CFR Welcomes 2024–25 Visiting Fellows

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) welcomes the 2024–25 visiting fellows to the David Rockefeller Studies Program. Selected fellows have the opportunity to broaden their perspective on foreign affairs through a year in residence at CFR.

The Fellowship Affairs program awarded thirty-three fellowships for the 2024−25 fellowship cycle. Ten of the 2024−25 fellows will spend their tenure at CFR: five military fellows, two Stanton nuclear security fellows, the national intelligence fellow, the Edward R. Murrow press fellow, and the inaugural technologist in residence. The remaining fellows will spend their fellowships at government agencies in the United States or at research centers or universities overseas.

EDWARD R. MURROW PRESS FELLOW 

Elise Labott is a journalist with a focus on U.S. foreign policy and global affairs. She is currently an adjunct professor at American University’s School of International Service and writes a Substack publication, Cosmopolitics. Labott is also the founder and editor in chief of Zivvy News, a nonprofit platform that engages youth in political and global issues. Previously, she was a contributing editor at Politico and a columnist for Foreign Policy. As CNN’s global affairs correspondent until 2018, Labott reported from over eighty countries and covered major global events, including the 9/11 attacks, the Arab Spring, and the rise of the Islamic State group. Her career includes reporting on conflicts and international crises, with notable contributions to CNN’s Freedom Project on human trafficking. Labott has also contributed her expertise to ABC News and Agence France-Presse, and she actively serves as a global ambassador for Vital Voices. She holds a BA in international relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MA in media studies from the New School of Social Research. 

MILITARY FELLOWS

Colonel Nathan M. Colvin, of the U.S. Army, is a strategist and CH-47 aviator. Colvin is an expert in conflict and cooperation, with a regional focus on Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Caucasus. He recently completed a public policy fellowship at the College of William & Mary and is a PhD candidate in international studies at Old Dominion University. Colvin has served in key operational roles, including leading the Strategic Plans and Policy Office at the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command and serving as chief of wargaming at Army Futures Command. He has deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve in Eastern Europe and served as a maneuver planner in Afghanistan and Iraq. Colvin’s education includes studies at the Command and General Staff College, Embry-Riddle University, Central Michigan University, Old Dominion University, the United Kingdom’s Defense Academy, and the Ohio State University. 

Captain Thomas P. O’Donnell, of the U.S. Navy, is a submariner and expert in maritime strategy. O’Donnell is currently focused on the U.S. Navy’s role in the Western Pacific, the potential of unmanned systems, and the maritime industrial base. His sea duty assignments include commanding Submarine Squadron 12 in Groton, Connecticut, and the USS Oklahoma City in Guam. He has also served on the USS Providence, USS Virginia, and USS Maryland. Ashore, O’Donnell has held key roles such as director of the Commander’s Action Group at U.S. Strategic Command, and flag aide to senior naval leaders in Washington, DC, and Naples, Italy. He holds a BS in ocean engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MA in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College. 

Captain Tina Peña, of the U.S. Coast Guard, is an aviation and operations specialist. Peña most recently served as the chief of staff for the Seventh Coast Guard District, overseeing operations in the Southeast United States and the Caribbean basin. She has commanded Coast Guard Air Stations in Borinquen, Puerto Rico, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and served as the aviation engineer at Air Station Miami. Peña’s career also includes roles as assistant aviation engineer at Air Station Atlantic City and deck watch officer on the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton. She is an experienced pilot with over 3,600 flight hours in H-65 and H6-0 helicopters and holds multiple Federal Aviation Administration ratings. Peña has a BS in business administration from the University of Florida, an MPA from Troy University, an MS from Purdue University, and an MSS from the U.S. Air Force Air War College. 

