Skyler Stokes Picked First Michael Donnelly CTEC Research Fellow

The Michael Donnelly Research Fellowship enables promising researchers to garner real-world experience in extremism research that is centered on tangible approaches to preventing and countering extremism. “Mike approached all of his work for CTEC with enthusiasm and an unwavering sense of justice, and he will be forever missed,” says CTEC Research Lead Alex Newhouse MANPTS ‘18, Donnelly’s friend and colleague. “Our Michael Donnelly CTEC Research Fellowship is our attempt to make his legacy permanent, and we are thrilled to welcome Skyler Stokes as the first fellow to help us achieve this mission. She is intelligent, thoughtful, and driven, and we are looking forward to helping her bring her research ideas to fruition.” 

“I am incredibly honored to have been chosen for this position,” Stokes says. “Although I didn’t know Michael personally, I have heard many stories about how wonderful of a person he was, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to throw that same energy and passion into the research I am going to be doing at CTEC.”

Stokes is currently an intern at National Security Innovations (NSI), conducting research and writing briefings for the Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA) community. This past year Stokes also was a Research Associate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where she conducted research on Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) terrorism. Previously Stokes interned at the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington D.C and worked in the office of Senator Kamala D. Harris. As an undergraduate, she assisted with research examining the connection between terrorism and media framing. Skyler graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, focusing on International Relations.

With extensive help from CTEC staff and external experts, the fellow will complete substantial research within CTEC’s major research areas either in conjunction with an established project, or of their own design. The fellow will receive mentorship in research design, execution, and writing from CTEC staff. Final reports or papers developed by Michael Donnelly Fellows will be considered either for publishing through CTEC or as part of a larger project that will be published elsewhere. While publication of fellows’ research cannot be guaranteed, this fellowship is designed to support and facilitate the completion of publication-ready research.