Samantha "Sam" Howell is part of the 2026 class for NCEA Distinguished Alumni, being named to the Community Engagement category.
"We proudly nominate Sam Howell for the NCEA Distinguished Alumni Award for all her success in her unique and high-profile career," said the Baylor coaching staff. "During her time with Baylor Equestrian, Sam Howell established a benchmark for the complete student-athlete. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, earning Academic All-American status, and sweeping the highest academic honors at Baylor gave us an early indication of her boundless potential. It comes as no surprise to see her now on the front lines of national security, advising commissions, leading groundbreaking research on quantum and AI, and shaping policy at the highest levels of government. Sam’s unwavering commitment to integrity and service, recently recognized with the 1LT Bacevich Jr. Award, demonstrates that the values she embodied here in the arena and through her extensive mission work and volunteering continue to propel her forward. We could not be prouder to call her one of our own and will eagerly follow the incredible impact she continues to make."
Academic Success
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Baylor in 2019; Academic All-American during tenure at Baylor; made the Dean’s List eight times at Baylor; 2019 Recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award; 2019 Recipient of Baylor’s Female Academic Champion of the Year Award; 2019 Recipient of the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship; Graduated from the George Washington University’s National Security Policy Master’s Program with a 4.00 GPA.
Athletic Success
- Member of Baylor’s 2017 and 2019 Big 12 Championship teams; received four MOP awards on the Flat during tenure at Baylor.
Service
-
Served as a SAAC representative during tenure at Baylor; participated in FCA during tenure at Baylor; completed two mission trips (Brazil, 2017; South Africa, 2019) with Baylor Sports Ministry; served as a volunteer at Pack of Hope and Feed My Starving Children.
Postgraduate Success
-
Have held several positions in the national security field, including positions at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Currently work as an associate fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), an independent, bipartisan think tank that develops national security and defense policies for policymakers, experts, and the public. Research portfolio includes quantum information science, semiconductors, technology workforce issues, and human performance enhancement in military contexts. Received the CNAS Executive Team’s “Golden Pen” award in October 2023 for impactful research and analysis and the 1LT Andrew J. Bacevich Jr. Award in June 2025 for courage, integrity, and commitment to public service.
Recently published a report on U.S.-China competition in quantum computing, which was featured at CNAS’s 2024 annual conference and distributed to high-level policymakers, including the President, National Security Council, Secretaries of Defense, State, and Commerce, and members of Congress. Also recently led a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)-funded project examining China’s strategic incentives to develop and use AI-enabled biological weapons.
Served as a guest lecturer on U.S.-China technology competition at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Currently serve as a mentor with the Baylor in Washington Program. Provide support to undergraduate students participating in Baylor’s DC internship program. Help students set and achieve career goals and facilitate professional development opportunities for students.
Currently serve as an advisor to the Afghanistan War Commission, a bipartisan legislative commission established by the U.S. Congress to conduct a comprehensive review of key decisions related to U.S. military, intelligence, foreign assistance, and diplomatic involvement in Afghanistan from June 2001 to August 2021.