Newsletter · Issue 12
December 2025
As the semester draws to an end, here are the institute team's recent activities and accomplishments.
Happy holidays from TPI
A farewell to Fellow Brett Reichert
On December 1st the institute marked the farewell of Fellow Brett Reichert, a US Army Goodpaster Fellow and PhD student in Public Policy at Cornell. During his time here Reichert led the semiconductor research effort, examining how emerging military technologies and complex global supply chains shape conflict dynamics and national security.
Research news
Dark Skies: Criminal Drone Operations Targeting Prisons
A report by Jack Venables, a Bronze Commander with 15 years of counter-drone experience in the UK police, calling for a national strategy combining legislative reform, technological investment, and joint operational planning.
The Militarization of Outer Space
A new report by Harrison Mellor on advancements in commercial and military space, and the legislation and policy needed to catch up.
Fellow highlight
Every month we highlight a fellow. This month, Junior Fellow Aniket Martins.
Aniket Martins
A Meinig Family Cornell National Scholar and Laidlaw Scholar studying Mechanical Engineering, and an Air Force ROTC Cadet pursuing a commission in the United States Space Force. His research focuses on how computational advances have changed the temporality of warfare.
Community updates
Wrote an article in the Washington Post on the state of U.S. cybersecurity in the face of federal civilian job cuts and persistent threats.
James Patton Rogers
Interviewed for a DW News video segment on Ukraine's drone production capability.
Research on space policy featured in a Cornell Daily Sun article.
Interviewed by El Financiero on the implications of Trump's Corollary of the Monroe Doctrine for Latin America.
Spoke on cybersecurity and AI privacy during a panel at Practicing Law Institute in New York City.
Presented findings from a TPI and Cornell Bitcoin Club study at the BTC in DC conference.
Quoted in an AP News article about the proposed Russia-Ukraine peace plan.
Commented for CNET on the Cloudflare outage and what it indicates about resilience in the AI development race.
Past events
War, Technology, and Disaster Relief
A conversation with COL Dr. Chris Ellis, Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Homeland Defense Institute, on interagency crisis coordination and responses to natural disasters.