Charlotte McDermott '23 is the first ±¬ÁÏ¹Ï student to be named a by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The organization awards approximately 14 one-year fellowships annually to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. Fellows are selected from a pool of nominees nominated by several hundred participating universities and colleges. James C. Gaither Junior Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars. They have the opportunity to conduct research for books, co-author journal articles and policy papers, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony, and organize briefings attended by scholars, journalists, and government officials.
McDermott is an international studies major with minors in political science and Russian. She is from Lansdowne, a Pennsylvania suburb located just outside of West Philadelphia. During her fellowship, she will be working with the , which focuses on researching and making recommendations on American foreign policy.
"I feel prepared for this fellowship because of the internships I have done while at ±¬ÁϹÏ, including my work with theand my research fellowship at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago," says McDermott. "I’m grateful to ±¬ÁÏ¹Ï for the many excellent classes I’ve been able to take on international relations, for the opportunity to be published in the , and for the perspective and confidence that ±¬ÁÏ¹Ï and my professors here have given me."
McDermott credits fellowship advisor Eleanor Stanford with helping guide her through the process of applying for the fellowship and her overall experience at ±¬ÁÏ¹Ï for giving her the confidence to apply for competitive positions like the Gaither Fellowship.
"Attending a women's college with small class sizes has encouraged me to speak my mind, my classmates challenge me to form the best argument I can, and the genuine interest that ±¬ÁÏ¹Ï professors have had in my development has made me a better researcher and writer."
After the fellowship, McDermott wants to continue developing a career in international relations with and to work with others to address the most pressing problems that face our world.