Bridge the Gulf

Casebeer was one of only two American interns selected to work with Reconnaissance Research. His internship is entirely virtual due to the pandemic, allowing him to participate from home instead of needing to travel to the think tank’s office in Kuwait.

“I have actually only been able to pursue this opportunity because of the new virtual world which the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in, which is a sort of blessing in disguise,” Casebeer says. “It’s been really interesting work so far. The first part of my internship was focused on putting together a collaborative research paper on Iran, and now I’m pivoting to work on educational efforts which seek to help Americans with limited understanding of Kuwait and the Gulf better understand and interact with this part of the world.”

This is Casebeer’s second international experience at Puget Sound. In 2019, he participated in the university’s first-ever China field-study program. That experience got him interested in how policy decisions can facilitate mutual understanding between disparate cultures and inspired him to apply to the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations internship program.

“This organization is full of incredible people doing incredible work. Working here this summer has given me an unparalleled opportunity to learn and grow.”