Our Team
Matt Korda
Matt Korda is co-director of Foreign Policy Generation and a Research Associate for the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, where he co-authors the Nuclear Notebook, an authoritative estimate of global nuclear forces. Previously, he worked for the Arms Control, Disarmament, and WMD Non-Proliferation Centre at NATO HQ in Brussels.
He received his MA in International Peace & Security from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where he subsequently worked as a Research Assistant on nuclear deterrence and strategic stability. He also completed an internship with the Verification, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) in London, where he focused on nuclear security and safeguards.
Matt’s research interests and recent publications focus on nuclear deterrence and disarmament, missile defense, and the nexus between nuclear weapons, climate change, and injustice. He is a 2018 alumnus of IGCC’s Public Policy and Nuclear Threats Boot Camp, a 2019 alumnus of the Wilson Center’s Nuclear History Boot Camp, and a 2019 CSIS Nuclear Scholar.
Find Matt on Twitter @mattkorda
Abigail Stowe-Thurston
Abigail Stowe-Thurston is co-director of Foreign Policy Generation and a nuclear weapons policy researcher in Washington DC. Previously, she was a Program Coordinator at the Council for a Livable World, where she engaged congressional staff on U.S. nuclear weapons policy. She has also held positions at the Federation of American Scientists and the Friends Committee on National Legislation. In 2019, she participated in the CSIS Nuclear Scholars Initiative, and she is a member of the Truman National Security Project's class of 2020. Abigail has published analysis on nuclear issues, including in NK News, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and Teen Vogue. She also has extensive experience studying and working internationally, including in Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. She graduated from Macalester College with a B.A. in Russian Studies and a minor in Political Science. She was awarded two State Department scholarships for intensive language study in Russia and Azerbaijan, and was the recipient of the Macalester College Presidential Leadership Award.
Find Abigail on Twitter @astowethurston.
Leona (Leo) Amosah
A graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Leona Amosah earned their BA in Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literature with a focus in Russian language as well as Global Studies with a focus in international politics. Leona began their career in Washington, D.C. working with the Friends Committee on National Legislation as the Young Adult Program’s Outreach Coordinator. Leona then worked for Rep. Jamie Raskin as the Deputy Director of Democracy Summer, a program designed to engage young people in electoral politics and social justice issues. Leona went on to put their Russian language skills to use as the Program Assistant for the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. A proud vegan, Leona advocates for all animals as the ASPCA’s Advocacy Content Coordinator. They are also passionate about LGBTQ+ rights issues. During their free time, Leona loves singing karaoke and reading Russian literature.
Find Leona on Twitter @LeoAmosah
Matt Currie
Matt Currie is a secondary school teacher and community educator based in Toronto. Matt previously worked as the campaign, chapters, and communications coordinator at Meal Exchange, a national charity focusing on food systems, food justice, and youth empowerment on Canada's post-secondary campuses. He has also worked as a project coordinator and policy developer in Ontario's public healthcare system, working on issues including medical assistance in dying, patient and family education, and alternative public funding models. Matt holds undergraduate degrees in history, theater, and teaching from Brock University, and received his MBA from McMaster University where he specialized in health service management and public health policy development. Matt is also a campaigner and community builder, working on issues such as food security, refugee justice, and civil liberties. Matt served as the executive coordinator of Stop C-51: Toronto, a grassroots campaigning organization working to address government overreach at the intersection of Canadian anti-terror legislation, privacy, and civil liberties. He also served as one-on-one mentor and classroom teacher at the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, where he worked with newly arrived refugees to help them learn English, study for the Canadian citizenship exams, and build connections in their communities.
Find Matt on Twitter @mdtcurrie
Christian Sterling Haig
Stirling Haig is a risk forecaster and strategic trends researcher with the Risk and Foresight Group at CSIS. Before CSIS, he served as a visiting Scoville Fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council. There, he worked on the nexus of climate change and national security, focusing on climate risk forecasting for defense installations and issues in DOD installation management procedures. He received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina, graduating with honors and highest distinction for his thesis on energy technology transfer as a cooperative mechanism in Arctic geopolitics. A Norwegian-American dual citizen from climate-vulnerable South Florida and the Arctic, he has been a youth climate advocate, LGBT+ activist, and amateur sculptor.
