At George Mason University, the Sycamore Institute is neither a course nor a class project, although the activities and accomplishments are similar. In short, it’s the only undergraduate-led national security think tank in the country.
The George Mason branch of the independent, nonpartisan nonprofit joins a network of four other prestigious universities that give undergraduates opportunities to write, research, edit, publish, and host podcast episodes and panel discussions featuring high-level officials as sources and guests.
The work is real. The deadlines are real. The experience is, too.
“It’s a really great collaborative and professional community, where people can explore what interests them,” said Ethan Burk, a fifth-year criminology, law, and society major. “Sycamore has really helped me with deadlines ... It’s a great way to showcase not only that you can write but that you can write really well on a deadline.”
For Sharanya Maddukuri, a senior majoring in government and international politics, the think tank is about location and opportunity.
“We should always be taking advantage of our proximity to the nation's capital, especially as an organization dedicated to national security,” the Honors College student said. “Sycamore provides space for George Mason students to conduct research on foreign policy and national security topics of their choice so when they graduate, they can have subject-matter expertise.”
Founded in 2019 at New York University (NYU) during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sycamore was created by political science and history major David Bell to give fellow students a legitimate pathway into the notoriously closed world of foreign policy research. What started as a writing collective among undergraduates quickly grew into a cross-country think tank.
Looking to expand his network, Bell reached out to peers in several institutions, finally contacting Alina Alam, now a senior in the George Mason Costello College of Business accounting program.
There are now 120 student fellows at five universities—NYU, American University, Boston University, University of California-Berkeley, and George Mason—organized into four research divisions: security and defense, economics and trade, energy and environment, and human security.
The George Mason group started with about 15 members. Today, demand is up, with more than 40 students applying for the 2025 cohort, reflecting a student population eager to know more about today’s major challenges and to have their voices heard.
The George Mason branch operates with the structure and expectations of a professional research organization. Fellows produce two op-eds per semester—four total each academic year—on topics ranging from cybersecurity to the environmental impacts of global energy trade.
Each division is headed by a student chief who provides guidance and edits the op-eds. In addition to op-eds, students are encouraged to contribute to the Sycamore Policy Journal, a 60- to 100-page publication that serves as a formal, unified outlet that can lead to outside conferences and career opportunities.
Burk, who now serves as Sycamore’s national executive director, joined George Mason’s branch in 2023 as a writing fellow. He quickly became national podcast director, overseeing content and interviews. In that role, he helped organize one of Sycamore’s most high-profile events to date: a sponsored interview with David Maimon, a cybercrime expert from Georgia State University, made possible through George Mason’s Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis Center (CINA).
That momentum continued. Burk went on to moderate a national security panel that included former CIA Chief of Operations Karen Schaefer and State Department Counterterrorism Director Dexter Ingram.
“When I was applying for a job in federal law enforcement, they asked me how good I was at communicating and writing,” Burk said. “I just gave them one of my published Sycamore articles. They told me I passed that section of the interview.”
Sycamore’s success isn’t accidental. Ideas have to pass muster before they’re published online or in print. The goal isn’t just to teach writing—it’s to simulate the rhythm and rigor of professional research.
At George Mason, the application process is competitive. Fellows apply through an interest form and submit a writing sample specific to their division of choice. More than research and writing skills, applicants need to show follow through and accountability.
With George Mason’s chapter rapidly gaining visibility, the organization plans to expand its presence on campus with more writing workshops, mentorship events, and guest speaker sessions.
Sycamore has proven in its five-year history that there is space in the national security conversation for new voices—even if they haven’t graduated yet.
Interested students can reach out to Sharanya Maddukuri at smadduku@gmu.edu for more information, even if the formal application window has closed.