Elliott School – Page 3

December 13, 2021December 13, 2021

GW Elliott to Honor Retiring Professor Edward “Skip” Gnehm

Shortly after noon on March 2, 1991, an honor guard in Kuwait City greeted Ambassador Edward “Skip” Gnehm Jr., newly appointed to head the United States’ diplomatic mission in Kuwait. The Gulf War had ended less than a week earlier. Before the new ambassador could step foot in the embassy, it had to be thoroughly searched for land mines and other weaponry.

Now the hard work would begin. The conflict and the preceding Iraqi occupation of Kuwait had ravaged the country. It was up to Ambassador Gnehm to work side by side with Kuwaiti leaders and citizens to rebuild the nation. This he did, establishing close ties in the country.

Today, Ambassador Gnehm is known on the GW campus as Professor Gnehm. Since joining the GW Elliott faculty in 2004, he has taught and mentored countless students and held leadership positions at the Elliott School and across the university. He has also served on the university’s Board of Trustees.

Gnehm is, in fact, a GW alumnus himself, having earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Elliott School. GW has recognized his service to the nation and to the university with many awards, including the President’s Medal. These round out national and international awards that pay tribute to Gnehm’s extraordinary service to his nation and in the Middle East.

Gnehm will soon open a new chapter in a long and storied career. In June 2022, he will retire from academia to focus on a book project of his own and spend time with family and friends. GW Elliott is sending him off with an honor guard of its own, celebrating Gnehm’s distinguished career by establishing a fellowship in his name.

In the words of Alyssa Ayres, dean of the Elliott School: “To honor Skip’s tremendous contribution to GW and his dedication to his students, the GW Elliott School of International Affairs is embarking on a major philanthropic initiative to [establish] the Ambassador Edward “Skip” Gnehm Jr. Fellowship.”

Over the next few months, we look forward to celebrating Skip’s many accomplishments with the GW and Elliott communities. You can learn more online about the fellowship initiative and ways you can participate.

February 1, 2021February 1, 2021

Q&A with Dean Alyssa Ayres

What drew you to the Elliott School and this position?
I’d taught at the Elliott School a couple years ago, and admired the school’s academic excellence and real-world impact on educating policy leaders. The school’s mission, with its emphases on education, research, and public engagement, speaks to the different parts of my life. When the deanship opened up at Elliott in 2020, I was drawn to the opportunity to be part of such an accomplished school of international affairs, a community of scholars thinking about these issues, and at a time when foreign policy and national security concerns are front and center in our lives.

What are your top priorities for your first year as dean?
My number one priority is to get to know the school—get to know the faculty, staff, and students, and your top ambitions and concerns! I am also keen to think through with all of you how the Elliott School can build on its great strengths across the disciplines and take the lead on emerging foreign policy trends like the expansion of new actors in international affairs, or how best to organize our work on complex issues like climate, global health, and cybersecurity. I really look forward to conversations with the Elliott community on these and so many other issues.

If you had to pinpoint a childhood experience that sparked your interest in international affairs, what would it be?
This is a very long story. I was originally on the engineering track. But I did a semester abroad program in India during college, and that shaped every single step from there. It’s one reason I continue to advocate for study abroad programs, and most especially, for programs that are a little less-traveled. Please ask me for my slide on study abroad destinations!

What achievement are you most proud of in your career to date?
I am most proud to have been part of the team at the State Department that staffed the early years of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, a whole-of-government cabinet-level consultation created by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It continues to exist although it has gone through two format revisions; it provides an anchor on the diplomatic calendar with an important country that is not a formal U.S. ally.

What are some of the qualities you admire in leaders you have worked with and why?
Transparency and collegiality, because that makes it so much easier to get through (inevitable) challenges together.

Any advice for Elliott students going on their second virtual semester?
This is hard, and we are collectively living through something unprecedented in our lifetimes. While we all keep buckled down for the months ahead, it’s still important to take breaks, and step away from the screen sometimes. (This advice will be a lot nicer to follow once the season changes to spring.)

And finally, what’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Start saving for retirement early. I promise you it is important!

