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Balancing Oars and Advocacy: Schar School Senior June Johnson’s Leadership Journey

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:50:23 +0000

Balancing Oars and Advocacy: Schar School Senior June Johnson’s Leadership Journey Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/23/2025 - 12:50

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Phillip Mink

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“I didn’t know rowing existed in high school. There was no team in my area because we didn’t have a river near us,” said June Johnson, a senior International Security and Law major in the Schar School of Policy and Government and an Honors College student. Now a coxswain on �鶹��Ƶ’s women’s rowing team, the Warrenton, Virginia, native balances her sports career, passion for law, and activism for athletes’ mental health.

June Johnson: ‘My grandma would tell me how great [George �鶹��Ƶ] students treated her, how great the faculty was, [and] how that experience was so empowering for her.’ Photos by George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics

For the uninitiated, the coxswain position is the boat leader, steering and motivating rowers for speed. Which suits Johnson perfectly.

Johnson’s success started with a lucky coincidence.

“When I came to George �鶹��Ƶ, they had a booth for rowing, and I thought ‘hmm, maybe I should try that,’ so that’s how I got into [rowing],” Johnson said.

And now, more than two years later, she finds that “it’s really been the best experience,” she said. “The coaches are incredible and my team is super supportive.”

For Johnson, sports and leadership go far beyond the boat, as she is also a leader in the athlete advocacy space. She runs the A-10 Conference Student Athlete Advisory Council and advocates for mental health support for young athletes.

That advocacy is built on “finding the balance of helping grow people’s leadership [abilities] to the point they are able to speak on [advocacy] platforms, and making sure their needs are met as well as bringing together people who are already confident and want to speak up,” Johnson said.

Having realized law school would be her goal as early as her freshman year of college, Johnson emailed Assistant Professor Phillip Mink, the director of the Patriot Pre-Law Program in the Schar School, and, seeing untapped potential, expressed interest in bringing more activity to the organization.

“I was initially skeptical of June’s plan to reorganize the club,” Mink said. “I didn’t know her, and she seemed awfully young to have such grand plans. But then she started talking, and her energy level was palpable. She was so fearless, confident, and articulate that I immediately felt comfortable with her leadership.”

After getting on board, Johnson helped find a team of dedicated board members and got to work. “It was a great first year, and we did nine events each semester,” said Johnson. She is now president of the program.

Having graduated from high school early, Johnson wasn’t sure where to go for college. Her grandmother, Shirley Metzger, BS Social Work '01, a George �鶹��Ƶ alumna, stepped in to help.

Johnson as coxswain: ‘It’s really been the best experience. The coaches are incredible and my team is super supportive.’

“My grandma would tell me how great students treated her, how great the faculty was, [and] how that experience was so empowering for her,” Johnson said. She couldn’t resist applying.

When asked how she is able to manage so many commitments, Johnson said, “I have such a great support network.”

She believes having people that you can trust and talk to makes a big difference, and she is lucky to have that. “Careful planning and love for what you do” are the other two ingredients of success, she added.

From advocacy for mental health to pre-law resources, Johnson always does the most that she can and helps those around her build a supportive community.

“Everything I do is because I love people in my life,” Johnson said.

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Skills Learned in Jurisprudence Learning Community Help Student Land Full-Time Position

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:19:03 +0000

Skills Learned in Jurisprudence Learning Community Help Student Land Full-Time Position Andrew J Schappert Wed, 10/22/2025 - 08:19

Cameron Chambers likes a plan. As a high school senior, the Bethesda, Maryland, native already had his career path mapped out.

Cameron Chambers: “I was looking at any opportunity as an undergraduate to get my foot in the door and also investigate law as a practice and see if it was something I would do.”

Now a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s (BAM) student majoring in accounting in the Costello College of Business, Chambers chose �鶹��Ƶ specifically for the BAM pathway and the opportunity to jumpstart his education and achieve his goal of practicing tax law.

“People always said, ‘Think of education as an investment,’ so I just researched it,” he said. “George �鶹��Ƶ offered the BAM program and I could apply to be a CPA. It lets me do that faster so I can go to law school. It gave me a good place to do all those things.”

