Michèle Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, named 2018 Commencement Speaker for the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
MEDIA ADVISORY
Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy will deliver the keynote address during the 2018 commencement ceremony for the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at D.A.R. Constitution Hall.
Michèle Flournoy is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of strategic advisory firm WestExec Advisors. She is also Co-Founder and former Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), where she currently serves on the board.
Flournoy served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from February 2009 to February 2012. She was the principal advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense in the formulation of national security and defense policy, oversight of military plans and operations, and in National Security Council deliberations. She led the development of the Department of Defense’s 2012 Strategic Guidance and represented the department in dozens of foreign engagements, in the media, and before Congress. Prior to confirmation, she co-led U.S. President Barack Obama’s transition team at the Defense Department.
In January 2007, Flournoy co-founded CNAS, a bipartisan think tank dedicated to developing strong, pragmatic, and principled national security policies. She served as CNAS’ president until 2009 and returned as CEO in 2014. In 2017, she co-founded WestExec Advisors. Previously, she was senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a distinguished research professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University.
Flournoy is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the American Red Cross Exceptional Service Award in 2016; the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, 2011, and 2012; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2000 and 2012; and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 1996.
She is a former member of the U.S. president’s Intelligence Advisory Board and the CIA director’s External Advisory Board. Flournoy is currently a member of the Defense Policy Board, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Aspen Strategy Group; and a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. She also serves on the boards of CSRA, Amida Technology Solutions, The Mission Continues, Spirit of America, and CARE. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard University and a master’s degree in international relations from Balliol College, Oxford University, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar.
Flournoy will address more than 3,000 graduates, faculty, staff, family, and friends in the Johns Hopkins SAIS community. The school will confer degrees to nearly 500 students in the Master of Arts, Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance, Master of Arts in Global Policy, Master of International Public Policy, and Doctorate programs.
Members of the press who would like to cover Ms. Flournoy’s speech are required to register in advance.
Media Contact
Stacy A. Anderson
Communications Manager
Johns Hopkins SAIS
202.663.5620 office
202.853.7983 mobile
[email protected]
About Johns Hopkins SAIS
A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today’s critical issues. For nearly 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school’s interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.
A live webcast of the entire commencement ceremony will be accessible at 2018 Johns Hopkins SAIS Commencement.
For more information, visit sais-jhu.edu or @SAISHopkins
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