Cynthia Tong

Cynthia Y. Tong is a second year Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, and is a Student Research Assistant to Eric Rosenbach under the Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy (DETS) program at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Her current research portfolio covers space, AI, fintech, biotech, semiconductors, and quantum. She is the co-chair of Moonshot, a student-run professional interest club on space issues and policy, and is additionally a member of Harvard W3D: Women in Defense, Diplomacy, and Development.

Prior to the Kennedy School, she spent 4 years working for U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono as the Deputy Scheduler and Assistant to Chief of Staff. A lifelong public servant, she has also worked for the City of Irvine, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

She received a B.A. in Public Policy from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service in 2019.