Michael Kuczajda is an honors senior from Maryland studying Global Studies and Psychology at Purdue while minoring in Islamic and Asian Studies. He is passionate about military tactics, wargames, and studying military maps. Michael also enjoy creating dioramas of historical battles in his free time.
Jacob Culp is a junior at Purdue pursuing dual bachelor’s degrees in Asian Studies (Mandarin focus) and Anthropology, with a minor in Economics. He served as a non-commissioned officer in the US Army in roles which included personal security officer, reconnaissance team leader, and sniper. Currently, he is conducting a comparative rhetoric analysis of Chinese government publications in English and Chinese and examining Chinese policies in the South China Sea. He is interested in studying how culture, economics, and government policies affect geopolitics as well as how arms agreements shape international relations. In his free time, Jacob enjoys reading, scuba diving, and strategy games.
Anushka Sharma is a junior studying aerospace engineering. She is interested in large systems engineering and optimization with a focus on long-range missile technology. Anushka is eager to work in the aerospace defense industry. In her free time, Anushka is an avid reader of timeless classic novels, with her favorite being War and Peace.
Tyler Haire is a senior dual majoring in computer science and data science along with a management minor. He loves working to solve both technical and business problems and has experience working with local software startups in Indianapolis. Having developed industry grade software Tyler is excited to apply his skills in the research world to help understand some of the major events of the past.
Barry Scott is a naval officer and PhD student at Purdue’s Military Research Initiative working toward a doctorate in technology. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Oregon, and a master’s in strategic studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. His academic interests cover all facets of military and national security studies, as well as innovation and emerging technologies. Scott’s current research focuses on threats from hybrid warfare.
Matthew Konkoly is an MA student in computer graphics at Purdue, where he graduated with a BS in computer science with a minor in classics. He is interested in 3D rendering technology and history. As a FORCES Junior Fellow and Developer, he is currently developing a scaled virtual 3D model and simulation of D-Day’s Omaha Beach. Konkoly hopes to continue working on cutting-edge historical projects to bring the past to life in a virtual interactive environment.
Special assistant to the dean in Purdue's College of Liberal Arts and a visiting assistant professor in Purdue's Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program, Zachary's academic interests include political ideologies, violence, and extremism, including how these phenomena interact with US foreign policy. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's and doctorate from Indiana University, all in political science. He has earned several prestigious fellowships, including a Fulbright Fellowship and a Graduate Fellowship from the Rumsfeld Foundation.
Elis Vllasi, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at Purdue Policy Research Institute, and a Fulbright (Specialist) Fellow. A civil engineer (he received his bachelor’s degree from Michigan Technical University) and environmental engineer (he received his master's degree from University of Tennessee, Knoxville), he received his doctorate in political science from Purdue University. He is an expert in analyzing and solving complex political and engineering challenges on the global scale by developing and leading multidisciplinary teams toward integrated solutions. His current research examines Russian hostile influence in the Balkans. This work extends his dissertation topic by exploring in greater depth the effects of hybrid warfare to influence Russia’s opponents' domestic politics or restrain them from joining trading blocs, alliances, and international institutions. Vllasi is an award-winning university instructor who has taught courses on nation-building and war, international political economy, and international relations.
Matthew Ellis served as FORCES' junior fellow and staff assistant from 2019-21. A PhD student in Purdue University's Department of Political Science, he earned a bachelor's from Texas Christian University and a master's from the University of Leicester in International Relations and World Order. His academic interests cover Eastern European security issues, hybrid warfare techniques, conflict mapping, and nuclear weapons proliferation. His work on social media influence in the 2016 U.S. presidential election has been recently published, and his current research focuses on NATO-Russian relations. He continues to have a relationship with FORCES.
Krassimir Tzvetanov is a PhD student at the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, and he is also pursuing his master’s in technology, with focus on homeland security through the Purdue Homeland Security Institute. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering (communications) from Technical University of Sofia, and a master’s in digital forensics and investigations from University College, Dublin. Over the past 15 years he has focused on cyber threat intelligence, investigations, defensive and red team operations in the cyber domain. In addition, his research investigates cyber physical issues such as influence operations, active shooter simulations, and bio-security.
Alek Wisinski is a junior at Purdue University pursuing dual degrees in Political Science and History. Alek has a particular interest in using GIS technology to analyze and interpret historical and political data. He is also an avid historical researcher, his work on Eugene Cernan and the Apollo missions was recently published. In his free time, Alek enjoys strategy board games and war games. All of these skills contribute to his development with FORCES.
Braley Mullarkey is an M.S. student in Aviation and Aerospace Management at Purdue University, where she earned a B.S. in Aviation Management with a minor in economics. She is a cadet at Detachment 220, Purdue’s Air Force R.O.T.C. Detachment, and will commission into the US Air Force in May 2024. She is a SCLA 59000 Technology, War, and Strategy graduate. She is interested in technology’s role in strategy connecting knowledge with real-world events, both past and present.
A doctoral candidate at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Justin Mansell's research applies artificial intelligence to space mission design and operations. In 2015, prior to coming to Purdue, he completed an undergraduate degree in space physics at his hometown University of Calgary. His 2017 master’s thesis focused on the optimization of hypersonic glide trajectories. Mansell's recent projects include designing trajectories through Earth’s radiation belts, and using machine learning to detect, diagnose, and respond to faults on spacecraft. He will alternate with Geoffrey Andrews in leading our “America – and Purdue – in Space" tours to Cape Canaveral.
A doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science at Purdue University, Nagisa studies international human and material flows using a variety of advanced network analytic procedures. Her work on migration and trade breaks new ground in the field of International Relations, focusing on the dependencies and tensions between groups, individuals, and nations. She has a long standing interest in environmental and sustainability issues.
Justin Hay was a senior from Albany, NY studying computer science here at Purdue University. He has expanded his knowledge of software by developing web and desktop applications on his own and here at Purdue. As somebody who has played strategy games like Europa Universalis IV in his spare time, Justin is excited to help design a strategy game here at Discovery Park.
Christopher Yung was an undergraduate pursuing his passion in computer science, with a focus on software engineering and artificial intelligence. He has an interest in all things computers, including both hardware and software aspects. Yung has also worked on many projects in the past, including creating his own Spotify web application. He hopes to further his web development knowledge through his FORCES work creating user interfaces for battle simulations.