Aruna Muthupillai

Aruna Muthupillai is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, pursuing dual degrees in Plan II Honors and International Relations & Global Studies, with a minor in Chinese. Her academic and professional interests center on Indo-Pacific security, strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China, and international human rights. She recently served on the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Her prior experience includes positions with the U.S. Department of State in both the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) and the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), as well as with the National Bureau of Asian Research. On campus, Aruna has contributed to multiple undergraduate research initiatives within the Moody College of Communication and currently works on Project Tearline. She has held leadership roles in the Liberal Arts Council and Central Texas Model United Nations, and serves as President of the Texas Orange Jackets, the official student hosts of the university.