Jessica Wilson-Jones is a Foreign Affairs Officer for the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. She coordinates and leads interagency efforts in support of the Department’s foreign assistance programs and policies to strengthen inclusive governance, support electoral and political reform, and civil society development in Syria. Previously, she served in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs managing the Fulbright Programs in Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. During the Obama Administration, Jessica was appointed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Policy, leading the advancement of national security and cybersecurity in the Middle East and North Africa.

Prior to her service in government, Jessica worked for the International Rescue Committee where she focused on immigration, refugee resettlement and community outreach and advocacy in Southern California. Jessica is the 2021 director for the New Leaders Council Maryland chapter, shaping the progressive movement and network across the state. Since her undergraduate years, Jessica has contributed her skills to numerous nonprofit organizations and mentored a diverse set of youth in pursuit of opportunities in international relations, development, and foreign policy. At Tufts University, Jessica was a member of the EPIIC class of 2013, and an active contributor and supporter of the Institute for Global Leadership (IGL), aiming to increase diversity in the fields of international affairs and collaborating with programs such as Emerging Black Leaders. As part of the IGL, Jessica worked alongside a community-based organization and the Egyptian Ministry of Planning and Economic Development as part of the IGL Global Fellows Program, conducting original policy research and collaboration in the MENA region.

Mrs. Wilson-Jones holds a B.A. in International Relations and Arabic Language from Tufts University and M.A. in International Business from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Jessica identifies as Black and Arab-American, and currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband.

You can connect with Jessica Wilson-Jones on LinkedIn.

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Talia Weiss is a researcher in particle physics and technology ethics, currently pursuing a Physics PhD at Yale University. Her physics research centers on measuring the mass of a fundamental particle. Talia received her B.S. in Physics from MIT and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago, where her masters thesis investigated how scientists who invented gene editing technologies viewed the ethics of their research and acted in response. She has also written and spoken on the moral failings of Nazi nuclear physicists, as well as the history of scientific self-regulation.

In 2018-19, Talia developed a new program for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists which fostered conversations among researchers in disparate fields with common areas of concern—especially climate, nuclear, and emerging technology policy. She moderated expert panels for the program, which were followed by small-group participant discussions on core practical questions. As an undergraduate, Talia worked for the MIT Washington Office, where she reported on federal R&D policy developments for university leadership. She also served as a Content Developer for the MIT Museum, where she wrote materials to illuminate quantum and astrophysics concepts.