Master of Biodefense

Two Schar School biodefense PhD students won competitive fellowships with a renowned program. See who they are.

As a young policeman in Türkiye, Mahmut Cengiz witnessed the cruel effects of organized crime on communities and those who live in them. Now, the Schar School associate professor is a preeminent expert of terrorism and combats it on his own terms—as a teacher.

At a U.S. Senate Committee hearing, Associate Professor Gregory Koblentz advocated for the creation of a new federal agency to manage oversight of biological and pandemic risks.

Graduate student Nick Marko earned a master’s in biodefense and a graduate certificate while working full time as a neurosurgeon.

The odds of winning a Presidential Management Fellowship are low—4 percent of applicants are chosen each year. But Schar School grad Aurelia Berisha beat the odds and is making the most of her two-year federal government opportunity.

Biodefense graduate Janet Marroquin Pineda wins a significant award for answering “the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions with objective analysis.”