Catherine Killough
Catherine Killough is the Advocacy and Leadership Coordinator of Women Cross DMZ, a global movement of women mobilizing for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Previously, she was the Roger L. Hale Fellow at Ploughshares Fund, the largest US philanthropic organization focused on nuclear security, where she helped build and manage an advocacy coalition in support of US-North Korea diplomacy. Catherine’s work and commentary have appeared in national and international outlets, including the Washington Post, LA Times, Yonhap, Stars and Stripes, Newsweek, Al Jazeera, and Bustle. She has published in Foreign Policy, The National Interest, 38 North, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, and more. Catherine has prior experience interning in the State Department’s Office of Korean Affairs and the National Committee on North Korea. She holds an MA in Asian Studies from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a BA in English Literature from the University of Arizona.
Find Catherine on Twitter @CatKillough
Jennifer Knox
Jennifer Knox is a Research Associate at George Washington University's Institute for Science and Technology Policy. She recently completed a fellowship in the Congressional Nuclear Security Working Group, where she worked on honing legislative strategies for nonproliferation and the security of radiological materials. Previously, she supported policy programs and grassroots engagement on nuclear security issues as a research assistant at Global Zero. She earned her Master of Philosophy in International Relations at the University of Oxford.
Susan Nahvi
Susan Nahvi is currently a Major Gifts Officer with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobbying organization that advocates for peace, justice, and better stewardship of the environment. She travels throughout the U.S. to meet with FCNL’s supporters, connecting them with opportunities to support FCNL’s work. Previously, Susan worked for Human Rights First as their National Security Assistant. With HRF, she advocated for greater respect for human rights in the U.S.’s national security policies, specifically to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, rein in executive overreach on the use of force, and improve efforts to protect civilians during conflicts. Previously, Susan advocated for peace and social justice issues as a Program Assistant with FCNL. She cultivated her passion for human rights work and foreign policy by pursuing her bachelor’s degree in international relations at Penn State University.
Find Susan on Twitter @susan_nahvi
Ashley Pratt
Ashley Pratt is a strategic account executive at Sayari, a public records data intelligence firm based in D.C. Previously, she conducted open-source research in English- and Spanish-speaking jurisdictions. She received her master’s degree in International Relations from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where she wrote a dissertation applying the principles of just war, particularly jus ad bellum, to insurgencies. Ashley previously graduated with honors from Arkansas State University. Her research interests include insurgency, post-structuralism, just war theory, and gender-based analysis of international relations. She also produces and hosts the Women in Foreign Policy podcast.
Find Ashley on Twitter @vaguelyacademic
Sam Ratner
Sam Ratner is a founding editor of Fellow Travelers Blog and a contributing editor at Zitamar News, where he covers southeast African security issues. He also writes the weekly global security newsletter Critical State for Inkstick Media and Public Radio International's The World. He earned his MPA in international security policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. He lives in Brooklyn.
Find Sam on Twitter @samratner
Namratha Somayajula
Namratha Somayajula is a program associate at a human rights organization in Washington, DC, where she supports a team of researchers and advocates working to document and prevent human rights abuses in the global economy. Prior to her current role, she was a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow with ReThink Media’s peace and security collaborative, and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon in 2017. At the University of Oregon, she pursued her passion for social justice and human rights through the Carnegie Global Oregon ethics initiative, the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights, and as an intern and teaching assistant for the Inside-Out Prison Education Program.
Find Namratha on Twitter @namratha_soma
Laila Ujayli
Laila Ujayli works on the intersection of narrative and policy, concentrating on the representation of the Middle East in popular media and the human impact of U.S. foreign policy in the region. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Film Aesthetics at the University of Oxford as a 2019 Rhodes Scholar. As a former Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow at Win Without War, Laila worked on reimagining U.S. security spending to invest in the tools necessary to confront today and tomorrow’s major challenges. She is particularly interested in the use of storytelling to engage the public on global issues and her screenplays have placed in several competitions. Laila received a double B.S. with honors from the Ohio State University in International Relations and English.
Find Laila on Twitter @lailaujayli
Members of this working group participated in an individual capacity. Members endorse the general approach of the policy platform but not necessarily every provision.