The 2025 winter Donald C. Hellmann Task Force evaluation day, held on March 14, saw 54 undergraduates present research and policy recommendations to experts in international diplomacy, security, and migration. This event marked the culmination of weeks of research and collaboration, where students worked in small teams to tackle real-world global challenges.
Founded in 1983 by Professor Emeritus Donald C. Hellmann, Task Force has long been a cornerstone for Jackson School students seeking to immerse themselves in the world of international policy. The program challenges students to conduct research and develop solutions on global issues, then present their findings to experts in the field. This year’s participants addressed topics such as asylum and refugee policies in the U.S. and the EU, global internet infrastructure security, U.S. grand strategy, and American foreign policy regarding the Japanese constitution.
Projects were evaluated by Michael Brenes, associate director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale University; Major General Duke A. Pirak, acting director of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon; Susan Martin, professor emerita of international migration at Georgetown University and the chair of the Thematic Working Group on Environmental Change and Migration in the Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development for the World Bank; and Emma Chanlett-Avery, director of political-security affairs and deputy director of the Asia Society’s Washington D.C. office.
For many students, Task Force offered a rare chance to take full ownership of a project; this hands-on approach placed them at the forefront, guiding every aspect of their reports from start to finish. They were also pushed to think critically, adjusting their approaches as they encountered new challenges and insights along the way.
Eamon Park during Task Force evaluation day on March 14, 2025.
“I think it was cool for the students to take charge, really take the lead on the entire project, basically from A to Z,” Eamon Park, the project manager for “U.S. Grand Strategy in the 21st Century,” said, adding that “The autonomy involved with Task Force really allows you to make your own mistakes, and vice versa, make your own accomplishments; so you have the truest understanding of what went well and what could use improvement.”
Equally important were the lessons in teamwork, which are central to the Task Force experience. In a community-oriented environment, students are encouraged to rely on one another to tackle these complex issues.
Riley Centerwall during Task Force evaluation day on March 14, 2025.
“We all leaned on each other when things were tough this quarter, particularly since migration policy has been completely upended this year,” Riley Centerwall, editor for “Managing Migration: U.S. and EU Asylum and Refugee Policies,” said, adding that “I’m not only walking away with a network of future leaders in international studies, but I’m leaving with more friendships and community than I had before — that, in itself, is invaluable.”
Looking ahead, the skills developed through Task Force go far beyond the scope of academics, equipping students with a foundation for success in the future. For Park, Task Force could be seen as a stepping stone toward his future. “My previous experience, specifically with the Jackson School, well equipped me to understand the context of what it means to engage with this kind of work,” he said, noting that after graduation, he plans to enter the private policy space.
Yasmin Thompson during Task Force evaluation day on March 14, 2025.
For others like Yasmin Thompson, an author for “Remilitarizing Japan?: American Foreign Policy and the Japanese Constitution, Task Force provided the space to explore different career paths.
“Honestly, I’m really unsure of what I want to do, but I know that this program will help me in anything that I do,” Thompson said.
Read more about the Task Force experience in Q&As with Riley Centerwall and Safaa Turner-Rahman.
