Brumley Fellows Conduct Research with the Intelligence Studies Project

News | August 29, 2016

Eric Manpearl

Eric is a Brumley Next Generation Senior Graduate Fellow engaged in research with the ISP. He is a dual degree candidate pursuing a J.D. and Master of Public Affairs at The University of Texas School of Law and Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, respectively. His research focuses on security and privacy issues, the intersection of intelligence and politics, and oversight of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Eric’s research paper on the role of intelligence issues in U.S. presidential elections appeared in the Lawfare national security journal (here). Eric is currently researching the evolution of non-U.S. Person’s privacy rights in signals intelligence collection. Eric is also a Ben Barnes Fellow in Public Leadership at the LBJ School and the Articles Editor of the Texas Law Review.

Eric worked as a Summer Law Clerk at the Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice and a Summer Law Clerk at the Legal Counsel Division of the Office of the General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security. In these positions, Eric worked on national security, law enforcement, cybersecurity, privacy, and legislative issues. Previously, he worked in public policy at the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), where he focused on state and federal policy areas.

Eric graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in History, Minor in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and Certificate in Business Spanish.

Michael Gibbs

Michael was selected this year as a Brumley Next Generation Fellow. He is a second year PhD student in UT-Austin’s Department of Government. After receiving an AB from Princeton University in 2012, Michael worked for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, D.C. before joining the Peace Corps. Following his Peace Corps service, Michael started his doctoral program. Michael will be conducting research in militias, civil-military relations in insurgencies, and evolving threats emanating from civil wars. Regionally, he is focused on the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Brumley Next Generation Fellows

The Brumley Next Generation Fellows program, conducted by the Robert Strauss Center, involves highly-competitive fellowships for both graduate and undergraduate students at UT Austin. Graduate students are selected on a program-specific basis, and become involved in research relating to that program under the mentorship of UT faculty. The undergraduates, for their part, are enrolled in a unique class focused on building professional and research skills relevant to the world of policy. For more information, visit https://www.strausscenter.org/brumleyfellows