As an undergraduate in the Honors College, Chambers explored avenues that would enhance his interest in a future law career. He is a member of the George �鶹��Ƶ Academic Standards Committee and an editor for the Undergraduate Law Review, part of the Schar School Patriot Pre-Law Program.

He also discovered the Jurisprudence Learning Community (JPLC), one of four faculty-led communities, each with its own academic theme, housed in the Schar School of Policy and Government. JPLC is open to any sophomores, juniors, and seniors who plan on pursuing law school following graduation or are interested in learning how the law pertains to a career in public administration, policy, or politics.

“I was looking at any opportunity as an undergraduate to get my foot in the door and also investigate law as a practice and see if it was something I would do,” he said.

In addition to joining a community of peers interested in law and attending field trips in and around the Washington, D.C., area, Chambers gained something unexpected in the JPLC.

“We were assigned a lot of legal research projects,” he said. “I don’t do that as an accounting major.”

The experience of doing research served Chambers well when he interned for eight weeks last summer at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) doing mergers and acquisitions.

“There’s a lot of tax code I had to go through,” he said. “That legal research skill set that I got was invaluable. Other people didn’t have it. And I thought ‘Why am I not struggling?’ Because I did this.”

Chambers, slated to graduate in December and begin next semester as a graduate student, credits JPLC with helping him secure a full-time offer from PwC as a tax associate starting in the summer. He reached out to Shea Holman, director of JPLC, to share the good news.

“I told her that the [JPLC] class prepped me for this perfectly,” he said. “It was that legal research ability that differentiated me and definitely helped me get that return offer in a competitive space.”

For more information about the Jurisprudence Learning Community or any of the Schar School’s other learning communities, visit the Schar School Learning Community webpage.

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Shea M. Holman Kilian

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Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence Policy and International Security

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From the Situation Room to Netflix: Schar School’s Larry Pfeiffer Goes Hollywood

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 14:21:06 +0000

From the Situation Room to Netflix: Schar School’s Larry Pfeiffer Goes Hollywood Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/20/2025 - 10:21

If the acting and dialogue in the White House Situation Room during the new Netflix movie A House of Dynamite seem authentic, you can thank the Schar School of Policy and Government. Specifically, Larry Pfeiffer, executive director of the Schar School’s Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security at �鶹��Ƶ.

Jason Clarke, left, and Rebecca Ferguson were counseled by Larry Pfeiffer on how the White House Situation Room operates during a crisis.

In another life, for two years, Pfeiffer actually was the senior director of President Obama’s “SitRoom.”

Pfeiffer, the former chief of staff of the CIA and who also worked at the NSA, knows how to keep a secret. He told no one at George �鶹��Ƶ about his role in director Kathyrn Bigelow’s (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) latest thriller for more than a year until Rebecca Ferguson, the Swedish actor from the Mission: Impossible and Dune franchises, began singing Pfeiffer’s praises in global media.

“They hooked me up with Larry Pfeiffer,” she told the Times of London—and Vanity Fair, and IndieWire, and Tudum, the Netflix magazine—as well as in several promotional panel discussions. “He was the man. He’s basically the guy who Jason Clarke plays [in the film]. He’d been that guy, and he was on set every day.”

Rebecca Ferguson in a scene from A House of Dynamite: Larry Pfeiffer ‘was the man. … He had been that guy, and he was on set every day.’ Photos courtesy Netflix.

Ferguson plays Captain Olivia Walker, Situation Room senior duty officer. Clarke is Admiral Mark Miller, the senior director of the “SitRoom,” reporting to the president, played by Idris Elba. The real-time drama arises when a nuke of “indeterminate origin” makes its way through the skies toward Chicago, giving those in charge of saving the world a mere 19 minutes to respond.

After the producers reached out to Pfeiffer on the recommendation of another consultant, “we did a Zoom call during which I asked if they’d ever visited the real Situation Room,” Pfeiffer said. “When they said they hadn’t, I suggested I could ask the then-incumbent senior director if a tour could be arranged. After a couple weeks of deliberation, they invited us in.”

This entre into a remarkably secure national security facility heightened the film’s realism when it came time to build the set. “The production crew did an amazing job recreating the Situation Room, but also the hallways leading to it, the Oval Office, the press briefing room—even the Navy Mess where we would line up to get our meals,” Pfeiffer said.