October 30, 2020February 1, 2021

An Arctic Ally in the Nation’s Capital

For a campus built upon land once known as a malaria-infected industrial hub, it may come as a surprise that the Elliott School and GW are collaborating on no fewer than ten research grants related to the Arctic region. Dr. Robert Orttung and his colleagues are guiding projects examining topics as diverse as gender equality in the Arctic, the connection between Arctic wildfires and disease at high latitudes, the evolution of traditional Arctic communities under the stress of climate change, the opportunities and challenges for Arctic tourism, and long term data gathering and analysis of the Arctic permafrost. The Elliott School Arctic team includes Marlene Laruelle, Nikolay Shiklomanov, Dmitry Streletskiy, Vera Kuklina, and Marya Rozanova.

According to Orttung, “the Elliott School has been successful in getting these grants because of our ability to work across campus with colleagues in a wide range of disciplines. Funders like the National Science Foundation are now encouraging the establishment of large multidisciplinary teams to tackle complex problems like those found in the Arctic. Collaboration is essential in bringing together a wide range of different types of knowledge, including natural science, engineering, and social science. The key is to be able to collect and analyze large amounts of quantitative and qualitative data.”

Elliott School alumni have been getting involved in the Arctic region as well. James DeHart, MA ’91, was recently appointed U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region for the State Department. DeHart is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, holds the rank of Minister Counselor and brings with him 28 years of significant experience in regional security, civilian-military cooperation, and international negotiations. He most recently served as Senior Advisor for Security Negotiations and Agreements where he led the negotiation of the status of forces, defense cooperation, and burden-sharing agreements worldwide.

According to DeHart, “the logic behind the new position of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region is to protect U.S. interests through a balanced approach to the region, giving attention to security, sustainable economic growth, and continued cooperation among Arctic States to strengthen the rules-based order. As a result of dramatic environmental changes, the Arctic region is becoming more accessible to actors old and new. Russia and China are increasingly active, generating new risks in this era of great power competition. My job is to advise the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of State, ensure we are well coordinated within the State Department, and work across the U.S. Government to align resources with our policy goals. I also work closely with governments in the region, as well as relevant organizations and local communities, to try to maintain the Arctic as an area of low tension and high standards so that it develops in a way that’s supportive of our interests and those who live there. Our office is very small – sparsely populated, like the Arctic! – so we are plenty busy.”

It’s becoming more evident that future practitioners of international affairs will have to be well versed in questions of the environment and sustainability. The climate change affecting all of us is now most visible in the Arctic, where temperatures are rising faster than other parts of the planet. GW’s and the Elliott School’s faculty, students, and alumni are at the forefront, addressing these important issues, not only for the United States, but for the world.

September 11, 2020February 1, 2021

Young Black Professional in International Affairs

Young Black Professionals in International Affairs (YBPIA) is a new and promising student organization committed to enhancing African and African diaspora perspectives, conversation, participation, and scholarship in the field of international relations through mentorship, networking, awareness, and on and off campus events. Read the exclusive interview with Elliott School sophomore and founder, Hannah Jackson.

What made you want to start a student org for young black professionals in IA?

I am a strong believer in the affirming power of representation. Far too often, communities of color, particularly those in the black community, don’t see enough people who look like them in the careers that they aspire to. That reality is glaringly true within the field of international affairs. Only 6 percent of the Elliott student population are black students, and according to Foreign Policy Magazine, only 8 percent of International Relations scholars are black. With so few represented, it can be very easy to internalize the stereotypical representations that are being presented to you.

The goal of YBPIA is to affirm, value, and amplify the voices and concerns of black students in the Elliott School of International Affairs on and off campus, as well as strengthen and encourage one another in what can be an alienating field. We are committed to providing a supportive, enriching environment for fostering an intellectual community and facilitating the development of both African and African diaspora studies and thought.

Our target membership is any student in the Elliott School of International Affairs who is passionate about the purposeful inclusion of African and African perspectives in and outside of the classroom, and who is interested in improving the overall experience for Black students in the Elliott School and upending the current paradigm of who can and cannot excel in the field. This includes not only Black students and young professionals, but other marginalized communities within the field such as that of the Latinx, Middle Eastern, and Asian communities.

What has the interest level been in the organization so far? It’s new, so I realize it is just getting off the ground.

YBPIA was officially registered as a student organization in July 2020, and I have been gratifyingly overwhelmed by the amount of support that we have received from African and African Diaspora undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni. In addition, we’ve received support via social media promotion by other student organizations and various schools and departments within the university.

Have you always been an “organizer,” even in high school?

I would not say that I have always been an “organizer,” per se, but I have always been a leader in both my school and community. I was very active in high school as a Student Ambassador, an active member on the Student Diversity Leadership Council, a general Officer of Model United Nations, an Advocacy Director and Vice President of Girl Up United Nations, and a member of the Rho Kappa Social Studies National Honor Society.

