WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 27, 2025) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) is proud to announce the 2025 class of its National Security & Counterterrorism Fellowship (NSCT), the fifth cohort since the program’s inception in 2019.
Designed by former Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center Nicholas Rasmussen and executed in partnership with the National Security College of the Australian National University (ANU), the NSCT Fellowship brings together a group of the most promising rising leaders engaged in national security and counterterrorism work from the countries that comprise the Five Eyes intelligence alliance: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“These 16 new fellows represent some of the brightest young minds working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to manage security priorities across the Five Eyes partner nations,” said McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas. “The McCain Institute is proud to help equip this group of national security and counterterrorism professionals with a comprehensive network of peers committed to public service and national security, as well as the hands-on skills to combat future global security threats.”
The 2025 cohort of NSCT fellows includes 16 young leaders – nine women and seven men – who hail from a wide array of different agencies, departments, and organizations, including the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Home Office, the Australian Government, and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“The network of personal and professional relationships forged during this 2025 Cohort Year will endure long beyond the program’s three one-week modules,” said Nicholas Rasmussen, who serves as Senior Advisor for National Security and Leadership Programs at the Institute. “As the FVEY partner nations grapple with an increasingly complex security environment that includes threats from malign state actors, international terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations, it is more important than ever that cooperation and coordination across the FVEY community be deepened.”
This program provides mentorship, networking, and professional development experiences for the fellows who have been chosen based on a track record of leadership, distinction, and achievement in national security and counterterrorism.
The 2025 NSCT Fellows include:
United States:
- Anthony D’Amato – U.S. Government
- Austin Doctor – National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
- Will DuVal – U.S. Army
- Kasey McElhinny – U.S. Department of State
- Claire Morley – City of New York
- Aoibheann Thinnes – U.S. Department of Defense
Canada:
- Canadian Fellow
United Kingdom:
- Oliver Dixon – UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
- Charles L. – UK Government
- Harriet P. – UK Government
- Jonathan W. – Counter Terrorism Policing/Home Office, UK
Australia:
- Robert A. – Australian Government
- Siobhan H. – Australian Government
- Jennifer Jackett – National Security College, Australia National University
- Rohana P. – Australian Government
New Zealand:
- Emma Rennie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)
The 2025 cohort is the program’s fifth group of fellows, which now includes an enduring professional network of 73 individuals across the FVEYs.
“The NSCT Fellowship provided unparalleled access to learn from security leaders from across Five Eyes governments,” said a 2024 NSCT Fellow from Australia. “Each person’s generosity in sharing their knowledge, reflecting on lessons learned, and openly discussing challenges that helped them grow in their own career has not only stoked my own consideration of the leader I want to be but also given me the confidence to strive for positive change in the workplace.”
Throughout the 2025 calendar year, the cohort will convene for a full week of events and programming in Washington, D.C., March 16-21, in Canberra and Wellington in late summer, and in London in the early winter.
Learn more about the McCain Institute National Security & Counterterrorism Fellowship here.
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs defend democracy, advance human rights and freedom, and empower character-driven leaders. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
