Schar School of Policy and Government

From Sea to Space: Schar School Energy Forum Explores New Frontiers in National Security

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 19:15:29 +0000

From Sea to Space: Schar School Energy Forum Explores New Frontiers in National Security Andrew J Schappert Wed, 10/14/2026 - 15:15

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Admiral (ret.) Charles Richard delivers the morning keynote address regarding maritime strategy and security. Photos by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Protecting maritime trade routes, securing energy supplies, and governing an expanding space economy present interconnected challenges for policymakers. At 911��’s Schar School of Policy and Government, faculty expertise in energy geopolitics, international security, and space policy helped bring those challenges into focus at the eighth annual Mason Energy Forum.

Antares chief nuclear officer Rian Bahran discusses the future of portable nuclear generators.

Held October 7 at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, the daylong symposium, “From Sea to Space: The Challenges for Energy, Trade, and National Security,” brought together scholars, government officials, and industry leaders. The event was hosted by the Center for Energy Science and Policy (CESP) and the Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS).

The collaboration connected complementary areas of research: energy security, sustainability, and resilience at CESP, and multidisciplinary analysis of defense and security challenges at the CSPS.

Organizers hoped attendees would leave with a greater appreciation for “the interconnectedness of national security, energy policy, and local infrastructure for commercial space and data centers,” said Richard Kauzlarich, Distinguished Visiting Professor and CESP codirector.

Energy and maritime security are crucial topics to address as “both have an immediate sense of urgency, the preoccupation of our policymakers, but also long-term consequences,” said cohost Ellen Laipson, director of CSPS and the Master of International Security program.

Those immediate pressures and longer-term implications shaped discussions throughout the day. Following a keynote address by retired Admiral Charles Richard, president of the Institute for Defense Analyses, on the state of international maritime strategy, panels of government and private-sector practitioners examined the challenges of maritime security and the relationship between energy and national security amid global conflict.

The first panel followed in Richard’s wake with a thorough discussion of “Maritime Security: 21st Century Challenges,” moderated by Schar School adjunct Joe Petrucelli, a Schar School 2022 PhD graduate in international relations and national security studies. Among other topics addressed, Steven Wills, a navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy, reviewed maritime warfare developments on oceans around the world.

A midday discussion shifted to dry land as David Hart, a former Schar School professor now with the Council on Foreign Relations, set the stage for the second session’s topics of energy security, technological innovation, and modern leadership.

Hart was followed by a keynote address from Rian Bahran, chief nuclear officer for Antares, a California-based company developing portable nuclear reactors for military and space applications. Bahran described a future with governments, commercial clients, and international markets relying on nuclear technology, not just for energy but as a means of safeguarding national security.

Later panels explored space as economic infrastructure and the evolving mix of energy technologies, including nuclear, solar, and geothermal power. A key focus was the discussion of Northern Virginia’s energy demand driven by explosive AI data center growth. Industry experts explored behind-the-meter power generation based on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), solar and geothermal microgrids, and the challenging economic question of how “hyperscalers” will deploy next-generation power solutions.

Schar School adjunct Hina Kazmi, left, moderates a panel on space as economic infrastructure.

Schar School adjunct professor Hina Kazmi, a NASA veteran who also helped to organize the event, moderated the space infrastructure discussion.

Kazmi called the symposium “a very intellectually engaging environment” and was particularly encouraged by the student participation. She noted that the rapidly expanding space sector offers significant career opportunities across disciplines ranging from STEM to law.

Asked whether space represents a growing employment field for students, her answer was emphatic: “Big time.”

Schar School students in attendance the forum connected their coursework with current debates in energy policy and national security.

“I’ve always wanted to find a way to combine my interests in energy policy and national security, so this is the first time I’m going to a summit at 911�� where I can explore both those interests—and so far I’m really loving it,” said Master of Public Administration student Charessa Fryc.

The forum also offered something beyond the classroom: direct access to practitioners and experts confronting many of the same national security and policy challenges they study in their graduate programs. Fryc had the opportunity to meet Colin Grabow, associate director of the Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, whose published work she already knew.

“It’s like a marketplace of ideas,” she said. “There are so many different perspectives that I can learn from.”

Marine veteran Jeff Hanrahan found similar value in hearing perspectives beyond those he encounters in his coursework.

