MEET OUR TEAM!

Emirhan Celik

Emirhan is a fifth-year medical student from Hannover, Germany, and a research fellow in the Lee Lab at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. His academic interests focus on interventional pediatric cardiology, with a strong emphasis on translational and clinical research. He is a merit-based Avicenna Scholarship holder.

Colas Richard

Colas Richard is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Transatlantic Affairs, a joint degree at the College of Europe and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is specialized in EU governance, transatlantic relations, environmental, and energy policy. He previously obtained a master’s in European Affairs and a bachelor’s in political and social sciences at Sciences Po Bordeaux, where he developed a multidisciplinary understanding of EU law, economics, and policymaking. Colas worked for a year in the political cabinet of the Deputy Mayor of Paris on the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Beyond, Colas is very active in student and volunteer organizations focused on European affairs and climate action. His current research compares the formation of carbon border mechanisms in the EU and the U.S., and he has a strong interest in sports, public policy innovation, and transatlantic cooperation.

Margherita Bruti Liberati

Margherita Bruti Liberati is an LL.M. candidate at Harvard Law School, where she focuses on public international law and international arbitration. She is working as a Research Assistant on U.S. National Security law and policy for Professor Kristen Eichensehr, and on International Humanitarian Law for the HLS Program on International Law and Armed Conflict. She has worked as a Project Leader for Harvard Law School’s Advocates for Human Rights, providing recommendations on different States’ legal and policy frameworks on climate change and human rights. She is also on the board of Harvard International Arbitration Students Association and of Harvard European Law Association. Prior to her LL.M. program, Margherita worked as a Member of the European Commission’s Legal Service in the International Law and External Relations team, advising the European Commission on different issues of international law, and representing the institution before the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the Court of Justice of the European Union. Earlier in her career, Margherita practiced international trade and environmental law in international law firms; worked for a senior Refugee-Status-Determination Judge at the Tribunal of Milan; and served at UNHCR’s Field Office in Guatemala. She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Milan and an MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Alison Linnea Wetzelaer

Alison Wetzelaer is a Finnish-Dutch graduate student pursuing a joint Master’s degree in Transatlantic Affairs at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the College of Europe as a Fulbright Scholar and MacJannet Fellow. Alison serves as a European Youth Delegate to the United Nations Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, and is the elected MATA Student Representative. Before this, she worked as a paralegal on competition law matters at a leading international law firm in the Netherlands, provided legal research support for a UN Human Rights Committee member, and contributed pro bono to a research project on AI and privacy legislation at the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking. She also led the creation of HeForSe x UvA, the first Dutch student chapter of the UN’s global solidarity movement for gender equality. Alison holds a BSc (Honors) in Politics, Psychology, Law & Economics and an LL.M. (cum laude) in International and European Law from the University of Amsterdam.

Elana Caparco

Elana Caparco is a first-generation college student from Warwick, Rhode Island, and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she concentrates on international and global affairs. She graduated summa cum laude from American University’s School of International Service with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, earning certifications in Peace Corps Prep and Community-Based Research. Her academic training includes study abroad and fellowship experiences in Denmark and Germany. Elana has held policy and research roles across government, think tanks, and international institutions, including the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Rhode Island General Assembly, Atlantic Council, Bipartisan Policy Center, European Council on Foreign Relations, and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Her work has focused on transatlantic security, international law, congressional processes, and emerging technology and AI governance. She also served as a Research Specialist at Jackson Stevens Global, advising on domestic and international C-suite executive career transitions, and as Director of Partnerships for Leading Women of Tomorrow. At Harvard, Elana is the Diplomacy Chair for Harvard W3D: Women in Defense, Diplomacy, and Development and has served as a Teaching Assistant for the Center for International Development’s Women, Peace, and Security seminar. A Horatio Alger National Scholar, PPIA Fellow, and Phi Beta Kappa inductee, her interests center on the nexus of diplomatic security, technology, economics, education, and transatlantic relations.

Alex Nikolov

Dan Smith

Dan Smith is a Master in Public Policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. His interests center on technology, national security, and the transatlantic relationship. He holds a B.S. in physics. 

Matteo Cagliero

Matteo Cagliero is a junior at Harvard studying Applied Mathematics to Computer Science and Economics. He is a member of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Student Committee, Co-President of Harvard Ventures, Harvard’s largest startup club, and a scout for Andreessen Horowitz. Matteo is interested in AI Infra, Space tech, and the future of European Competitiveness.

Rebecca Collins

Rebecca Collins is a Master in Public Policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she studies as a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow. Her policy interests center on migration and national security, with a particular focus on the interplay between state responses and international law. She is especially interested in how diplomacy and development can be leveraged to address global displacement and broader governance challenges. Before Harvard, Rebecca practiced as a litigation lawyer at a global law firm in London, contributing extensively to the firm’s human rights and asylum-related pro bono practice.  Rebecca holds a First Class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, and a Distinction in both the Post-Graduate Diploma in Law and Masters in Law from BPP University in London.