In fact, “the ‘SitRoom’ felt so real that one time during production, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and for a moment I felt pangs of guilt as if I had brought my phone into a secure facility”—a major violation of security protocol.

As for Ferguson and the other actors, director Bigelow “gave me wide latitude to help them shape their characters and their actions,” he said. “I also offered suggestions to the script. Her remit to me was to help her make it as real as possible.”

Larry Pfeiffer
Photo by Office of University Branding

Feguson’s main takeaway seems to be a comment she’s repeated several times: Pfeiffer told her, “You never lose your [euphemism for cool] in the Situation Room,” she has said. That led to at least one scene being added when Ferguson, as Walker, feels compelled to do just that—walk out of the scene. Bigelow understood the motivation and did the scene again, this time with a camera following Walker out as she loses her cool and works to regain her composure.

“Rebecca Ferguson was a delight to work with,” Pfeiffer said. “She was down to earth and very friendly, eager to learn as quickly as possible what the role of a senior duty officer was, how they would walk and talk, what actions would they be doing at their desk, on their computer, with their phone and headset, how they related to other members of the ‘SitRoom’ team and to the high-level officials she would be dealing with, like the president.”

She also probed him on “what would be their motivation, what made them want to do a job like this? During breaks between filming, she didn’t shuttle off to a trailer or dressing room, she wanted to sit over a meal or a snack and pick my brain,” he said.

Pfeiffer has seen a rough cut of the film in July and attended a private screening earlier this month—the movie is in theaters now; it premieres on Netflix October 24—and said “it’s very good, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat—and I had read the script and participated in the filming.

“I was especially happy at how Kathryn [Bigelow] captured the dedication, professionalism, and patriotism of the men and women of the Situation Room and the military, even under the worst of circumstances.”

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Appreciation: Schar School Professor David Armor

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 18:16:33 +0000

Appreciation: Schar School Professor David Armor Andrew J Schappert Wed, 10/15/2025 - 14:16

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David J. Armor

Kingsley E. Haynes

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The Schar School of Policy and Government and the wider academic community mark the passing of Professor Emeritus David J. Armor, whose career combined rigorous scholarship with a commitment to practical public policy. He died October 11, 2025, after a battle with cancer.

Schar School Professor Emeritus David J. Armor

Armor joined �鶹��Ƶ’s School of Public Policy (now the Schar School) in 1993, teaching and mentoring until his retirement in 2010. After retirement he continued to collaborate with Schar School students who assisted his research.

His courses in statistics, policy analysis, and social theory shaped generations of students who valued his clarity, fairness, and intellectual precision. He also directed the PhD program in public policy, guiding doctoral candidates with a demanding but generous hand.

Before coming to George �鶹��Ƶ, Armor held positions at Harvard University, the RAND Corporation, and in the U.S. Department of Defense, where he applied his analytical skills to complex issues of education, defense manpower, and social policy. His research and testimony informed more than 50 desegregation and educational equity cases across the country. His work consistently reflected his belief that sound policy rests on evidence and honest inquiry, not ideology.

Colleagues and students remember him as incisive, forthright, and deeply engaged in the questions that matter most to a democratic society. He was unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom but always did so with respect for data and for differing viewpoints. He also was a longtime vintner, owning Sharp Rock Vineyards in Sperryville, Virginia, where he hosted an annual reception for the faculty of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Institute of Public Policy.

“David and his wife, Marylin, came to Washington, D.C., from California with the Reagan administration; he was an expert in education policy and an outstanding statistician,” said Kingsley Haynes, Schar School University Professor Emeritus. “He was a bright and articulate faculty member with a different perspective but always open to discussion. He was an outstanding teacher especially in statistics and education.”

Armor’s scholarship—spanning books, articles, and policy studies—continues to influence debates about education and equality. His professional legacy lies not only in his published work but also in the many scholars and practitioners he trained to approach public policy with rigor, independence, and integrity.

More information may be found at the website for Found and Sons Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services.

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Beyond Borders: Schar School Master's Student Redefines Security Through Human Experience

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 19:43:53 +0000

Beyond Borders: Schar School Master's Student Redefines Security Through Human Experience Andrew J Schappert Mon, 09/29/2025 - 15:43

Nathan Stolzenfeld frames their research around the lived experiences of people rather than just the borders of states. That is something the first-year student in �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government’s Master of International Security Program has been thinking about since their undergraduate years.