“I like being able to hear from a wide range of new experts,” said Hanrahan, a master’s student in the Schar School’s International Security program (ISEC). “My professors are all great but getting to hear close to 10 other people who I don’t normally get to hear from every day is important.”

The “Sea to Space” symposium is one of several special events celebrating the Schar School’s 10th anniversary in 2026. Programs such as these underscore the Schar School’s role as a convening place for scholars, policymakers, industry leaders, and practitioners to examine the forces shaping public policy and national security.

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Twenty 911�� researchers receive 4-VA funding for collaborative research

Katarina Benson — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:11:33 +0000

Twenty 911�� researchers receive 4-VA funding for collaborative research Katarina Benson Thu, 10/08/2026 - 12:11

4-VA@Mason, part of the 4-VA state network, has announced 20 collaborative research awards for 911�� faculty members for the 2026-27 academic year. The selected proposals were chosen from the largest number of submissions received since the program’s inception more than a decade ago.

4-VA is a statewide consortium of nine Virginia higher education institutions that encourages collaboration and relationship-building across the humanities and sciences and provides seed funding for novel research projects. The program provides a foundation that builds on the strengths of each institution, reduces the redundancies of working in silos, and affords opportunities for student experiential research.

Robotics are a vital part of the 4-VA projects this year. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“Our 4-VA program is a wonderful example of how supporting cross-institutional efforts can improve higher education and boost faculty and student research, which benefits our state and beyond,” said Janette Muir, 4-VA@Mason campus coordinator and vice provost for academic affairs.

In addition to 911��, the other members of the 4-VA consortium are Christopher Newport University (CNU), the College of William and Mary (W&M), James Madison University (JMU), Old Dominion University (ODU), Radford University (RU), University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech (VT).

Listed below are 911�� faculty acting as lead principal investigator (PI) for collaborative research grants this cycle and collaborating institutions:

Breana Bayraktar, Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, A Cross-Institutional Study of AI-Influenced Feedback Practices (UVA, JMU, W&M)
Sungsoo Ray Hong, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), Multi-Robot Video Sensemaking for Urban Missing Person Search in Public Safety Operations (VT)
Emily Ihara, College of Public Health (CPH), Opening Minds Through Art in Virginia (JMU)
Jennifer Salerno, Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC), Characterizing the influence of the coral microbiome on coral resilience and restoration potential of American Samoa’s reefs (ODU)
Daniel W. Smith, CEC, Disinfection Byproduct Formation Mechanisms and Toxicity at the Solid-Liquid Interface of Chlorocyanurate Tablets (VT)
Monique van Hoek, College of Science, Breaking Down Silicate Like Sea Sponges: Using Bacteria to Produce a Biocatalyst for Rare Earth Element Extraction (VT)
Allison Ward, College of Education and Human Development, Virginia Coaching Collaborative: Improving Clinical Practicum Experiences for Reading Specialist Candidates (JMU, RU, UVA)
Xuesu Xiao, CEC, Agile, Proactive, and Autonomous First Responder Robots (UVA)

Additionally, partner 4-VA institutions have called on 911�� faculty for their expertise and experience in a wide variety of areas to act as co-PI in research efforts at other schools. These faculty members have received supplemental funding known as complementary grants:

Lab work in action. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Tanvir Arafin, CEC, ANCHOR: Analog–Cyber Sensing for Secure Energy Infrastructure (UVA)
Karen Grace, CPH, Sexual Violence and Reproductive Coercion Among College Students with Disabilities (UVA)
Moinul Hossain, CEC, Machine Learning-Driven Predictive Secure Beamforming for NextG UAV Networks (JMU)
Brittany Johnson-Matthews, CEC, Beyond Chat: Generative User Interfaces (UI) for AI-Guided Developer Onboarding in Large-Scale Codebases (VT)
Mirae Kim, Schar School of Policy and Government, Leading Change Conference 2027: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Leadership Studies (JMU) and Scaling Up Nonprofit Health and Resiliency Assessment in Virginia Funding Proposal (JMU)
Yi-Ching Lee, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Understanding Autistic Adults’ Needs with Executive Functioning Support Apps (UVA)
Cynthia Smith, PEREC, EcoQuests: Reconnecting Youth with Nature through Digital Exploration of Urban Greenspace (VT)
Chaowei Yang, COS, AI-Enabled, Stakeholder-Integrated, Context-Sensitive Data Center Planning Framework (VT)
Ziyu Yao, CEC, Improving Safety in Large Language Model Responses Targeted at Youth (UVA)
Xiaokuan Zhang, CEC, Building Trustworthy Audit Systems via Hardware Security Primitives (UVA)

Additionally, 4-VA@Mason will be supporting an extension of a 2025-26 project:

Quentin Saunders, CEC, Restoring Functional Grasp in Stroke Survivors: A Semi-Autonomous Hand Exoskeleton with Coordinated Thumb-Finger Sequencing (UVA).

