GRADUATE FELLOWS

RITWIK GUPTA

Ritwik Gupta is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley focused on AI for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response. His research on exploiting multi-modal satellite to understand building damage after disasters, shining a light on illegal fishing operations, and aiding first responders in evacuating in complex situations has been deployed worldwide by hundreds of agencies and governments such as CAL FIRE, the United Nations, the Red Cross, and more.In addition to his academic work, Ritwik serves as the Deputy Technical Director for Autonomy at the Defense Innovation Unit within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. In this role, he works to bring innovative technologies and capabilities into the DoD to support complex mission needs. Prior to joining Berkeley, Ritwik was a principal investigator at Carnegie Mellon University for AI for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response.

    Sarah Barrington

    Sarah Barrington is an Engineer, Data Scientist, and PhD student at the UC Berkeley School of Information supervised by Professor Hany Farid. Her research spans artificial intelligence, digital forensics and online harms, and has been published in an array of venues ranging from Nature Scientific Reports to the Vision Sciences Society annual meeting. Previously, Sarah graduated from Cambridge University with First Class Honors in Engineering (BA, MEng, MA), before working at McLaren as an Associate Engineer and Data Scientist in the Modelling & Decision Sciences function. Sarah is a current Berkeley Fellowship Awardee and Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity Research Fellow, and has previously held the 2022 US-UK Fulbright award for Data and Analytics alongside multiple other awards.

      Will Lukach

      Will Lukach is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, with an expected graduation in May 2025. Alongside his academic pursuits, he serves as the author of “The Berkeley Brief,” a newsletter focused on defense technology and geopolitics, catering to the interests of the Berkeley student community. Prior to his MBA studies, Will had a 12-year career as an F-15E pilot in the US Air Force – most recently serving as an instructor at the US Air Force Weapons School, where the nation’s top aviators, space and cyber operators, and intelligence professionals train together for the world’s most challenging combat scenarios. Previously, Will graduated from Northwestern with a M.S. in Predictive Analytics and Washington University in St. Louis, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

        Shira Cohen

        Shira E. Cohen is a Political Science Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in International Relations and Methods. Her research interests include military strategy, emerging technologies, and religion. Shira holds degrees from the B.A. Honors Track in Security, Strategy, and Decision-Making and from the M.A. thesis track in Government at Reichman University. She worked as a research assistant at the Institute for the Study of Intelligence Methodology, the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, and the Strategic Planning Department at IDF Planning Directorate. She is also a member of the International Student/Young Pugwash leadership team. Among her publications, she published an article on the first international crisis of AI in the West Point Journal of Politics and Security.

          Mengyu Han

          Mengyu Han (she/her) is a first-year MPP student at the Goldman School of Public Policy. She is interested in the intersection of technology policy and international policy, specifically in 5G development and related industrial policies. 

            Gwyneth hutchinson

            Gwyneth Hutchinson is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Bioengineering focused on cell and tissue engineering for translatable human health applications. In her role as a Graduate Fellow at the Berkeley Risk and Security Lab, she pursues pioneering research focused on biosecurity and radiation threats. Her work is dedicated to deepening our understanding of these critical issues, aiming to shape effective strategies and policies. Through her research, she provides essential guidance and informed recommendations to national stakeholders and policymakers, facilitating informed decision-making in the face of complex security challenges. In addition to her scientific and policy research, Gwyneth sits on the Board of Directors for Aspire Education where she helps to serve Bay Area communities through literacy and academic programming for struggling students. Prior to her doctoral work, Gwyneth worked as a biologist and bioengineer across academic, industry, and government sectors where she spearheaded research projects across a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines from advancing women’s reproductive health to exploring the production of biosynthetic pharmaceuticals for deep space missions. She has published in Nature Microgravity and Nature Sustainability and recently received a NASA Agency Honor for Group Achievement for her time at the NASA CUBES STRI.