SI in Action CLS Alumni Seminar

I was fortunate to spend last week with 25 other Critical Language Scholarship alumni in Rīga, Latvia, for the Super Intelligence (SI) in Action CLS Alumni Seminar 2026. This is the third alumni seminar in 20 years of CLS programming and so I was very thankful to be one of the 25 alumni selected. Most of the alumni work in cutting-edge fields, from engineering and national security to research, law, and public policy and had very impressive resumes learning languages critical to US national security. We did sight visits with a number of SI and AI entities in Latvia including the Latvian Association for Artificial Intelligence, Agentic SI Tools, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons SIA, and even attended the conference Digitalization & Connectivity: Techritory 2026. Through hands-on learning, expert sessions and site visits, we were able to see how SI is shaping industries, strengthening security, and creating new opportunities for companies in Latvia. We also visited several universities including Innovation and Acceleration Centre at the University of Latvia and it was so fun to see the new campus at the university where I studied as an undergraduate and graduate student and also taught for a semester as a Fulbright visiting professor. 

I was able to present on my current research project looking at machine learning and human trafficking recruitment as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine. While these were short three minute lightening talks, we got to see what other people were working on and look for connections and advice for future networking opportunities. Overall, I was thankful for the opportunities to make connections and receive advice on possible future research opportunities. It was also wonderful to meet such a diverse and prestigious group of CLS alumni across the 20 years of the program. It was also great to see a new side of Latvia, a country I have studied most of my life. I will definitely be taking the connections both Latvian and American with me back to my professional career in the US and when I visit Latvia again!

Sentiment analysis graph that I presented at the seminar.

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