“Quentin and his team have made exciting advances in the development of a hand exoskeleton for stroke victims, which has been very well received in testing. However, with just a little more work, they believe the exoskeleton can be expanded for a much broader range of tasks for use in activities of daily living,” Muir said. “It’s just this type of project that 4-VA can bring to life.”

The next cycle of proposals for the academic year 2027-28 will open mid-December 2026 and will be found on the 4-VA@Mason website. Questions can be directed to mason4va@gmu.edu.

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From Sea to Space: Power, Security, and AI Converge at Mason Energy Forum October 7

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:07:09 +0000

From Sea to Space: Power, Security, and AI Converge at Mason Energy Forum October 7 Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/05/2026 - 09:07

Hina Kazmi

The Schar School of Policy and Government at 911�� will bring together national security, energy, technology, and regional policy experts October 7 to examine how global conflict and rapid technological change are reshaping energy policy.

The eighth annual Mason Energy Forum, “From Sea to Space: The Challenges for Energy, Trade, and National Security,” is a symposium bringing together experts from governments and key institutions to 911��’s Van Metre Hall at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, October 7.

Richard Kauzlarich

The daylong event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Sessions will explore threats to global energy supplies and trade routes, the growing electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, and the potential of advanced nuclear power and space-based energy systems. A complete list of topics and speakers is available online.

The discussions have implications for household energy costs, business investment, and the infrastructure communities depend on. The forum offers policymakers, energy and technology professionals, local government leaders, students, and interested residents an opportunity to better understand these developments and the decisions ahead.

Ellen Laipson

Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich is codirector of the Schar School’s Center for Energy Science Policy (CESP), which is cosponsoring the symposium with the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS), directed by Professor Ellen Laipson. Aerospace expert and Schar School adjunct Hina Kazmi organized the forum alongside Kauzlarich and Laipson. Kauzlarich and Laipson will provide opening and introductory remarks, respectively.

Former Schar School professor David Hart, now senior fellow for climate and energy at the Council on Foreign Relations, is the keynote guest in a conversation with Schar School Dean Mark J. Rozell.

Organizers hope attendees leave with an appreciation for “the interconnectedness of national security, energy policy, and local infrastructure for commercial space and data centers,” Kauzlarich said.

Update: This event is now full but we hope to see everyone who registered there!

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Master of International Security Graduate Student Earns Boren Fellowship

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:19:37 +0000

Master of International Security Graduate Student Earns Boren Fellowship Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/05/2026 - 08:19

Xavier Isaac enrolled in the Master of International Security Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911�� to enhance his interest in international affairs. The appeal of the subject developed for him during two study-abroad experiences he had as an undergraduate at Virginia State University.

Xavier Isaac. Photo provided

“Interacting with people from other countries really intrigued me,” he said. “I saw how I took for granted the U.S., the role that we have as being leaders of the free world.”

A couple of factors influenced Isaac’s decision to attend 911��: in-state tuition and location. But the reputation of the Schar School’s faculty confirmed his choice.

“A lot of the professors I had were not just academics or commentators in the field, they actually had roles and experience working in the government and the private sector,” he said. “It gave a lot more credence to the lessons being taught and I learned a lot because of that.”

Isaac mentions Richard Kauzlarich and James Danoy with a special shoutout to Ellen Laipson, director of the Master of International Security Program and the Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS), as being influential professors and mentors. Laipson, he says, was instrumental in his earning a Boren Fellowship.

“I had a coffee chat with her, and she really helped me with regard to recommendation letters,” he said. “I really appreciated that. I wouldn’t have gotten that fellowship without her support and advocacy.”

In January 2027, Isaac will begin the yearlong Boren Fellowship in Tokyo, Japan. The Boren award provides funding for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study critical languages abroad while committing to future public service to enhance U.S. capabilities, deterrence, and readiness.

