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Nathan Stolzenfeld frames their research around the lived experiences of people rather than just the borders of states. That is something the first-year student in 91����’s  Program has been thinking about since their undergraduate years.

“If we keep our language to purely discussing the bordered nature of politics, we can't really effectively solve those problems,” they said. “It's incredibly important to remember that when we are having discussions about the entire body of Taiwan, or the entire body of China, or any other country, that there are people in these countries. They have real risks presented to them by things that are not state-based violence, like climate change or gender-based violence, disease, all of those issues—they cross borders.”

Stolzenfeld’s research focuses on East Asia, specifically the contested statehood of Taiwan, a longstanding issue that has taken on new importance in recent years. 

As an undergraduate in the Schar School’s  (ISL) program (Stolzenfeld finished in three years), they worked in the  (URAP) with renowned immigration expert  and . 

Stolzenfeld was one of the first five graduates with a bachelor of arts in international security and law from the Schar School, and they are expanding on the concept of security with their research and understanding of political theory. The draw of the ISL program was “the specificity of the major,” Stolzenfeld said, adding that Hunzeker, director of the  successfully championed the program.

While the 2025 Outstanding Senior in International Security and Law might have graduated into a promising job in their chosen field, Stolzenfeld felt more knowledge and preparation was called for. In fact, the Honors College and University Scholars alum said the driving force to pursue a master’s degree in international security at the Schar School was the professors.

“All of my professors have been really engaged with helping me formulate ideas and making sure that I'm always heading in the right direction, even if I don't align with their beliefs or how they perceive the world,” Stolzenfeld said. 

It was one of their Honors College courses, Ruins of the Apocalypse, taught by Assistant Professor Benjamin Renne, that provided further inspiration. The Honors College curriculum supplemented Stolzenfeld’s Schar School classes on international security “and it helped me take the concepts I learned in a more holistic way and apply them to the classes for my major,” they said.

“Different forms of media—be it video, video games, photography—can be used to make political statements, and they can be used as forms of representation, advocacy, or resistance if needed,” they said. Things as far flung as “climate fiction and apocalyptic fiction can be used to spur social change.”  

A few weeks into their graduate program, Stolzenfeld knows what is next to achieve: self-discovery. 

“I would like to experience more, travel more, read more, and just figure out myself,” they said.