Three second-year Master of Public Policy students have been named Robertson Fellows for the 2026-27 academic year, receiving support from the Robertson Foundation for Government as they prepare for careers in federal service. Natalie Horton, Megan Mulligan and Naomi Satoh are each preparing for careers in public service, with interests that include U.S.-China relations, international law and nuclear security.
Natalie Horton is specializing in international security and economic policy, building on dual bachelor’s degrees in international relations and Chinese from the University of Maryland. Her experience has included work with the Department of Defense, the U.S.-Asia Institute and the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), as well as intensive Mandarin Chinese study in Taipei, Taiwan.
At ARLIS, Horton has worked on China-related projects, conducting Chinese-language analysis and open-source intelligence research for government stakeholders. She hopes to build on that experience through a career focused on U.S. national security and foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific. “I am passionate about working at the intersection of U.S. national security interests, the Indo-Pacific, and U.S. foreign policy, with a particular interest in U.S.-China relations and emerging security challenges in the Indo-Pacific,” said Horton. “I hope to advance my skill set through the School of Public Policy to prepare for a career dedicated to public service, working in the intelligence community or at the Department of State.”
Megan Mulligan earned dual bachelor’s degrees in public policy and English from the University of Maryland and continued at the School of Public Policy to pursue her MPP, specializing in international security and economic policy. Her academic interests include the role institutions play in managing conflict and how law can help shape responses to international security challenges.
Mulligan has gained experience at the local, state and federal levels of government, including at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Those experiences strengthened her interest in public service and in pursuing a career that brings together law, foreign policy and national security. “I believe that America is currently reassessing our role in the international system, creating an important opportunity for public servants to consider what American global leadership could look like in the future,” said Mulligan. “I hope to attend law school and ultimately work in a legal role to create intentional responses to emerging global challenges and contribute to a safer and more peaceful international community.”
Naomi Satoh is focusing her studies on international security and science and technology policy, with a particular interest in nuclear policy and nuclear threat reduction. Her background in physics and education helped lead her to questions about how science and public policy intersect, particularly around nuclear weapons and their humanitarian consequences.
Satoh has already pursued that interest through several opportunities in the nuclear policy field. In fall 2025, she served as a nuclear policy intern at the Arms Control Association and later completed a summer internship with the nuclear security team at the Council on Foreign Relations. She was also a 2025 Next-Generation Fellow with the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction. “In the future, I plan to work on nuclear policy, contributing to nuclear threat reduction advocacy and efforts,” said Satoh. “I am invested in this work to ensure a safer world for posterity and create a more peaceful future.”
The Robertson Foundation for Government is a nonprofit family foundation established in honor of philanthropists Charles and Marie Robertson. Its mission is to identify, educate and inspire graduate students to pursue government and public service careers in foreign policy, national security and international affairs.
The School of Public Policy is proud to build upon its longstanding partnership with the Robertson Foundation for Government, whose sustained investment has played a vital role in preparing generations of principled, effective public service leaders. Through its continued support of the RFG Fellows Program at the School, the Foundation affirms a shared commitment to developing leaders who are equipped to navigate complex public challenges in an interconnected world. Together, the School and RFG are cultivating a pipeline of globally engaged public service leaders who will carry forward the values of integrity, accountability and service—strengthening democratic institutions and building partnerships that promote peace, justice and mutual understanding for generations to come.