“I look at it as another opportunity to expand upon what I’ve learned at the Schar School and have another focus—going overseas and learning another language,” Isaac said.

Laipson describes Isaac as a thoughtful and hard-working student and was thrilled to learn that he was selected for a Boren Fellowship.

“The opportunity to be immersed in a foreign culture—especially one as significant as Japan—will make him and any Schar School student a more effective professional in the national security world,” she said. “I am confident he will make the most of his time in Japan.”

The fellowship will allow Isaac to build on his international security studies at the Schar School while gaining additional language skills and firsthand experience abroad.

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Schar School Alumnus Daniel Gerstein’s First Novel Explores the Future of Warfare

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:57:23 +0000

Schar School Alumnus Daniel Gerstein’s First Novel Explores the Future of Warfare Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/01/2026 - 09:57

For Daniel Gerstein, a 2009 PhD biodefense graduate at the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911��, the future of warfare may sound like science fiction: augmented soldiers with brain-computer interfaces fighting alongside AI-enabled humanoid robots, with humans increasingly removed from decisions once made exclusively by commanders on the battlefield.

Daniel Gerstein: ‘I do feel like the Schar School was a very important part of my professional career.’ Photo provided

But Gerstein insists the imagined technologies in his novel, War Without Humanity: Conflict in the Post-Human Era, are grounded in his assessments of emerging capabilities. The book was released in May.

It is science and it is fiction, he said, but to his mind it is not traditional “science fiction.”

The technologies in the book, he explained, are based on his assessments of when emerging capabilities could actually mature. “A lot of them are coming to pass,” he added.

The novel is the first work of fiction among Gerstein’s 10 books and brings together experience from his careers in the military and academia. The book imagines a new kind of military unit composed of conventional troops alongside technologically augmented humans and AI-enabled humanoid robots.

He imagines not only how effective such a fighting force would be but, perhaps more crucially, how they would be organized, trained, commanded, and controlled. If they could.

“Where’s the first human in this new type of formation?” Gerstein asked, raising one of the central questions of the book.

Gerstein approaches the subject with an unusual combination of academic and professional experience. He spent 27 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, in addition to four years at West Point, and later served in the Department of Defense and as a political appointee in the Obama administration. He later became acting undersecretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Gerstein traces an important turning point in that career to 911�� and specifically the Schar School.

His dissertation in the school’s biodefense program examined the potential for a bioterrorist attack. Within a six-month span, he said, he completed the dissertation, landed a book contract to write about bioterrorism, became an adjunct professor at American University, and was selected by the Obama administration to work on countering weapons of mass destruction, with an emphasis on countering biological warfare.

“[The Schar School] was really the catalyst for doing that,” Gerstein said. His subsequent work at DHS included protecting critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, countering weapons of mass destruction, and agricultural biodefense.

Today, his relationship with the school has come full circle. Gerstein is a Schar School adjunct professor, teaching a course called Technology and National Security, and also serves on the alumni chapter’s board at an at-large-member.

He calls himself, jokingly, a Schar School “triple threat”: former student, current professor, and active alumnus.

His continued involvement, he said, is largely about giving back to an institution that helped launch the second phase of his professional life. He particularly enjoys working with students and alumni and participating in panels where he can share what he learned navigating careers in the military, government, academia, and policy.

“I do feel like the Schar School was a very important part of my professional career,” he said.

War Without Humanity brings many of those strands together. Gerstein worries that technological development is moving faster than society’s ability to manage its consequences, something that has raised alarming headlines in recent weeks. Historically, he said, regulation tends to follow harm rather than anticipate it—a pattern that becomes increasingly consequential as artificial intelligence and biotechnology advance.

The questions Gerstein explored as a biodefense doctoral student about understanding emerging threats and preparing for their consequences continue to shape his work, now through fiction.

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Democracy Lab students meet the governor on Richmond trip

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:44:12 +0000

Democracy Lab students meet the governor on Richmond trip Andrew J Schappert Wed, 09/23/2026 - 10:44

While in Richmond, Upper-Level Democracy Lab students met with Governor Abigail Spanberger. Photo provided

Just two weeks into the semester, members of the Upper-Level Democracy Lab Learning Community in 911��'s Schar School of Policy and Government traveled to Richmond, Virginia, for a full day of immersive education featuring history, government, advocacy, and public service—and interactions with both the governor and lieutenant governor of the commonwealth.