Nathan Stolzenfeld, with Associate Professor Lucas Núñez, accepts the Outstanding Senior in International Security and Law award in May. Photo by John Boal Photography

“If we keep our language to purely discussing the bordered nature of politics, we can't really effectively solve those problems,” they said. “It's incredibly important to remember that when we are having discussions about the entire body of Taiwan, or the entire body of China, or any other country, that there are people in these countries. They have real risks presented to them by things that are not state-based violence, like climate change or gender-based violence, disease, all of those issues—they cross borders.”

Stolzenfeld’s research focuses on East Asia, specifically the contested statehood of Taiwan, a longstanding issue that has taken on new importance in recent years.

As an undergraduate in the Schar School’s international security and law (ISL) program (Stolzenfeld finished in three years), they worked in the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) with renowned immigration expert Professor Justin Gest and Associate Professor Michael Hunzeker.

Stolzenfeld was one of the first five graduates with a bachelor of arts in international security and law from the Schar School, and they are expanding on the concept of security with their research and understanding of political theory. The draw of the ISL program was “the specificity of the major,” Stolzenfeld said, adding that Hunzeker, director of the Taiwan Security Monitor, successfully championed the program.

While the 2025 Outstanding Senior in International Security and Law might have graduated into a promising job in their chosen field, Stolzenfeld felt more knowledge and preparation was called for. In fact, the Honors College and University Scholars alum said the driving force to pursue a master’s degree in international security at the Schar School was the professors.

“All of my professors have been really engaged with helping me formulate ideas and making sure that I'm always heading in the right direction, even if I don't align with their beliefs or how they perceive the world,” Stolzenfeld said.

It was one of their Honors College courses, Ruins of the Apocalypse, taught by Assistant Professor Benjamin Renne, that provided further inspiration. The Honors College curriculum supplemented Stolzenfeld’s Schar School classes on international security “and it helped me take the concepts I learned in a more holistic way and apply them to the classes for my major,” they said.

“Different forms of media—be it video, video games, photography—can be used to make political statements, and they can be used as forms of representation, advocacy, or resistance if needed,” they said. Things as far flung as “climate fiction and apocalyptic fiction can be used to spur social change.”

A few weeks into their graduate program, Stolzenfeld knows what is next to achieve: self-discovery.

“I would like to experience more, travel more, read more, and just figure out myself,” they said.

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Michael Hunzeker

Justin Gest

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International Security and Law

Master of International Security

Vice President Mike Pence joins �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School as Distinguished Professor of Practice

Colleen Rich — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:41:01 +0000

Vice President Mike Pence joins �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School as Distinguished Professor of Practice Colleen Rich Tue, 09/16/2025 - 09:41

Vice President Mike Pence has been named a Distinguished Professor of Practice at �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Pence’s arrival this fall marks a significant addition to the institution’s academic community. He will engage with students and faculty, bringing decades of public service, executive leadership, and policy experience into the classroom.

Vice President Mike Pence. Photo provided

Pence served as the 48th Vice President of the United States from 2017 to 2021, following a term as the 50th governor of Indiana and six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. His political career spans the legislative and executive branches, giving him a unique, firsthand understanding of how government operates at multiple levels. His presence on campus adds a high-profile practitioner’s perspective to the study of public policy, governance, and constitutional principles.

“It’s a privilege to join the Schar School as Professor of Practice,” Pence said in a statement. “Throughout my years of public service, I have seen firsthand the importance of principled leadership and fidelity to the Constitution in shaping the future of our nation. I look forward to sharing these lessons with the next generation of American leaders and learning from the remarkable students and faculty of �鶹��Ƶ.”

“Higher education plays a vital role in preparing Americans not only for career success, but also for lives of service and integrity. Now more than ever we should be investing our time and resources into civil discourse on campus, and I’m honored to contribute to that mission. I look forward to helping students apply enduring American principles to the pressing policy and leadership challenges of our time, ensuring that the values which have guided our nation for generations continue to strengthen the character and promise of our Republic.”

