sherri is a former first Deputy Undersecretary of Defense in the Clinton Administration and was the first female staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She essentially invented the entire field of environmental security.
Environmental security examines the interaction between natural resources and climate with national security concerns. It views ecological processes and natural resources as sources or catalysts of conflict in international relations, and seeks to mitigate that insecurity. In a climate-change affected world, this topic has particular salience. For instance, this summer I attended over half a dozen meetings filled mainly with current and former service members and members of the intelligence community, where discussions ranged from how the Department of Defense was adapting to everything from flooding of naval installations to China and Russia’s increased activity in a melting Arctic.
In addition to the intellectually stimulating nature of the subject matter, I also had the opportunity to do real hthends-on work. I drafted a paper on the security implications of climate change in Asia. I wrote several articles looking at how China has monopolized Asia’s water supply through dams and infrastructure projects (10 out of 11 of the continent’s rivers start in Tibet; the Ganges is the only exception.) I researched and drafted the “National Security” section of the article “Science supporting an endangerment finding for atmospheric greenhouse gases: an update” forthcoming in Science, the top science journal. I assembled a series of profiles on important historical figures who operated at the nexus of environmental and military concerns for my supervisor’s book.
Though I have long been focused on national security work, this summer’s environmental focus was a new lens. It was a fascinating approach that I hope to continue with. I am currently exploring different post-graduate opportunities, many via people I met this summer, that include environmental elements. For instance, I am currently looking into an NGO that facilitates water access in the Middle East and examines its impact on border disputes. This would complement my academic study of Arabic at Williams, as well as of Middle Eastern history through the Williams-Exeter Program at Oxford University. I also hope to shift my senior political science thesis to focus more on international frameworks for handling climate migration.
I know the phrase “life-changing experience” gets thrown around a lot, but I think in this case it is truly deserved. I had an incredible summer, and I will be forever grateful to Dr. James Marver ’72, P14 for this experience.