Students participated in a roundtable session with Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi. Photo provided

David Ramadan, BA Government and Politics ’93, MAIT International Transactions ’95, director of the Upper-Level Democracy Lab and a professor of practice in the Schar School, organized the packed itinerary, which included visits to the State Capitol Building and Executive Mansion and meetings with government officials.

“I wanted students to experience several dimensions of Virginia government and public policy in a single day—from the executive branch and advocacy to the history, institutions, and physical spaces where the legislative process takes place, including the House and Senate chambers,” he said. “This was the first of two Richmond trips; next semester, we’ll return while the General Assembly is in session so students can see the lawmaking process in action and engage directly with delegates and senators as legislation moves through the legislature.”

The day began with a tour of the Virginia Capitol, including the House of Delegates and Senate chambers, giving students an up-close look at the spaces where Virginia’s legislative process takes place. Next, students met with Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi and her team for a roundtable discussion. The group then gathered in the Patrick Henry Building to engage with Governor Abigail Spanberger, who spoke about her experience governing Virginia and answered students’ questions about issues facing the Commonwealth.

Secretary of Administration Traci Deshazor encountered the students during their tour and spent a few moments chatting with them. From there, the group lunched with the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association and lobbyist Don Hall to discuss how advocacy and the lobbying process work. The students finished the day with a tour of the Executive Mansion.

The day in Richmond concluded with a tour of the Executive Mansion, led by Deputy Butler Martin Townes. Photo provided

“The day’s events allowed them to connect what we discuss in class with the people, institutions, relationships, and processes involved in governing,” Ramadan said.

Sophomore Riley Fariss, a public administration major with a minor in public health and a concentration in public policy, joined the Upper-Level Democracy Lab Learning Community to build on her experience with the First-Year Democracy Lab, where she made strong connections with Schar School peers and faculty.

The highlight of the Richmond trip for Fariss, who is from Lynchburg, Virginia, was meeting Governor Spanberger, asking a question about how her office handles rural health care issues, and listening to her thoughtful response.

“It's really important to me to remind our statewide representatives of the issues facing rural Virginia,” she said. “It meant a lot to me that the governor responded very knowledgeably on the issue. She told me about how she was working on providing more incentives for physicians to work in these areas.”

Senior Nia Christy, a political science and international politics major, who is a member of both the Upper-Level Democracy Lab and the Pre-Law Learning Community, appreciated the opportunity to ask Lieutenant Governor Hashmi about dealing with sexism and Islamophobia. Originally from Pakistan, Christy says Hashmi’s answer really resonated with her.

“What stayed with me most was the message that responding to hateful comments is about more than defending yourself; it's about showing younger girls who share similar backgrounds that those comments should not simply be accepted or normalized,” Christy said. “As an immigrant woman, I thought it was powerful to hear directly from someone who has faced those challenges while continuing to pursue public service.”

For Christy, the visit meant even more because, growing up, she never imagined walking through government buildings or speaking directly with state leaders. “I felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity because I know that access to spaces like these is not something everyone gets to experience,” she said. “It reminded me how much opportunity I have been given and made me even more motivated to eventually use my education to serve and advocate for others.”

Experiences such as the trip to Richmond and the chance to make high-level connections early in students’ careers are at the heart of what the Upper-Level Democracy Lab is intended to do, says Ramadan.

“There is only so much students can learn about government from textbooks and lectures,” he said. “Experiential learning allows them to see government up close, ask difficult questions directly of practitioners and public officials, and better understand how democracy and public policy actually work. My hope is that they come away not only better informed, but also more confident about engaging with government and considering careers in public service, politics, policy, advocacy, or related fields.

For more information about the Upper-Level Democracy Lab Learning Community or other learning communities at the Schar School, please visit this website.

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ODKM Workshop Explores Making AI a Teammate Rather Than a Threat

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:06:42 +0000

ODKM Workshop Explores Making AI a Teammate Rather Than a Threat Andrew J Schappert Tue, 09/22/2026 - 10:06

What a SWOT looks like: Achal Sharma leads the discussion addressing ‘strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.’ Photo by Lauren Green

Instead of viewing the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as a threat to people, what if we considered it a mirror—one that helps clarify and strengthen what is distinctly human about organizational collaboration?

