Meet the Fall 2026 GU Politics Fellows
Meet the Fall 2026 GU Politics Fellows
A former mayor. The lawyer who ran investigations for the Speaker of the House. The person who briefed the Pentagon press corps through international crises. The Biden White House’s chief emissary to Congress. And an executive helping decide how AI gets policed.
This fall, all five of them want to hear from you.
Since 2015, the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) has brought more than 120 leaders in public service to campus as Fellows — and this class continues the tradition. They come from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum and from very different corners of public life, but they share a commitment to productive dialogue and a real eagerness to spend a semester with you.
How it works this semester
This Fall, GU Politics Fellows will serve both the Hilltop and the Capitol Campus. Each has a home base, but nobody stays put:
- Hilltop Fellows lead eight weekly discussion groups on the Hilltop, plus one session at the Capitol Campus.
- Capitol Campus Fellows lead four discussion groups, every other week, plus one session on the Hilltop.
Every Fellow also holds office hours and works with students on both campuses. GU Politics Fellows are here for the entire Georgetown community — your home campus doesn’t limit which discussion groups you can attend or which Student Strategy Team you can apply to.
Join the GU Politics Fellows for discussion groups, case studies, one-on-one conversations, and site visits across town that offer a genuinely behind-the-scenes look at how D.C. actually operates. There is never a dull moment.
Come find out how you can get involved at our Hilltop Fellows Open House on Wednesday, September 9 and our Capitol Campus Fellows Meet & Greet on Thursday, September 10.
Join us in welcoming our newest class!
Meet the Fall 2026 GU Politics Fellows
Ashley Callen – Hilltop Fellow
Former General Counsel to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Co-Chair Congressional Investigations Practice, Jenner & Block
Discussion Group Topic: The Politics and Law of Government Accountability
Ashley Callen began her public service career in the US Senate and spent the next 25 years in senior legal and oversight roles in the US Congress. She now co-chairs the Congressional Investigations Practice at Jenner & Block, where she advises clients facing congressional inquiries, public hearings, and complex oversight matters. Ashley previously served as General Counsel to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and to Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). Before that, she held senior investigative posts across several House committees, including Deputy Staff Director of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Chief Oversight Counsel to the Judiciary Committee, and General Counsel and Oversight Subcommittee Staff Director at the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. She was also the lead Republican staffer on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. Ashley earned her BA in English from the University of South Carolina and her JD from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
Colleen Reding Mearn (C’10) – Hilltop Fellow
Head of Safeguards Enforcement and Operations, Anthropic
Discussion Group Topic: Can AI Actually Be Regulated?
Colleen Mearn is a seasoned leader in the Trust and Safety space and currently heads up
Safeguards Enforcement and Operations at Anthropic. Prior to Anthropic, Colleen led Trust and
Safety Operations at Clubhouse, and before that led policy and enforcement at YouTube for
Harmful and Dangerous, Medical Misinformation, and Monetization policies. Her work lies at the
intersection of policy and operations, and she has spent her career creating the playbook for
how to successfully launch and scale tech policies. Prior to entering the technology sector,
Colleen was an Intelligence Analyst at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where she analyzed
counterintelligence threats and worked high profile counterterrorism cases. She is a
graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University (Col ’10).
Sabrina Singh – Hilltop Campus
Former Deputy Press Secretary, Department of Defense. Former Deputy Press Secretary, Office of Vice President Harris
Discussion Group Topic: Politics, Power and a Polarized World
Sabrina Singh is a partner at Seven Letter, a bipartisan strategic communications firm, and a CNN global affairs and political commentator. Most recently, she served as deputy press secretary at the Department of Defense, briefing reporters worldwide and advising Secretary Lloyd Austin on overseas trips. Before that, she was deputy press secretary for Vice President Kamala Harris, working on initiatives like the COVID-19 vaccine safety campaign and reducing gun violence. Before joining the Biden-Harris campaign as Harris’ primary spokesperson, Singh led the strategic communications strategy during veepstakes, in which Harris was nominated as Joe Biden’s running mate. She also served as press secretary for Cory Booker and Mike Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaigns.
Francis Suarez – Capitol Campus Fellow
Former Mayor of Miami, FL. Former President, US Conference of Mayors
Francis X. Suarez is a Miami-based attorney, President of Alpha Wave Global, Fox News Contributor, and the 43rd Miami Mayor. As the first Miami-born mayor, he was elected with 86 percent of the vote and later re-elected with nearly 79 percent. During his tenure, Miami cut taxes, reduced homicide rates to among the lowest levels in more than 70 years, and emerged as a hub for technology, innovation, and global investment. He championed initiatives connecting workforce development to emerging sectors such as fintech, MedTech, and Greentech, while advancing climate-resilient and pro-growth policies.He served as the 80th President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and currently practices law as Of Counsel at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP. Suarez also serves as President of Alpha Wave Global, an investment firm with nearly $30 billion in assets under management, and provides political, legal, and economic analysis as a Fox News Contributor.
Louisa Terrell – Capitol Campus Fellow
Former Assistant to President Biden and Director of Legislative Affairs, White House. Former Chief of Staff Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Discussion Group Topic: Policy and Politics: How Democrats Can Rebuild
Louisa Terrell provides strategic counsel to businesses, non-profits and political organizations, drawing on extensive experience across government’s executive and legislative branches. Most recently, she was Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, where she led passage of historic legislation and secured confirmation of hundreds of judicial and executive nominees. Her government career also includes roles as Chief of Staff to Senator Cory Booker, Special Assistant to President Obama, Senate Deputy Chief of Staff, and Assistant Attorney General in Massachusetts. In business and philanthropy, she served as Deputy General Counsel and Head of Public Affairs at McKinsey & Company, Executive Director of the Biden Foundation, and Public Policy Director at Meta. Louisa holds degrees from Tufts University and Boston College Law School and lives in Washington, DC.
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GU Politics Fellows offer students a rare peek behind the curtain into the way politics and public service actually work. Students will be challenged, informed and inspired through weekly discussion groups, office hours and small group conversations. Opportunities to engage are open to all Georgetown students.
Want to get involved with our Fellows?
- Attend their discussion groups | For eight weeks, our Fellows host weekly 90-minute, off-the-record discussions with members of the Georgetown community. You’ll talk about big ideas and the specific details needed to put them into practice… and be shocked by the special guests and experts they’ll bring. Discussion groups begin the week of September 21st. Read their discussion group topics here.
- Visit them in office hours | Imagine being mentored by politicos at the top of their field. Hang out with our Fellows one-on-one to chat about news of the day and how to get your start in public service or answers to your burning questions about behind-the-scenes moments in politics you can’t hear anywhere else. This opportunity is open to all Georgetown students and faculty. Office hours begin the week of September 14th.
- Join their Student Strategy Teams | Collaborate closely with one of the Fellows by joining their team of students who craft discussion group topics, help with research and campus outreach, and partner with the Fellow to brainstorm fresh ideas to make politics work better. Learn more and apply.
Mark your calendar for our Meet the Fellows Open House — the first chance to meet these leaders in person, learn more about their backgrounds and hear what they have planned for the semester. The Fellows open house will be held on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm in the HFSC Social Room.
The fellows will also be at the McCourt School of Public Policy on Thursday, September 10th from 12:00 to 1:30 pm for a Meet and Greet in Room
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