Cornellian selected for Gaither Fellows Program

By Ben Badua, Creative Content Manager

Rafaela Uzan, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences has been selected to join the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Uzan is just one of 16 students who were chosen from hundreds of applications submitted from participating colleges and universities nationwide.

“My long-term goal is to work at the intersection of academia, policy and journalism,” said Uzan, who is the 15th Cornellian to be honored since 2000. “Working as a Junior Fellow for the Europe Program next year will equip me with the knowledge, tools and experience necessary to set these goals in motion.”

The Carnegie Endowment is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement in the United States. 

Each year, approximately 15 graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year, are awarded a one-year paid internship in Washington, D.C. Fellows serve as research assistants on projects ranging from democracy building to migration and international economics. They also have the opportunity to conduct research or contribute to briefings, congressional testimonies, op-eds, and other publications.

“Rafaela stood out in the endorsement process due to her incredible depth of academic and lived knowledge of European Politics,” said Krista Saleet, Cornell's director of Student and Campus Life initiatives and employment experiences and director of national fellowships advising, whose office helped process and endorse Uzan’s application. “Her experience has perfectly situated her to contribute to the Carnegie's mission at this unique moment in international politics.”

A double major in government and German Studies with minors in history and European Studies, Uzan was raised in a Franco-American household in Paris. She began studying German at an early age before participating in homestays and trips to Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna and Hamburg during her high school career.

At Cornell, Uzan continued to hone her German language skills while learning more about the culture and society of one of Europe’s leading economies. She is currently working on an honors thesis with her advisor and chair of the German Studies department, Elke Siegel, that examines the history, debates and shortcomings of Germany’s approach to the past and how it has shaped the country’s national identity, internal politics and foreign policy decisions.

Uzan has also served as a policy and advocacy intern for New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and at Freedom House, a non-profit advocacy organization that advances policies that strengthens democracy and defends human rights.

In the summer of 2024, Uzan worked as a Europe Studies intern for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). While at the CFR, Uzan worked closely with historian and political scientist Liana Fix, and provided research and editing support for her forthcoming book on the history of German foreign policy. Uzan also helped Fix publish an article on the relationship between the European Union and Russia, and has served as a research assistant for Cornell assistant professor Isabel Perera in the Department of Government.

“I am excited to learn from scholars on Carnegie’s Europe program who are researching topics like European defense policy or the rise of far-right politics across Europe,” said Uzan. “These questions fascinate me and given the uncertain and volatile geopolitical climate, they have never been more crucial.”