Victoria Watershoot

Victoria Waterschoot is a second-year student pursuing the Master of Arts in Transatlantic Affairs, a joint degree between the College of Europe and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where she specialized in Economics. She is driven by innovation, sustainability, and global affairs. She also holds three bachelor degrees in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Bocconi University. She has worked in various international environments, in social impact consulting, NGOs, and fintech. Today she is working in New York City at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, to help Swedish startups enter the US market and strengthen the transatlantic relationship.

Cecilia Van Lembergen

Cecilia Van Lembergen is a Master in Public Policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, supported by a scholarship from the Belgian American Educational Fund. She has served as a Teaching Assistant for Lawrence Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury, and Robert Lawrence, former Economic Advisor to President Clinton and Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute. She has also worked as a Research Assistant on digital currencies for Timothy Massad, former US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability, and on balance-of-payments crises for Juan Jimenez, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development for the Dominican Republic. Before HKS, Cecilia worked as an economic policy advisor to the Belgian ambassador at the E.U. and as a research assistant at the ifo Institute. She graduated from the London School of Economics with a BSc in Economics and Economic History.

Clément Vermelle

Clément Vermelle is a graduate student at MIT, with an engineering background from CentraleSupélec (France). His interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, finance, and public policy. He has professional experience in capital markets and applied machine learning, including work at Euronext and Porsche.

Isabella Long

Isabella Long is a graduate student at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where she focuses on transatlantic affairs, global governance, and public health. Her academic and professional work examines how U.S. and EU policy frameworks intersect on health equity, migration, and innovation policy, with an emphasis on translating research into actionable policy. She is a CDC John R. Lewis Scholar, with experience engaging public health research, prevention strategies, and equity-centered policy analysis. Her transatlantic background includes winning the 2025 EU Schuman Challenge for a policy proposal on EU governance and innovation, as well as selection as a 2026 Raisina Challenge participant, reflecting her interest in comparative global governance and multilateral problem-solving.

Her work bridges public health and international affairs, centering structural inequities, access to care, and the role of transatlantic cooperation in advancing inclusive and rights-based health policy.

Rebecca Vestager

Rebecca Vestager is an MPA candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School whose work focuses on trade policy, industrial strategy, and the green transition. Before HKS, she served in the British civil service, working on international energy transition cooperation and climate related trade policy across government and with global partners. Originally from Copenhagen, Rebecca holds a BA from the University of Cambridge and an MSc from the London School of Economics. Her academic and professional work has centred on political economy, geopolitics, and the governance of climate and trade.

Sofia Karagianni

Sofia is an MBA student at MIT Sloan School of Management focusing on all things finance. Prior to MIT, Sofia worked as a finance policy expert for Cleantech for Europe, a network of Europe’s foremost climate investors and climate scale-up companies aiming to help Europe reach its green industrial goals. She is a qualified lawyer (Athens Bar Association, Greece) and before joining Cleantech for Europe, she worked on EU climate and financial policy with leading international law firm K&L Gates in Brussels. Sofia is a member of the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion and has co-founded two initiatives focused on women’s economic empowerment.

Margaret Stadnicka

Harvard College 2029

Antonio Tintoré Vicent

Antonio Tintoré Vicent is a master’s student of Transatlantic Affairs between the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the College of Europe. He previously graduated in History and Economics from the University of Edinburgh. Currently based in Washington D.C., Antonio is working on topics of geoeconomics and trade at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and at the Asia Society Policy Institute. He has prior professional experience at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) and at the European Policy Information Center (EPICENTER). He has served as EU Youth Delegate to the G20 and is host of the College Security and Defence Podcast. Looking ahead, Antonio wants to contribute to the EU’s geopolitical strengthening, with a focus on relations with the US and China. 

Ilona Stukalo

Ilona Stukalo is a sophomore at Harvard College, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a secondary in Government. Outside of classes, Ilona is a case team lead for Behavioural Strategy Group, a Multivariable Calculus Course Assistant, and a peer tutor. This past summer, she interned at CFC Big Ideas, where she worked on the new Ukrainian lobbying law and assisted foreign clients wanting to enter Ukraine’s market, as well as at Kyiv School of Economics, where she researched citizen participation in municipalities. Ilona hopes to do economic development and post-war reconstruction in Ukraine.

Aldara Falcó de la Cierva

Aldara Falcó de la Cierva is a Master in Public Policy student at Harvard Kennedy School and a Fulbright Scholar from Spain. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Mathematics from the University of Vienna, as well as a Master’s in Teacher Training. Prior to HKS, Aldara taught Math and Science in underserved public schools through Teach For America’s Spanish partner, Empieza por Educar, and later worked as a socio-educational advisor at Innovamat, supporting education policy implementation and school-level reform in Spain and Brazil. Alongside her professional work, she has co-founded youth leadership and teacher training initiatives across Europe and Latin America. Aldara is interested in education, migration, and social equity policy, and plans to work in Spain or Europe designing evidence-based public policies that combine educational reform with broader social interventions.