However, the most rewarding way that I have made a difference in my community is through the non-profit I started in 2018. I decided to channel my passion for human rights to a nearby community in Clarkston, GA. Clarkston is known as one of the most diverse communities per square mile in the US and is home to thousands of refugees speaking over 60 different languages. I chose to mentor and tutor refugee girls through an after-school program I founded, Because I Am A Girl Inc. Through this program, I had the opportunity to encourage and empower the girls academically and socially, through tutoring, field trips in the community, and mentorship. I received a $1,000 grant from Gas South to jumpstart my project.

Using the same leadership skills I learned in high school, I became the Freshman representative of Girl Up GW and was Vice President of Girl Up GW by my second semester. I also had the opportunity to become an active member of the Elliott School Council on Diversity and Inclusion as a freshman, and I am now on the Leadership, Ethics, and Practice (LEAP) Initiative Student Advisory Council.

What kinds of activities do you hope the student org will engage in?

Young Black Professionals in International Affairs will engage in professional, academic, and community events. We are co-sponsoring two events in the month of September, both on September 23: one with GWU Sigma Iota Rho and the GW Institute for African Studies on “Decolonizing the Narrative of Africa”; and the second with Elliott School Alumni Programs, Columbian College Alumni Programs, GW Athletics, and the LEAP Initiative on sports diplomacy titled, “Sports, Ethics, and Black Lives Matter.”

Anything else you would like to add?

In the words of Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, “if policy is being made in Africa, the Middle East, or in Asia and people from that region or culture are not present in the room, I do not see how that policy wouldn’t be enriched with their perspective.” The field of international affairs can only progress further with the acceptance and understanding of those who might bring new viewpoints into the field’s lexicon.

If you are interested in learning more about YBPIA or getting involved, please reach out to us at ybpia@gwu.edu and check our Linktree for more information, https://linktr.ee/gwuybpia!

April 2, 2020April 7, 2020

Amb. William Taylor Receives Award for Leadership and Ethics

William Taylor, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 and as the chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev from June 2019 to January 2020, was awarded the Elliott School Leadership and Ethics Award for his commitment to ethical leadership in the field of international affairs at an event held at the Elliott School in February.

During his remarks, Taylor reminisced about his decision to accept the position of chargé d’affaires after the abrupt departure of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. He recalled discussing the position with his mentor, who advised him that, “if your country calls upon you, and you think you can be effective, then you have a duty to go.” Taylor emphasized that the key words to him were if you think you can be effective. Following a phone call to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who assured him that he had the full backing of the U.S. government behind him, he agreed to accept the position.

Taylor’s message to the audience in regards to Ukraine policy was that the United States has an obligation to “support Ukraine because it is on the front line of our freedom.” In other words, he went on to explain, support for the independence of Ukraine provides a bulwark against the manipulation of Russia into areas of mutual interest including election interference and energy policy. In these areas, he explained, Ukraine and the US are natural allies and can provide mutual benefit to each other.

Taylor also recorded an interview for the Elliott School’s student run podcast, Foreign Affairs Inbox, which dropped on March 30. Visit the podcast website to listen to the interview as well as other episodes.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/foreign-affairs-inbox/id1450190773

October 2, 2018October 3, 2018

Beyond the Front Page: “Matters of State” Alumni Podcast

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018

MES Students Receive Boren and CLS Scholarships

The Elliott School’s Institute for Middle East Studies congratulates the following five students who received either a Boren Fellowship or Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) from the U.S. State Department to study Middle East languages:

Thomas Harris (Boren, Arabic)

Mary Ivancic (Boren, Arabic)

Rosalie Rubio (Boren, Arabic)

Brennan Ryan (Boren, Arabic)

Adam Aviles (CLS, Persian)

Both the Boren Fellowship and Critical Language Scholarship are part of a U.S. government initiative to increase the number of Americans studying and gaining proficiency in foreign languages deemed vital to U.S. national security interests. We at GW are very proud of our exceptional students, and we wish them the best of luck wherever their language studies may take them this summer or coming academic year!

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018

Arabic Book Club – Summer 2018 Edition

During the summer, we will be reading Mawsim al-Hijra Ilaa al-Shamaal (Season of Migration to the North) by the late Sudanese author Tayeb Salih. The book club will begin on Saturday, June 2, and run through August. All Middle East Studies alumni and current GW students are eligible to participate.