Colonel Todd E. Randolph, of the U.S. Air Force, is a seasoned leader with extensive command experience. Most recently, he commanded the 316th Wing at Joint Base Andrews, where he oversaw operations supporting five flying wings, three higher headquarters, and over eighty tenant organizations. Prior to this, Randolph led the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group at Cannon Air Force Base, ensuring mission readiness for the wing. His career includes roles as acting deputy director of force management policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as deputy chief of the airman and family care division at Headquarters Air Force. After enlisting in 1989, Randolph served in the mental health career field before commissioning as an officer in 2000. He has also held positions as executive officer for the Thunderbirds and as legislative fellow for Senator Ben Nelson. During a deployment to Iraq, Randolph worked with the Iraqi government on border security and economic initiatives. He holds an MS in national security strategy from the National War College. 

Colonel Wilfred Rivera, of the U.S. Marine Corps, is a seasoned leader with a wealth of experience in military operations and international strategy. Rivera has commanded at various levels, including roles at Marine Depot Maintenance Command and Combat Logistics Battalion 15. His career includes peacekeeping operations in Africa, security partnerships across Asia, the Levant, and Europe, and combat and disaster-response efforts in the Middle East. Rivera has worked with organizations like the United Nations, NATO, and U.S. European Command, navigating complex strategic and policy challenges. After deploying to ninety countries and living in locations like Rome, Okinawa, and Stuttgart, Rivera has a deep understanding of global security issues. His service has earned him the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and induction into the Puerto Rico Distinguished Veteran’s Hall of Fame. Rivera’s education includes studies at Texas A&M University, Troy State University, Georgetown University, and Harvard Business School. 

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE FELLOW 

Scott Sarlin is deputy assistant director of national intelligence for mission performance, analysis, and collection at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. 

STANTON NUCLEAR SECURITY FELLOWS  

Shuxian Luo, currently on leave from her role as an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, specializes in China’s foreign and security policies, maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, and U.S.-China relations, with a particular emphasis on crisis management. At CFR, she is examining China’s approach to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and Beijing’s stance on multilateral negotiations. Luo has previously held positions as a China fellow at the Wilson Center, an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College, a Hans J. Morgenthau fellow at the Notre Dame International Security Center, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Brookings Institution, and an adjunct lecturer at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. She holds a PhD in international affairs from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. 

Jonathan Panter will explore the impact of unmanned systems and automation on maritime crisis management and escalation dynamics. Panter served as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, with two deployments supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. He has completed all requirements for his PhD in political science from Columbia University and wrote a dissertation, The Illogic of Naval Forward Presence, which investigates why the U.S. Navy prioritizes operational readiness over structural readiness. He holds a BA in government from Cornell University. 

TECHNOLOGIST IN RESIDENCE

Sebastian Elbaum is a professor in the department of computer science at the University of Virginia, where he cofounded and coleads the Lab for Engineering Safe Software. His research focuses on developing dependable systems through domain-specific analysis techniques and safe autonomous systems, including those with learned components. Elbaum has been recognized as a fellow by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery for his work on testing and analyzing evolving and robotic systems. He has received numerous awards, including a National Science Foundation Career Award and a Google Faculty Research Award. Before joining the University of Virginia, he was a professor at the University of Nebraska, where he cofounded the E2 Software Engineering Lab and the Nimbus Robotics Lab. Elbaum also cofounded Drone Amplified, Inc., and has served on program committees for top conferences and as an editor for prominent journals. He holds a PhD from the University of Idaho and a systems engineering degree from Universidad Catolica de Cordoba in Argentina. 

Visiting fellowships are an integral part of CFR’s efforts to develop talent by supporting scholar-practitioners in the field of foreign policy. The International Affairs Fellowship (IAF), established in 1967, counts more than six hundred alumni. Over the years, CFR has hosted more than 180 military fellows and more than 76 Edward R. Murrow press fellows. Among CFR’s military fellowship alumni, who come to CFR at the captain or colonel rank, more than half have gone on to be promoted to admiral or general. 

Learn more about CFR’s fellowship program at https://www.cfr.org/fellowships.

To request an interview or more information, please contact the Global Communications and Media Relations team at 212.434.9888 or [email protected].