As a professor of practice, Pence will contribute to undergraduate courses beginning in spring 2026 and in public-facing seminars that explore the intersection of politics, leadership, and national governance. His insights into legislative negotiation, executive decision-making, and crisis management—shaped during a time of global pandemic, domestic unrest, and international uncertainty—will offer students an uncommon vantage point into recent history and contemporary challenges.

Vice President Mike Pence greets students at an event at the Schar School after speaking about conservativism, tradition, populism and America's future. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

He is also expected to share lessons drawn from his experience on the campaign trail, in the West Wing, and as president of the U.S. Senate.

Pence’s tenure as vice president and long career in public office will offer students both historical context and practical understanding of leadership at the highest levels of American government.

“The Schar School is proud to welcome Vice President Pence to our faculty,” said Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School. “His disciplined approach to communication and his deeply rooted conservative philosophy provide a principled framework to discussions of federalism, the separation of powers, and the role of values in public life.”

Students pursuing studies in political science, law, public administration, and related fields will have opportunities to engage with Pence through lectures, moderated discussions, and mentorship programs. His appointment underscores the university’s commitment to integrating professional experience with academic inquiry, enriching the learning environment with real-world relevance.

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Study Abroad: From London Halls and Oxford Debates, a Dean-Led Journey to the U.K.

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:33:05 +0000

Study Abroad: From London Halls and Oxford Debates, a Dean-Led Journey to the U.K. Andrew J Schappert Mon, 09/15/2025 - 12:33

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Mark J. Rozell

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Study abroad is an essential component to a well-rounded Schar School education. Beyond the academic credit, traveling the world with professors to meet dignitaries and visit sites of study immerses students in different cultures and ways of thinking. Winter break opportunities are enrolling now. See this website for more information. Below is a story about a summer excursion to the U.K. with a special guest instructor—the dean.

George �鶹��Ƶ students led by Dean Mark J. Rozell, left in cap, visit the Winston Churchill monument at Parliament Square Garden in London. Photos provided

This summer, �鶹��Ƶ students had the opportunity to study abroad under the leadership of Schar School of Policy and Government dean Mark J. Rozell, whose vision and guidance shaped an unforgettable program in London and Oxford—two of the world’s foremost centers of politics and academia.

The program brought together rigorous coursework, immersive learning experiences, and transformative opportunities that extended well beyond the classroom.

Studying governance in London meant walking through the halls where history has been made for centuries. Visits to University of Oxford’s historic colleges brought politics vividly to life, as students experienced the very places where the ideas they studied were first debated and refined. In fact, Schar School students one evening participated in an Oxford-style debate with students at Goodenough College, the residential community in central London that was the scene of afternoon classes and dinner events.

“This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone,” said Lillian Mullins, who is in the Schar School’s Master of International Security program. “It challenged me to debate important issues, think more broadly, and understand multiple sides of an argument.”

A major component of the experience were insightful lectures by faculty from University College London and distinguished speakers at dinners, followed by traditional evening “port talks” over fortified red wine at Goodenough College.

Organization Development and Knowledge Management student Christine Adwoa Dua, right, and Dean Rozell, left, pose with Goodenough College dean Alan McCormack ahead of dinner in the Great Room of the postgraduate residential community.

“Immersing myself in Dean Rozell's world of U.S./U.K. politics was a one-of-a-kind experience,” said Christine Adwoa Dua, a master’s student in the Schar Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) program. “As an ODKM student, my purpose has always been to seek environments that encourage knowledge exchange and inspire transformation. From guest lectures and guided tours with subject matter experts to off engagements with Schar School peers, I was able to expand my network while reinforcing my commitment as a change facilitator.

“I look forward to continuing this trajectory for the remainder of my program and beyond within this community.”

Dua was not the only traveler to make lasting connections.

“Not only did I learn more than I ever thought I would about international relations, but I was also able to connect meaningfully with folks across different walks of life using Dean Rozell's instructions as a jumping off point,” said Ashbury Sunshine Lindsey-Hernandez, a student in the College of Education and Human Development’s Master of Education in Counseling program. “It was an incredible jam-packed trip.”

