Dr. Hassan Abbas is a Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA Center), National Defense University (NDU). He also serves as a senior advisor at Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at Harvard University’s Divinity school, non-resident scholar with Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a think tank focusing on research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision making; and as a trustee of American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His current research work focuses on building narratives for countering political and religious extremism and rule of law reforms in developing states. Dr. Abbas also has served as professor and department chair at NDU’s College of International Security Affairs (2011-2019) and as the Distinguished Quaid i Azam Professor at Columbia University (2009-2011). He held various fellowships including at Harvard Law School’s Islamic Legal Studies Program and Program on Negotiation (2002-04); the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (2005-09); Asia Society in New York as Bernard Schwartz fellow (2009-2011); and as a Carnegie fellow at the New America Foundation (2016-2018). Dr. Abbas’s latest book, The Return of the Taliban: Afghanistan After the Americans Left, was published by Yale University Press in 2023. Dr. Abbas has provided expert commentary and interviews for the New York Times, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, CNN, and Fox News. He has also appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Charlie Rose Show, MSNBC (Abrams Report and Hardball), C-Span (Washington Journal) CBS, and NBC as an analyst on security related issues in South Asia and Middle East.
Dr. Justin Anderson is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), National Defense University. His research focuses on deterrence (nuclear and non-nuclear), nuclear forces, and nuclear arms control agreements. Dr. Anderson develops and facilitates table-top exercises (TTXs) and guided scenarios on major power crises, United States (U.S.) and allied conventional nuclear integration, and related topics. Prior to joining the INSS, Dr. Anderson was a senior policy analyst at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) where he provide research and analysis on arms control, nonproliferation, counter-weapons of mass destruction, and deterrence issues to the United States Air Force (USAF), USSTRATCOM, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the Office of the Secretary of War Office of Treaty Compliance. Dr. Anderson received the 2011 Major General Robert E. Linhard for Outstanding Research from the Air Force Institute of National Security Studies for a paper on Qualitative Considerations of Nuclear Forces at Lower Numbers and Implications for Future Arms Control Negotiations, as well as the USSTRATCOM 2022 General Larry T. Welch Deterrence Writing Award (with co-author Lt. Col. James R. McCue, USAF) for their Spring 2021 Strategic Studies Quarterly article “Deterring, Countering, and Defeating Conventional-Nuclear Integration.” Dr. Anderson has taught at NDU, the Defense Nuclear Weapons School, the Joint Services Command and Staff College (UK), King’s College London, and Brookes University. He was a 2003 Marshall Scholar and a 2000 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Junior Fellow. Dr. Anderson has a Ph.D. and M.A. in War Studies from King’s College London and a B.A. in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College.
Dr. Lisa Aronsson is a Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), National Defense University. Her research focuses on European security and transatlantic defense cooperation, and her interests include NATO strategy and operations, European Union defense, United Kingdom (U.K.) defense strategy, and Mediterranean security. Dr. Aronsson is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council where she is affiliated with the Transatlantic Security Initiative in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Prior to joining INSS, Dr. Aronsson worked as an analyst for the Congressional Research Service where she examined the United States and European Allies responses to emerging technologies in defense. She also worked as a Research Fellow and Program Head at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defense and Security Studies in London from 2008 to 2014. At RUSI Dr. Aronsson led the Institute’s research on U.S. defense and security policy, U.K. -United States cooperation, and transatlantic relations. Dr. Aronsson also lectured for the U.K. Foreign Office and Ministry of Defense training courses, taught undergraduate courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and worked as a newsroom assistant at the Associated Press Bureau in Rome. Her research and analyses have been published in leading journals and newspapers including European Security and The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Aronsson has a Ph.D. in International Relations and a master’s degree in international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.A. from Wellesley College.
Dr. David P. Auerswald is Professor of Security Studies at the U.S. National War College (NWC) at the National Defense University. Since joining the NWC faculty in 2001, he has served as Acting Dean of Faculty, Associate Dean of Academic Programs, and as a Course Director for major portions of the NWC curriculum. Dr. Auerswald previously served on the faculty of George Washington University’s Department of Political Science and the Elliott School of International Affairs. He also worked as a congressional staff member. Dr. Auerswald received his Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from the University of California, San Diego, and undergraduate degrees in political science and English literature from Brown University. He is the recipient of the Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award, Department of Defense.