That was the question some 90 attendees addressed during a day-long workshop hosted by the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) Cohort 30 during its fall semester learning community, held September 12 at 911��'s Mason Square.

Held in Van Metre Hall, attendees included faculty, graduate students, alumni, and industry leaders who were drawn by the event’s title, “Reauthoring the Team: Relational Intelligence in the Age of AI.”

The program opened with experiential learning activities including “The Invisible Colleague” and an “AI SWOT” exercise that were designed to surface assumptions about AI team members and identify core human values. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, all things to consider when connecting with AI.

Appearing via video link from California, keynote speaker Isabelle Hau, executive director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, set the theoretical foundation by championing “augmentation over automation” and framing “relational infrastructure” as an essential requirement for organizational flourishing in an algorithmic age.

The student-designed event was a response to the rapid emergence of AI and the turbulence it is causing as it ripples through every aspect of society.

“Every day we hear about AI and how it will supplant work we do now,” said Penny Potter, an instructor in the ODKM Program. “Often overlooked are what opportunities this disruption offers.”

The event, she said, “gave participants the opportunity to explore relational intelligence as a key capability that serves as connective tissue in organizations.”

Participant Erin Finn, a 2024 graduate of the ODKM Program, summed up the workshop experience: “It made the whole conversation about AI feel like such a natural fit for this [leadership] community and for how we might think about moving into this new era—without losing the human part of the work.”

A multidisciplinary practitioner panel featuring psychologist Kinga Mnich, organizational health strategist Judy Oyedele, Department of Defense lead knowledge management specialist Lavdjola Farrington, and leadership development professional Jason Drake grounded these concepts in practical applications spanning social psychology, executive coaching, defense knowledge governance, and public sector leadership.

In the afternoon, participants engaged in three rounds of a “1-4-All Knowledge Café.” Guided by Harvard’s Marshall Ganz's public narrative framework (Story of Self, Us, and Now) and Harvard’s John Kotter’s eight-step change model, attendees moved from individual reflection to table dialogue and room-wide synthesis.

The activation concluded with a compelling call to action led by student facilitators and supported by ODKM founding Director Tojo Thatchenkery and Potter.

Attendees were challenged with the final prompt, “What will you do differently on Monday?,” urging leaders to actively author their teams’ relational dynamics rather than allowing technology to define them by default.

The day’s activities concluded with a call to action for every leader in the room: “If you do not step up and consciously author your team’s story, the technology or the hierarchy will do it for you.”

Costello College of Business instructional associate professor Jeremy E. Plotnick contributed to this report.

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911�� professor and alum tapped to help shape Virginia’s economic future

lclarkg — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:12:08 +0000

911�� professor and alum tapped to help shape Virginia’s economic future lclarkg Fri, 09/04/2026 - 10:12

David Ramadan, BA Government and Politics ’93, MAIT International Transactions ’95, professor of practice in 911��’s Schar School of Policy and Government and director of the Upper-Level Democracy Lab, has been appointed by Governor Abigail Spanberger to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) Board of Directors.

David Ramadan, professor of practice in 911��’s Schar School of Policy and Government, director of the Upper-Level Democracy Lab, and two-time alum has been appointed by Governor Abigail Spanberger to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Board of Directors. Photo provided

VEDP works with local, regional, and state partners to expand and diversify Virginia’s economy. As part of the board of directors, Ramadan will support efforts that position the commonwealth as a leading place for business growth and international trade, with an emphasis on workforce development and site readiness to attract new employers.

Ramadan has spent more than 20 years working at the intersection of U.S. and international business, government, and higher education. He is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the founder and principal of RAMA International, a consulting firm specializing in business growth, executive coaching, government relations, and higher education consulting.

“I hope to bring a practical, cross-sector perspective to the VEDP board,” Ramadan said.

A two-time alum, Ramadan said his perspective is also shaped by his academic experience as a student at 911��.

“911�� gave me the foundation to understand how government, policy, economics, and institutions interact,” he said. “My studies helped shape the way I think about economic development, international business, and public policy.”

Ramadan’s appointment to the VEDP board is not his first leadership role in public service. In 2010, former Governor Bob McDonnell appointed him to serve on 911��’s Board of Visitors. Ramadan said that experience gave him insight into institutional governance, higher education, workforce preparation, and the important role universities play in a state’s economic future.

