2024 Publius Fellows

Rachel Altman is External Relations Manager for the American Institute for Economic Research. AIER educates people on the value of personal freedom, free enterprise, property rights, limited government, and sound money. In her spare time, Rachel is a home baker and a freelance writer (most recently for The New Atlantis). She graduated from Tulane University with degrees in Political Economy and Marketing.

Lauren Baldwin is a Government Relations Coordinator at the Conservative Partnership Institute in Washington, D.C. Previously, she worked on family, life, religious liberty, and parental rights issues as a Policy Analyst at the America First Policy Institute and as a Legislative Aide for Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar. Lauren is a graduate of The American Conservative’s Constitutional Fellowship Program. In 2021, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Alabama, where she served as Executive Director for the College Republican Federation of Alabama.

Poppy Coburn is Assistant Comment Editor at The Telegraph newspaper, Britain’s largest conservative broadsheet. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with a B.A. (Hons) in History and Politics, with a particular focus on the work of political philosopher Thomas Hobbes. While at Cambridge, Poppy was elected to sit as a representative on the University Council board and debated as a guest at the Cambridge Union. She previously worked at GB News as a primetime producer, and her writing has been featured in The Telegraph, The Express, UnHerd, and PoliticsHome.

Pierson Furnish is Senior Counsel in Speaker Mike Johnson’s congressional office. Prior to joining Speaker Johnson’s staff, he was a Counsel on the House Committee on the Judiciary under Chairman Jim Jordan. Before this, Mr. Furnish spent two years as a Personal Aide and Legislative Correspondent to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley. He also currently serves as Parliamentarian for the Washington, D.C. Young Republicans. He earned his J.D. from Marquette University Law School and holds a B.S. in Business Management and B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University.

Alex Gorman is a Legislative Correspondent for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley. Prior to his time on the Hill, he worked for the Ethics and Public Policy Center and was a Fellow for American Statecraft with American Moment in 2022. Mr. Gorman holds a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy from Benedictine College.

Michael Hensley is an Account Executive at ATHOS, a leading public relations and literary firm based in Washington, D.C. He was previously Deputy Communications Director for Arizona senatorial candidate Blake Masters. He was a fall fellow in The American Conservative’s Constitutional Fellows Program in 2023. Originally from Florida, Mr. Hensley earned his B.S. in Political Science from Florida State University, with a minor in Business and a certificate in U.S. Intelligence Studies.

Patricia Patnode is a Research Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a Junior Fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. Patricia is a regular contributor for The Cedar Rapids Gazette and The Conservator, among other publications. She received a B.A. from Loras College in her home state of Iowa and teaches ice skating lessons in her spare time.

Sebastian Pestritto is an Associate Programs Officer with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Before working for ISI, he spent a year in seminary formation with the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. Sebastian is a graduate of Hillsdale College, where he earned a B.A. in Politics and Theatre, graduating in the spring of 2022. His work in ISI’s educational programs arm is focused on supplementing the education of conservative students on college campuses across the country.

Gregory Price is Communications Director for the State Freedom Caucus Network, which is building freedom caucuses in state legislatures nationwide. He previously was a social media manager and writer for The Daily Caller and Senior Digital Strategist for the conservative political consulting company X Strategies LLC. A native of Philadelphia, he holds B.A.s in Political Science and English from Sacred Heart University, where he was also a goalie on the lacrosse team. 

Thomas Redder is a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force and Washington Air National Guard. He serves as the commander of the 141st Engineering and Emergency Management flights. He is responsible for the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threat response and training for the 141st Air Refueling Wing. His leadership extends to transforming the Emergency Management flight into a special operations unit capable of countering advanced WMDs. He also serves as a civil engineer and project manager, with projects worth tens of millions of dollars. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Eastern Washington University.

Clay Robinson is an Associate at Winged Victory Agency, a Phoenix-based political consulting firm specializing in strategic communications, messaging, campaigns, and public affairs. He co-founded the Western Tribune, a digital publication aimed at restoring local journalism in the American Southwest. Mr. Robinson has also served in the Arizona National Guard since enlisting in 2020. Mr. Robinson received a B.S. in Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Political Science, and Innovation in Society from Arizona State University’s Barrett, the Honors College. He is currently a graduate student at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, pursuing an M.G.M with an emphasis in Public Policy.

Dominick Sansone is a Ph.D. student at Hillsdale College. He is a previous Fulbright grant recipient to Bulgaria and holds a Diploma in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy. His writing on international relations is published regularly at outlets such as The American Conservative, The American Mind, and Asia Times. Before attending graduate school, he also served as Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Harry Scherer is Communications Associate at Americans United for Life and a contributing editor of The American Conservative. He previously worked as the Intercollegiate Studies Institute fellow at TAC and as editorial assistant for Sohrab Ahmari’s Tyranny, Inc. (Penguin Random House, 2023). He is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he graduated summa cum laude with majors in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE), history, and Latin.