Luke Bellocchi is Associate Professor of Practice at the Eisenhower School for Resource Strategy, National Defense University (NDU). He formerly taught strategy and modern China at the Joint Advanced Warfighting School, NDU. Dr. Bellocchi has served in senior executive positions in the U.S. government focused on homeland security policy, to include Immigration Detention Ombudsman at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Assistant Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, Deputy Ombudsman for Citizenship and Immigration Services at DHS, Strategic Advisor, Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Counsel on U.S. House and Senate Committee staffs, including the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senate Leadership, and House Judiciary Committee. Dr. Bellocchi’s work has included oversight investigations and hearings concerning counter terrorism, detention issues, border security, comprehensive and merit-based immigration reform, human trafficking, watch-listing, fraud and corruption, countering domestic terrorism, and implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations. Dr. Bellocchi also served as Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Department of State and in positions at the U.S. Consulate General, Toronto, and U.S. Embassy, Gaborone. He has also lived in India, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Botswana, Hawaii, and Vietnam. Dr. Bellocchi has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on China and Taiwan, strategy, red teaming, and critical thinking. He earned degrees from the University of Virginia (Darden School of Business), Georgetown Law School, National Intelligence University, State University of New York, and the University of Rochester. He is a member of the Bar in Maryland, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia.
Dr. Thomas F. Lynch III is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University. He researches, writes, lectures, teaches, and develops and implements high-level Joint warfighting exercises and simulations for Department of War (DoW) stakeholders, including senior leaders at the Joint Staff and Combatant Commands. His work focuses on Great Power Competition (GPC) and geopolitics, India’s strategic rise and Indo-Pacific security, Afghanistan-Pakistan and wider South Asia, Gulf Arab States, and the trajectory of radical Islam. Dr. Lynch has published four books including as editor of Strategic Assessment 2025: Great Power Competition at Mid-Decade (NDU Press, 2025), over 20 book chapters, and more than 40 feature monographs and journal articles. Dr. Lynch joined INSS after a 28-year career in the active duty U.S. Army, serving in a variety of command and staff positions as an armor/cavalry officer and as a senior level politico-military analyst including as a Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Director of the Chairman’s Advisory and Initiatives Group; Commander of the U.S. Army War Theater Support Group in Doha, Qatar; Director of the Advisory Group for the Commander, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM); and Military Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. Dr. Lynch provides expert commentary on an array of public-facing media including as a feature analyst on national and international podcasts, webinars, videos, and television and radio appearances. He is a member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Dr. Lynch holds a Master's and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Dr. Dawn Murphy is an Associate Professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College (NWC), National Defense University. Prior to joining NWC, she served as Associate Professor of International Security Studies at Air War College, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Princeton (Columbia)-Harvard China and the World Program at Princeton University. Dr. Murphy specializes in Chinese foreign policy and domestic politics, U.S.-China relations, and international relations. Her research analyzes China’s interests and behavior as a rising global power towards the existing international order. Her book, China’s Rise in the Global South: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing’s Alternative World Order, examines China’s foreign policy approach towards the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa regionally. It includes detailed case studies of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the China-Middle East Issues Special Envoy, the China-Africa Issues Special Envoy, China’s Special Envoy for Syria, China’s naval base in Djibouti, and China’s Belt and Road initiative. Dr. Murphy holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University, Master of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.
Dr. Denise Natali is the Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, where she leads applied research and strategic analysis in direct support of the Department of War (DoW), the Joint Force, and senior national security decision-makers. Dr. Natali previously served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations. She has provided direct strategic and operational support to the DoW for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, as well as Operation Provide Comfort II in northern Iraq, contributing to military planning and partner force engagement. Dr. Natali also directed cross-border operations for an NGO in Peshawar, Pakistan and has taught and lead research at public and private universities in Iraq, including the American University of Iraq–Sulaymaniyah. An award-winning author, Dr. Natali has published extensively on regional security, irregular warfare dynamics, state weakness, energy geopolitics, and cross-border conflict in leading journals and news outlets. Her books include The Kurdish Quasi-State: Development and Dependency in Post–Gulf War Iraq and The Kurds and the State: Evolving National Identity in Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Dr. Natali holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A. in Government from Franklin & Marshall College. She studied at L’Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris, the University of Tehran Deh Khoda Language Program in Iran, and Tel Aviv University. Dr. Natali is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and speaks French and conversational Kurdish and Farsi.
