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Georgetowns McCourt School Announces New Cohort of Tech-Policy Scholars
On September 10, 2026, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy revealed the names of five new Tech & Public Policy (TPP) Scholars who will shape research on emerging technologies over the next two academic years.
The cohort blends fresh talent with experienced scholars: Emili Robles, Gregory Shelby, and Amr Yakout are newly admitted, while Hannah Blair and Max Morgan return for a second term. All five will benefit from the Center’s endowment, funded by founder Frank McCourt, which offers each scholar a partial‑tuition award of up to $35,000, a paid research assistantship, and access to exclusive events and mentorship.
The TPP Scholars Program is built to pair graduate students with Georgetown faculty on topics the Center prioritizes—digital governance and agentic AI; social media, online platforms, and chatbots; and technology and AI regulation. The scholarship’s financial support and research stipends enable scholars to pursue in‑depth studies that can inform policymakers, regulators, and the public.
Emili Robles, a 2028 Master of Science in Data Science and Public Policy (MS‑DSPP) candidate, brings a background in computer science and data science from the University of Wisconsin‑Madison. After a stint as a software engineer at Starbucks and volunteering as a Holiday Helper to learn about frontline workers’ experiences, Robles will work with the Better Government Lab on two projects tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The first will model how the law’s SNAP payment error rates differ across states; the second will examine how the legislation has reshaped corporate earnings calls to gauge its political‑economic impact on public‑benefit companies.
Gregory Shelby, an MPP ’27 student, serves as operations and communications lead at Intelligence Security Laboratories. With a B.A. in political science and government from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and previous experience in film and television, Shelby will collaborate with Professor Erik Voeten of the School of Foreign Service. Their research will extend U.S. AI‑regulation analysis to international contexts, exploring how domestic rules influence the adoption of AI technologies abroad.
Amr Yakout, also an MPP ’27 candidate, was born in Egypt and earned a B.S. in math and economics from NYU Abu Dhabi. After managing programs at Amazon in Dubai, he moved to Washington, D.C., to join McCourt. As a Scholar, Yakout will serve as an AI Governance research assistant at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). His focus will be on export controls, model controls, and competition with China—areas that align closely with the Center’s emphasis on technology and AI regulation.
Returning scholars Hannah Blair and Max Morgan add depth to the cohort with experience spanning climate policy, global health, and technology. Blair, an MPP ’27 student, works with Associate Professor Jonathan Ladd on a national survey measuring public attitudes toward the technology industry and AI. She will also convene a conference on the public’s evolving relationship with big tech. Morgan, another MPP ’27 candidate, has supported Associate Research Professor Renée DiResta’s MySky project, which introduces a transparent and customizable algorithmic social media feed on BlueSky. He will partner with Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy on the CRUX project, developing AI agents for real‑world scenario evaluation.
The TPP Scholars Program continues Georgetown’s long‑standing practice of integrating graduate students into policy research on emerging technologies. By combining substantial financial support with structured mentorship and faculty collaboration, the Center equips scholars to conduct rigorous studies that feed evidence‑based policy discussions in Washington, D.C., and beyond. As the 2026‑2028 cohort begins its work, the Center anticipates fresh insights into digital governance, AI regulation, and the social impact of technology that will shape the next generation of public‑policy solutions.
The cohort blends fresh talent with experienced scholars: Emili Robles, Gregory Shelby, and Amr Yakout are newly admitted, while Hannah Blair and Max Morgan return for a second term. All five will benefit from the Center’s endowment, funded by founder Frank McCourt, which offers each scholar a partial‑tuition award of up to $35,000, a paid research assistantship, and access to exclusive events and mentorship.
The TPP Scholars Program is built to pair graduate students with Georgetown faculty on topics the Center prioritizes—digital governance and agentic AI; social media, online platforms, and chatbots; and technology and AI regulation. The scholarship’s financial support and research stipends enable scholars to pursue in‑depth studies that can inform policymakers, regulators, and the public.
Emili Robles, a 2028 Master of Science in Data Science and Public Policy (MS‑DSPP) candidate, brings a background in computer science and data science from the University of Wisconsin‑Madison. After a stint as a software engineer at Starbucks and volunteering as a Holiday Helper to learn about frontline workers’ experiences, Robles will work with the Better Government Lab on two projects tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The first will model how the law’s SNAP payment error rates differ across states; the second will examine how the legislation has reshaped corporate earnings calls to gauge its political‑economic impact on public‑benefit companies.
Gregory Shelby, an MPP ’27 student, serves as operations and communications lead at Intelligence Security Laboratories. With a B.A. in political science and government from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and previous experience in film and television, Shelby will collaborate with Professor Erik Voeten of the School of Foreign Service. Their research will extend U.S. AI‑regulation analysis to international contexts, exploring how domestic rules influence the adoption of AI technologies abroad.
Amr Yakout, also an MPP ’27 candidate, was born in Egypt and earned a B.S. in math and economics from NYU Abu Dhabi. After managing programs at Amazon in Dubai, he moved to Washington, D.C., to join McCourt. As a Scholar, Yakout will serve as an AI Governance research assistant at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). His focus will be on export controls, model controls, and competition with China—areas that align closely with the Center’s emphasis on technology and AI regulation.
Returning scholars Hannah Blair and Max Morgan add depth to the cohort with experience spanning climate policy, global health, and technology. Blair, an MPP ’27 student, works with Associate Professor Jonathan Ladd on a national survey measuring public attitudes toward the technology industry and AI. She will also convene a conference on the public’s evolving relationship with big tech. Morgan, another MPP ’27 candidate, has supported Associate Research Professor Renée DiResta’s MySky project, which introduces a transparent and customizable algorithmic social media feed on BlueSky. He will partner with Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy on the CRUX project, developing AI agents for real‑world scenario evaluation.
The TPP Scholars Program continues Georgetown’s long‑standing practice of integrating graduate students into policy research on emerging technologies. By combining substantial financial support with structured mentorship and faculty collaboration, the Center equips scholars to conduct rigorous studies that feed evidence‑based policy discussions in Washington, D.C., and beyond. As the 2026‑2028 cohort begins its work, the Center anticipates fresh insights into digital governance, AI regulation, and the social impact of technology that will shape the next generation of public‑policy solutions.
