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Mentor Recognition: Alex Kugajevsky '92

With this ongoing series, The Rockefeller Center recognizes the valuable contributions provide by its alumni mentors to participants in the First-Year Fellows program. The First-Year Fellows Program provides students with opportunities to meaningfully engage in public policy early in their Dartmouth career. Students are placed in fellowships with Dartmouth alumni in Washington, DC, serving in policy positions where the supervisor is willing to take on a significant mentor role. Today, we recognize mentor Alex Kugajevsky '92 in addition to the First-Year Fellow's supervisor, David Schopler.
Mentor Alex Kugajevsky '92

“Our company, Neptune, is designed to operate at the intersection of government and industry, and we believe we have a unique perspective on the changing landscape around highly regulated industries. The First-Year Fellows program offers a wonderful opportunity to bring in bright, capable thinkers and doers to stretch our organization both intellectually and culturally. As our policy and programmatic research and analysis represents the intellectual engine of our enterprise, we put a priority on our daily thinking to ensure we maintain the best understanding of the policy and budgetary environment. So, as much as we look forward to sharing our experiences and perspectives on public policy, leadership, and service with an up-and-coming public policy leader, we are also excited about the infusion of energy, perspective, and thought he will bring to Neptune, helping us to grow and adapt as well.” --Mentor Alex Kugajevsky '92 and First-Year Fellow Supervisor David Schopler   


 First-Year Fellow Supervisor David Schopler
Originally from Washington, DC, Alex Kugajevsky '92 is a Managing Partner at Neptune, a boutique research and advisory firm. Before joining Neptune, Kugajevsky was a professional staff member on the House Armed Services Committee and staff director for the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee. Previously, he served in the US Army with the majority of his service as a Special Forces officer. He also has experience in angel investing and strategic advisory projects. Kugajevsky double majored in Economics and Psychology at Dartmouth and earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. This summer, Kugajevsky is serving as a mentor to Kevin Zhang '17 through the First-Year Fellows program.
David Schopler, from Chapel Hill, NC, served in the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer after graduating from Brown University and later returned to the Pacific and the Philippines as US Navy SEAL. He served several years in the special operations community, with numerous overseas deployments. His final assignment before joining Neptune was at the US Naval Academy, where he taught leadership. Schopler earned a BSc in Marine Biology from Brown University and a master's in Public Policy from Princeton University. This Summer, Schopler is serving as a supervisor to Kevn Zhang '17 through the First-Year Fellows program.