Meetings are generally held on Saturday mornings at the Elliott School. If you are interested in joining the Arabic Book Club, please contact Mitchell Ford, IMES’s Senior Academic Advisor and Arabic Instructional Assistant, at (202) 994-1545 or mfordy89@gwu.edu.

The book club was created to give students and alumni the opportunity to engage with modern Arabic literature by authors from across the Arab World. Mitch hopes that this club will enable participants to learn and discuss the ideas and themes in the books as they would with any regular reading group – while also learning important vocabulary and grammatical constructions.

July 19, 2018July 23, 2018

Alumni Profile: Danielle Feinstein, BA ’11

What have you been up to since graduation?

Right now, I am completing my Master’s in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, during a sabbatical year on the Boren National Security Fellowship in Oman. Before my MA, I was a Program Coordinator at the Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo and a Fulbright Research Fellow with the National Democratic Institute field office in Jordan. At GW, I majored in Middle Eastern Studies and minored in Religion.

What professor or class stands out in your memory of the program?

Three professors really stand out to me in my memories of the Middle Eastern Studies program. The first is Nathan Brown who was my advisor for my Elliott Undergraduate Scholars thesis. I had spent one semester in Cairo doing interviews in the fall of 2010, and when I returned in January 2011, of course everything in Egypt had massively changed. I remember I would come to Professor Brown’s office full of anxiety about how I was going to track all the moving pieces of the revolution and turn them into an academic paper. He was extremely supportive and has been to this day. The second professor I remember is Charles Kiamie* who taught a seminar on the Middle East, which was infused with practical expertise from his years working in the U.S. government. Finally, Jennifer Lambert empowered me to TA for her course International Relations of MENA during my senior year, and she has been empowering me to achieve my aspirations of being a smart, competent authority in the field ever since.

(*Charles Kiamie is also a Middle East Studies alumnus, BA ‘00.)

How do you think alumni can be a resource for current students?

We are only a cold email away. If you are a student and you find someone whose experience interests you, don’t second guess yourself, just reach out!

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018

Alumni Profile: Priya Vithani, MA ’16

After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2013 with an interdisciplinary major in “Human Rights in the Middle East,” Priya came to GW to research the connections between entrepreneurship and democratic development in the Middle East. She was a recipient of the Aramex fellowship in 2014, where she worked with a social startup in Jordan. She also traveled to Cairo, where she researched the sociopolitical dynamics of entrepreneurs in Egypt for her capstone project. While at GW part-time, Priya worked as a full-time desk officer at the U.S. Department of State, covering the North Africa portfolio as a policy officer for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Priya also briefly served as the U.S. liaison to the UN Universal Periodic Review and Special Procedures processes in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs and on a short rotation as the human rights officer at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Following graduation from GW, Priya left the Department in 2017 for a fellowship with Kiva Microfinance, which took her to Lebanon, Morocco, and Jordan over an eight-month period. Priya is currently a Financial Sector Specialist at the World Bank Group on the Innovation in SMEs project, a first-of-its-kind project in the region that supports entrepreneurs and investment funds in Lebanon. She lives in Beirut, Lebanon.

What advice would you give to new students?

If you’re new, welcome to the program and congratulations! My advice is this: the program, while excellent, isn’t cheap, so you might as well make the absolute most of it. Take advantage of the Elliott School’s and the program’s many scholarships and programs to pay for school and go abroad. In total, I was able to recover about half of my tuition costs through these fellowships. Leverage the fact that you are studying in DC to do an internship or find meaningful work alongside the program, even if it means switching to part-time or taking a lighter load one semester. This will put you miles ahead of other graduate students, give you a source of income, and you’ll be able to add a degree of practicality to your academic work. Being in DC, you are surrounded by hundreds of think tanks, NGOs, and academic events or conferences. Go to as many of these as you can, ask questions, and talk to people there (network genuinely). Don’t be afraid to ask and make the program work for you. If you can’t find something that you feel would make your experience better or help you academically or professionally, talk to the IMES staff and propose ideas. The worst thing you can do is nothing at all. And lastly, don’t underestimate the interconnectivity of the field that is Middle East Studies! The people you meet and study with could just one day end up being your future coworkers or even supervisors. (My former boss at the Department of State is an alumnus of the program, and sometimes I even had to email professors in the program for work-related issues!). The field is a revolving door, and your professional reputation can carry you a long way. I hope it does. Best of luck!