Alejandro Andrés Álvarez Acuña

Alejandro Andrés Álvarez Acuña is an undergraduate at Tufts University studying International Relations with a focus on Peace & Justice Studies. His work centers on Europe-Latin America relations, particularly trade, governance, and environmental policy. Prior to Tufts, he attended United World College Maastricht, helping pioneer Jean Monnet-Erasmus+ initiatives expanding EU studies in international schools. At Tufts, he serves as President of the Latin American Committee and is a Laidlaw Leadership & Research Scholar, Human Rights Foundation Oslo Scholar, and member of the Institute for Global Leadership. Most recently, he worked with Costa Rica Íntegra, the national chapter of Transparency International, advancing youth civic engagement and co-facilitating an inter-party ethics pact alongside diplomatic missions including the European Union, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom ahead of the 2026 elections.

Bruno Ricketts

Bruno is an Austrian undergraduate at Tufts University studying International Relations, with a concentration in International Economics. He is co-founder and Communications Chair of Boston Risk Group, a student-run international risk consulting organization focused on geopolitical, economic and environmental policy analysis. He has worked at the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP), where he supported research on European and international policy issues. His academic and professional interests include trade policy, global risk, and the intersection of economics and foreign policy, with a strong commitment to sustainability and social justice within policymaking. He grew up in Vienna, home to major international institutions including the United Nations Office at Vienna, where developed an early interest in international affairs and global governance. Raised between Austria and the United States, he brings a transatlantic perspective to questions of public policy and global risk, and plans to pursue a career in international policy analysis or consulting focused on evidence-based, socially grounded policy design.

Camilla Magis

Camilla Magis is a German and Austrian graduate student in the joint Transatlantic Affairs program of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the College of Europe. In her studies, she focuses on international development and humanitarian affairs, as well as international trade and energy relations. She holds a First Class BSc in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Warwick, UK. Previously, she has interned at the International Trade Section of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, the BMW Group’s Corporate Protocol Team, and the Holy See Mission to the United Nations. Currently, she is working as a research assistant at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University, before she will begin her internship at the German Embassy in Santiago de Chile.

Valentina Morales

Valentina Morales is a graduate student in Transatlantic Affairs, a program offered jointly by the College of Europe and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She also holds a Master’s in European Union Law from Paris II Panthéon Assas and a Bachelor’s in Economics, Politics and Law from Dublin City University. Valentina is specialized in European and International environmental law and has interned in several law firms such as King & Spalding LLP or Omnia Legis LLP as well as embassies including the European Union Delegation to the United States of America and the Argentinian Embassy in France where she served as a political assistant. Her research focuses particularly on company law and sustainability, a topic that she has promoted as the President of environmental societies Jeunes Ambassadeurs pour le Climat, Collectif Démarqué and as a French Youth Delegate to the COP26.

Dr. Rakoen Maertens

Dr. Rakoen Maertens is a behavioral scientist specialized in the psychology of misinformation and behavioral public policy. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, receiving the CSAR Award for Applied Research and the Brenda A. Milner Award for best PhD publication, and is now the Juliana Cuyler Matthews Junior Research Fellow at New College, University of Oxford. His applied work includes collaborations with Google, the UN, the European Commission, and the UK Cabinet Office, with work published in leading journals such as Nature Communications and Behavior Research Methods. Next to his scientific work he holds an interest in European and American policymaking regarding Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), defense tech, and information sovereignty. Through his affiliation with the Oxford Internet Institute and a Fellowship at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy (Harvard Kennedy School), he is working to translate his research into practical policy recommendations with an interdisciplinary angle.

María San Miguel

Maria San Miguel is a graduate student in Human Rights and Humanitarianism at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. This year she joined the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University) and Harvard Law School as a visiting student, focusing on international law, accountability mechanisms, and conflict-related human rights violations. She has worked at the UK Parliament, the United Nations, and several NGOs, including The Borgen Project and BLAM UK, where she supports education rights and school-exclusion cases. Her research and advocacy centres on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, international humanitarian law, migration and human rights law. At the Harvard European Conference, she contributes as a co-organiser of the Democracy and Rule of Law panel.

Erik Dalaker

Erik Dalaker is a junior at Harvard College pursuing a B.A. in Economics and a concurrent M.A. in Modern Middle East Studies. He grew up on the small, remote Norwegian island of Rennesøy, but has always been drawn to global issues, particularly how to find common ground through diplomacy and international development. Previously, he worked full-time as a project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, interned in an Amman-based think tank, and served as a trainee for DG MENA in the European Commission. At Harvard, he co-founded and co-chaired the IOP Global Affairs Program and serves as the president of the Harvard Undergraduate Nordic Club.