2026 Publius Fellows
Jasper Boers is the Senior Research Associate and Chief of Staff for Professor Graham Allison, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and Douglas Dillon Professor of Government. He leads Professor Allison’s research agenda on the Avoiding Great Power War Project, focusing on U.S.-China competition and major issues in American grand strategy, including global force posture, alliance management, and emerging technologies. He studies Mandarin Chinese at an advanced level and his writing has appeared in American Affairs and Palladium Magazine. Jasper holds a B.A. in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University and an M.A. in Global Affairs from Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, where he was a Schwarzman Scholar.
Jack Burch is a Special Assistant in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration at the U.S. to Department of State. He graduated from the University of Dallas where he received a B.A. in English. He is originally from Phoenix, Arizona.
Blayne Clegg is Rapid Response Director and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State. He most recently served as Rapid Response Director for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Prior to that, he served as Digital and Deputy Communications Director in the House of Representatives after leaving CRC Advisors, where he was a Digital Account Executive. Blayne attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Born in California, his words have been published in Townhall, National Review, and elsewhere.
Jonah Davids is Co-Founder and Director of Research at DeepAudit, a nonprofit developing AI tools for institutional analysis and policymaking. He is also a Research Fellow at The America Fund, where he researches and advises on K–12 education policy. Previously, Davids was a Research Fellow at Maine Policy Institute and the Director of Communications at the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology. His writing on education, AI, and ideological bias has appeared in City Journal and The American Mind.
Thomas English is a writer and journalist based in Washington, D.C. He most recently served as an editor at the Daily Caller, where he also hosted a YouTube series on political, cultural, and historical topics. Previously, he covered technology and federal oversight as a reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation. Thomas holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Georgia and interned for Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-01) on Capitol Hill. His interests include literature, Victorian history, technology, and political philosophy.
Jacob Hiles currently works at the Department of Labor. Previously, he interned for The Conservative Partnership Institute where he participated in American Moment’s Foundations of American Statecraft, The American Conservative’s Constitutional Fellows Program, and the Heritage Academy. Jacob is currently a fellow at American Moment’s Frontiers fellowship on reindustrialization. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Political Science and Philosophy.
Jackson Hines is a Policy Advisor at Checkmate Government Relations who specializes in developing policy solutions for a wide range of clients including numerous Fortune 100 companies that are trying to secure strong relationships with the Trump Administration. Previously Jackson spent the 2024 election cycle as an Advisor and body man to the Secretary of Health and Human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. During his time on the campaign trail, he spent every day of the campaign assisting the candidate with various policy and political decisions which ultimately led to the endorsement of President Trump where Jackson continued in his role as an advisor through the transition process ultimately culminating in Secretary Kennedy’s confirmation.
John Huggins is an analyst for America First Legal Foundation (AFL), a public interest law firm based in Washington DC. Prior to AFL, he was an American Moment fellow for Vice President JD Vance’s Senate office. John covers various issue areas within government oversight, such as immigration, foreign policy, internet censorship, and government waste, fraud, and abuse. John graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Purdue University with a B.A. in political science and a M.A. in history.
Theodore Madrid is a PhD candidate in politics at the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship at Hillsdale College. His dissertation, “John Carroll and Religious Liberty; Catholicism and the American Founding,” examines the rapprochement of Roman Catholic and American liberal principles. He is the incoming Director of the Politics and Public Service program at Holy Cross College in South Bend, where he will also serve as an assistant professor. His scholarly work has appeared in Religions Journal, Forma Journal, and Public Discourse. He has presented research at various academic forums, including the American Catholic Philosophical Association at the University of Notre Dame, the Midwest Political Science Association, and the CSWF during the United Nations 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. He holds an M.A. in Politics from Hillsdale College, a B.A. in Philosophy and Humanities from the Pontifical College Josephinum, and a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Innovation from The Ohio State University.
Mackenzie Moreno is the Founder and President of Starboard USA, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and developing high-potential young leaders for elite academic and professional pathways. She previously interned as a Talent Management and Organizational Capability Fellow at Marriott International and as a Research Associate at Vantage Leadership Consulting, where she gained experience in talent assessment and selection. Mackenzie holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from DePaul University. Her interests include media ecology, succession planning, and the psychology of morality.
Caleb Nunes is an undergraduate at Northwestern University, graduating this Spring with an Honors B.S in chemical engineering and minor in economics. In addition to pursuing his degree, he co-founded and served as chairman of Northwestern’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter, while also publishing essays and articles on American politics and culture. His writing can be found in The Daily Northwestern, Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, Tom Klingenstein.com, National Review Online, and The Patriot Post, where he was a regular columnist.
Alexandre Reza is a graduate student in political theory at the University of Chicago, where his research focuses on the thought of Leo Strauss and Carl Schmitt. Prior to enrolling in the master’s program, he studied philosophy as an undergraduate at the same institution. This past summer, he interned at the White House in the Office of the Vice President, where he worked for the speechwriting and policy team. He also studied at the French grande école Sciences Po and his writing has appeared in both French and English publications, including in Le Point and Atlas News.
Samuel Silvestro is the Assistant Editor at American Compass. Since joining American Compass, he has helped oversee the launch and publication of Commonplace, an online magazine dedicated to examining the issues that matter in America. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Eve Velasquez is a Research Associate at the Cicero Institute. Previously, she was a Law & Policy Fellow at the Cicero Institute, where she focused on healthcare reform and nutrition policy. She holds an M.P.P. from Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, specializing in Applied Economics and International Relations & National Security, and a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Political Theory from California State University, Long Beach. A graduate of the Health Reformers Academy, she focuses on advancing free-market healthcare solutions through evidence-based policy research. She presented original research at the Cato Institute’s Health Policy Workshop and at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s Summit on American Politics and Government. She serves on the Steamboat Institute’s Emerging Leaders Council. At Pepperdine, she served as Vice President of the John Quincy Adams Society and as an editor of the Pepperdine Policy Review.
