2011 Intern Spotlight: Joshua Slocum

Joshua Slocum

Name: Joshua Slocum
Home Institution: Cornell University
Major: Biological Sciences

“I relished my summer experience at the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies. Although I came to CNS with nascent experience in non-proliferation and international relations, I not only learned a considerable amount about the academic discipline and tangential security issues on both domestic and international levels, but I also left with an understanding of what it means to work in the field. The work atmosphere highly encourages interns to collaborate amongst each other, and the scholars at CNS are always willing to help.

I chose to contribute to the Chemical and Biological Weapons (CBW) department at CNS. There I was afforded the chance to work on an interactive map of chemical munitions ocean dumpsites, and execute my own research on the proliferation of biochemical agents. Yet, the majority of my work focused on an existing CNS project in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help design a training and evaluation survey tool pertaining to all-hazards preparedness.

The CNS internship offers ample opportunities in non-proliferation, as well as unique experiences in related fields. My weeks were filled with talks by generals, ambassadors, police sergeants, intelligence officials, and those working in security and international relations, and my weekends filled with outings to Monterey and Big Sur. I would do it all over again.”