Dr. Elena Pokalova is Professor at the College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University. She is an expert in security issues, with a focus on terrorism, counterterrorism, and ethnic conflict. Her books, Chechnya’s Terrorist Network: The Evolution of Terrorism in Russia’s North Caucasus and Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters: Threats and Challenges to the West examine terrorism and counterterrorism in Russia and Western foreign fighters from Syria and Iraq. Dr. Pokalova’s research has been published in leading journals, including Terrorism and Political Violence and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. She also has worked on countering violent extremism projects in different countries and regularly provides expertise to media outlets as the Voice of America and Stratfor. Dr. Pokalova received a Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from Kent State University and a B.A. in linguistics from Ural State Pedagogical University.
Dr. Mahsa Rouhi is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), National Defense University. Her research and expertise on nuclear policy and security strategy in the Middle East, particularly Iran, geopolitics, nuclear decision-making, and escalation dynamics inform Department of War and U.S government policy, strategy, and professional military education on Iran, regional security architecture, force posture, and risk management. Prior to joining INSS, Dr. Rouhi was a Research Fellow in the Non-proliferation and Nuclear Policy Program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, where she co-directed a Track 1.5 project on Geopolitics and Nuclear Issues in the Middle East and continues to engage as an associate with the Strategy, Technology and Arms Control group. Dr. Rouhi's analysis and commentary have appeared in leading outlets such as Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, and The National Interest, among other outlets. She holds a Ph.D. from King’s College, University of Cambridge, a M.A. in political theory from the University of Sheffield, and a B.A. in economics from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran. She was also a postdoctoral fellow with the Managing the Atom project at the Belfer Center, Harvard University from 2016-2018.
Dr. Phillip C. Saunders is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs, Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), National Defense University. He is also an Adjunct Instructor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Dr. Saunders previously worked at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey from 1999-2003, where he directed the East Asia Nonproliferation Program in the Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, and served as an officer in the United States Air Force from 1989-1993. Dr. Saunders has published and co-edited numerous books and articles, to include China’s Quest for Military Supremacy (with Dr. Joel Wuthnow), The Paradox of Power: Sino-American Strategic Restraint in an Era of Vulnerability (with David Gompert), Crossing the Strait: China’s Military Prepares for War with Taiwan, and The PLA Beyond Borders: Chinese Military Operations in Regional and Global Context. Dr. Saunders also edits the INSS China Strategic Perspectives monograph series and co-authored recent monographs on China’s Military Diplomacy and Discerning the Drivers of China’s Nuclear Force Development: Models, Indicators, and Data. His research and analyses have been published in leading journals and news outlets including International Security, Journal of Strategic Studies, International Studies Quarterly, Survival, Joint Force Quarterly, China Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, and Pacific Review, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, China Brief, The Diplomat, and The National Interest. His current research includes projects on China-Russia military exercises, China’s nuclear modernization, U.S.-China strategic competition, and an edited book on China’s strategic relationships. Dr. Saunders received a Ph.D., M.A., and M.P.A from Princeton University, School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A in history from Harvard University.
Ömer Taşpınar is a Professor of Security Studies at the National War College (part of National Defense University) in Washington DC. He also teaches at Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Dr. Taşpınar’s work focuses on Turkey, Kurdish nationalism, Political Islam, American Foreign Policy, the Middle East, the European Union, and Muslims in Europe. He is the author of four books: Kurdish Nationalism and Political Islam: Kemalist Identity in Transition; Winning Turkey: How the EU and the US can Restore a Fading Partnership (with Philip Gordon); What the West is Getting Wrong about the Middle East: Why Islam is not the Problem, and The Nation or the Ummah: Islamism and Turkish Foreign Policy (with Birol Baskan). Dr. Taşpınar holds a doctorate degree from SAIS and speaks French, Italian, and Turkish (native).