I was a research intern for IWP this summer. I, along with fellow interns Brandon Fedock and Mitchell Basham, did a research project for Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz and Dr. John Tierney. Our project was to research books and articles on geopolitics and international relations and help create one general book on these subjects. When finished, this book will be used in IWP classes to help students understand geopolitics. I specifically focused on the different theories of international relations and how they relate to current events. I gained a lot of experience from this project, such as reading, analyzing, and writing hundreds of pages of information on these subjects.
In addition to being a research intern, I also worked with Anna Given and Dr. John Lenczowski for administrative work. My project was to go over and digitize Dr. Lenczowski’s notes. Dr. Lenczowski has collected vast amounts of articles and conference notes, and it was great helping preserve these documents which served as the inspiration for IWP. I really enjoyed going over these documents, many of which go back decades, and seeing how accurate they were with their predictions. It also helped me get to know Dr. Lenczowski better. He has a lot of knowledge and a great sense of mission when it comes to IWP.
During my internship, I was also able to grow in many other experiences. Our internship involved visiting many conferences, events, embassies, and other important places in Washington D.C. My favorite event was attending NATO in a New Era, an event hosted by the Foreign Policy magazine on the 75th anniversary of NATO. It was fascinating listening to congressmen, defense ministers, and other policymakers reveal the changing mission of NATO and foreign policy. I also took two IWP graduate classes: International Relations, Statecraft, and Integrated Strategy taught by Dr. John Callahan, and Public Diplomacy taught by Dr. Caitlin Schindler. I enjoyed both of these classes since they broadened my mind and helped me know more about these topics.
My experience with this internship was beyond exceptional. Every day of the three months I was here was always interesting, exciting, and helpful. From meeting talented people, walking around all of D.C., and partaking in research through projects and classes, I can without a doubt say this internship was enormously beneficial to me and my career. Lastly, I would like to thank Missy Pratt, the director of the internship program, for making this internship experience the best it could possibly be.
Nathan Meiers
IWP National Security and International Affairs Research Intern, Summer 2024
From Benedictine College
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