As a VEDP board member, Ramadan will draw on his expertise in education, public policy, and business to strengthen talent pipelines, workforce readiness, and Virginia’s long-term economic success.

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911�� researcher brings critical AI literacy program to Prince George’s County

Nathan Kahl — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:18:35 +0000

911�� researcher brings critical AI literacy program to Prince George’s County Nathan Kahl Mon, 08/31/2026 - 18:18

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms society, 911�� researcher Thema Monroe-White is helping prepare the next generation not just to use the technology, but to navigate it thoughtfully and responsibly. Her work empowers students to understand AI's opportunities, limitations, and consequences, giving them the agency to make informed choices in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Thema Monroe-White. Photo provided

Monroe-White, an associate professor with appointments in the Department of Computer Science and the Schar School of Policy and Government, is part of a new $1 million initiative aimed at helping Prince George’s County students understand not only how to use AI, but how AI works, who it affects, and when it should and should not be used.

The project is funded by the Pull Up Fund, a philanthropic organization focused on supporting youth in Prince George’s County through its Youth AI Mastery and Proficiency initiative. 911�� is working with Ashley Griffin Gilchrist at Bowie State University and Evan Shieh at the Young Data Scientists League (YDSL) on the project. The initial award covers a one-year pilot, with the potential for two additional years of funding.

For Monroe-White, “AI mastery” shouldn't simply mean becoming proficient at using the latest AI platform. “To have or gain AI mastery requires not that you know how to prompt any given model,” she said. Instead, students should understand some of the technical machinery underneath AI, including how models generate outputs, as well as the human and social systems surrounding the technology.

That approach, known as critical AI literacy, asks students to examine issues such as algorithmic bias, labor, privacy, surveillance, environmental impacts, and the human work involved in creating AI systems. It also encourages them to question the technology itself rather than treating AI as a mysterious digital oracle.

“What does it mean? What is it doing? How is it operating? How is it affecting my life?” Monroe-White said.

The Prince George’s County initiative builds on work Monroe-White recently completed with New York City Public Schools and YDSL. Through the Exploring Equity in AI fellowship, educators explored ways to bring critical AI literacy into K-12 classrooms. The program defines AI literacy as encompassing not merely using AI, but “critiquing, researching, evaluating, (re)designing, and reimagining AI.”

The New York effort included topics ranging from AI and consent and algorithmic auditing to data centers and questions about how “intelligent” artificial intelligence actually is. Monroe-White and YDSL Executive Director Evan Shieh served as facilitators of the Critical AI component. Monroe-White is also an external research collaborator with YDSL.

After completing the New York pilot and a public showcase in June, Monroe-White saw the Prince George’s County project as an opportunity to expand the approach closer to home.

“We wanted to expand it and keep the work going,” she said. “And so that’s what we’re doing with Maryland and this county.”

Ultimately, Monroe-White wants young people to understand the technology well enough to make informed decisions about it themselves. Students, she said, should graduate “armed and equipped with the knowledge that most don’t have that demystifies AI,” allowing them to engage in meaningful conversations about when AI is appropriate and what consequences its use might have.

“It’s more of an agency-based training,” Monroe-White said. “It’s lifting up their own individual agency so that they’re empowered in this revolutionary moment.”

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Thema Monroe-White

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Podcast: The human side of intelligence: lessons from a presidential briefer

sholla4 — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:41:11 +0000

Podcast: The human side of intelligence: lessons from a presidential briefer sholla4 Mon, 08/31/2026 - 10:41

The President's Daily Brief is arguably the most sensitive document in American government. It’s a report, delivered in person every morning, updating the President on the most dangerous national security threats facing the nation. During President Obama’s first term, the person charged with delivering that report was a decorated career intelligence officer named James "Jim" Danoy – the first officer from outside the CIA ever trusted with that weighty task.

And Danoy got his start here, as a student at 911��.

Danoy’s path in national security didn’t begin in a situation room. It began in a classroom – the place where a young person first learns about thinking under pressure, judging information, weighing options, and making hard decisions. Now, as an adjunct faculty member at 911��'s Schar School of Policy and Government, Danoy is teaching students who are travelling the same path he did.

On this episode of Access to Excellence, Danoy discusses his career, as well as how judgment, character, and resilience can be taught, and whether we’re doing a good job of it.

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