Ananya Balakrishnan ’26

Ananya is a senior double-majoring in International Relations–Political Science and Peace and Justice Studies, with a focus on conflict and international security.

Her ongoing thesis examines how the United States' methods of security assistance to non-state actors impact insurgent behavior and conflict outcomes. During the summer of 2025, she was a Wellesley in Washington fellow and worked as a research intern at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS). At GIWPS, she investigated the disappearance of documents and data related to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda and worked on developing an open resource hub for WPS research. Ananya is a co-founder and project director of the Wellesley Security Studies Lab (WSSL), where she leads a team of research assistants to analyze pathways from nuclear technology transfer to weapons proliferation. She works as a teaching assistant both at the Wellesley Community Children's Center and in the Political Science department, and is also a lead on the Political Science Majors' Council. After graduation, she hopes to work in a think tank or policy research setting, concentrating on international security policy.