The leadership team of the SAIS Wargaming Club is a diverse group of people dedicated to bringing the medium of wargaming and various strategy related topics to the population of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
The leadership team of the SAIS Wargaming Club is a diverse group of people dedicated to bringing the medium of wargaming and various strategy related topics to the population of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
President
Alexander Taylor is a second-year SAIS MAIR student focused on Indo-Pacific strategy and maritime security. He currently interns with CSIS's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and has previously worked with AEI's Asian Securities team, the Hudson Institute's China Center, and the House Committee on Homeland Security. He also currently serves as one of the two Quartermasters for the SAIS Fall Domestic Staff Ride, Research Lead for the International Staff Ride, and Vice-President of the SAIS Japan Club. Building on his former experiences as club secretary, he hopes to make wargaming accessible to students across degrees and interests.
Vice-President
Olivia Piotrowski is a 2022 graduate of DePaul University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy. Before attending SAIS, Olivia worked as a Legal Analyst at a boutique law firm in Chicago, Illinois. Now in her second year of study at Johns Hopkins SAIS, she aspires to work in the field of national security, focusing on the human and moral element of defense. She is eager to have all students' voices heard and champions diversity of thought.
Treasurer
Christopher Colasurdo is a second-year SAIS MAIR student concentrating on Strategic Studies. Possessing more than a decade of volunteer and professional experience in military history, he applies that expertise at SAIS as Wargaming Club Treasurer and as a Quartermaster of the International Staff Ride.
Programming Chair
Raifton Bartling is a second-year SAIS MAIR candidate focusing on U.S. defense policy, international security, and conflict management. He is currently an intern at SafeAbroad and a research assistant for Professor Serwer, helping with a book on war and peace in the Balkans, Middle East, and Ukraine. He finds the construction of different wargames fascinating for what they reveal about which factors in war the designers think are the most important.
Public Affairs Chair
Marie Handy is in her second year of the SAIS MAIR program and is focused on Security, Strategy, and Statecraft and Asia. She is a public policy intern at Amazon and has previously interned for NASA and the American Foreign Policy Council. As an avid player of board games, she transitioned to wargaming last year and enjoys Kingmaker most.
White Cell Director
Daoyou Zhou is a second-year MAIR student studying Security, Strategy, and Statecraft with a focus on China and the United States. He is currently a Legislative Correspondent for Congressman Mark Takano, and has five years of service in the U.S. Army as an Infantry officer and a Civil Affairs team chief. As White Cell Director he hopes to bring together a wide diversity of experiences and expertise from across the school for a culminating professional wargame project.
MASCI Representative
Lara Nagy is a full-time SAIS MASCI student focusing on defense analysis. She brings experience writing articles for a wide audience and policy memos for Congressional staffers, as well as her passion for all things military and prior experience with crisis simulations wargaming to her position.
Founder & CEO
Sujal Shah is a first-year SAIS MAIR student concentrating in Technology and Innovation. He has previously interned with research centers, think tanks, and an AI-driven startup, where he developed experience in policy research, emerging technologies, and innovation-focused initiatives. As the First-Year Representative, Sujal is committed to increasing engagement among first-year students, fostering greater participation in club activities, and creating opportunities for professional and academic collaboration. He also aims to expand the club's presence within SAIS and strengthen its connections across the Washington, D.C. community.