Experiences such as walking the streets of the city with former Lord Mayor of London, Nicholas Lyons, facilitated through Rozell’s refined network, were once-in-a-lifetime moments that exemplified the caliber of access and experiences Schar School study-abroad programs provide.

The U.K. program not only delivered unparalleled academics and history, but also the relationships and global insights that define George �鶹��Ƶ’s increasingly expanding international reputation.

Writer Juliet Touma is a student in the Schar School’s Master of Public Administration program.

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Jurisprudence Learning Community

Can AI expand access to legal services? This aspiring lawyer hopes to find the answer.

Sarah Holland — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 19:23:17 +0000

Can AI expand access to legal services? This aspiring lawyer hopes to find the answer. Sarah Holland Fri, 09/05/2025 - 15:23

With an associate’s degree from Northern Virginia Community College already in hand by the time she graduated high school, Sharanya Maddukuri was determined to make the most of her final two undergraduate years. Because of its top ranking in Virginia for internships, �鶹��Ƶ was the place for her.

Maddukuri, an Honors College student, is majoring in government and international politics with a minor in ethics and artificial intelligence (AI) and wants to attend law school. She’s already hit the ground running, landing two internships at the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Washington, D.C., during spring and summer semesters in 2025.

How did you find your internship with the LSC?

I’m in the [Schar School of Policy and Government] mentorship program, and I’m paired with Tim O’Shea, BA Government and International Politics ’19. He’s currently a lawyer for the government. I told him about how I was having trouble finding an internship for the spring 2025 semester, and he recommended I look at opportunities with LSC.

You’ve interned in two different sectors of LSC. Your first internship in the spring was with the Pro Bono Innovation Fund (PBIF). What kind of work did you do?

Basically, the PBIF offers grants to legal aid organizations across the nation to help them engage more lawyers and non-legal professionals in pro bono services to help close the justice gap. So, one of my main projects was a five‑month audit of the Pro Bono Innovation Fund, where I analyzed data from 30 legal aid organizations. After presenting my findings, I realized my work had sparked a genuine shift in how the team approached its largest grant, which made this project one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.

I also helped my supervisor plan a panel on pro bono work for the Equal Justice Conference in San Francisco, and I got to attend the conference to see the panel I had worked on for five months come to life! I had the opportunity to hear about pro bono cases all around the world, like a case of international kidnapping where private attorneys from a big law firm stepped in to provide resources and help the client. Hearing about these cases where pro bono made a difference was really inspiring.

In the summer, you transitioned to the Disaster Grants Program within LSC. How did your responsibilities change?

In the Disaster Grants Program, I mainly worked on the Legal Aid Disaster and Heartland websites, which are both resources for legal aid professionals working in disaster areas and for disaster survivors. One exciting project I did was paving the way for a site-wide content audit to support the development of an AI chatbot, which will greatly assist disaster survivors navigating the plethora of legal issues that arise after a disaster.

Maddukuri in front of the LSC sign in their office. Photo provided.

You mentioned the justice gap: Is this an issue you’re passionate about?

Yes, definitely. The justice gap has been growing since the ‘80s, and LSC reports that low-income Americans did not receive any or enough legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems. Having been exposed to the ways that legal aid organizations and LSC are using AI, I know I want to pursue a career helping legal aid organizations incorporate AI. Using AI responsibly to help reduce the load of their intake processes for applications, developing AI self-help resources for legal advice or completing paperwork, or even chatbots that can provide translation services: Those would really help people who don’t have access to legal services, and therefore would help narrow that gap. I would love to be at the forefront of that.

How have your experiences at George �鶹��Ƶ helped prepare you for the responsibilities of your internships?

The Jurisprudence Learning Community (JPLC) in the Schar School has been really helpful in equipping me with pre-law resources. The director of the JPLC, Assistant Professor Shea Holman Kilian, has been a great resource as well, particularly helping me prepare to apply for the internship. And her class is also very similar to a class you would take your first year of law school, so I feel better prepared for law school when it’s time.

Law and Society with [assistant professor] Kelly Richter was a welcome challenge and incredibly helpful. We analyzed the dynamic relationship where society shapes the law, and in turn, the law shapes society. And since I took that course in the spring, I was learning about procedural justice and all its complications while developing this pro bono panel that talked about procedural justice. I got to use what I was learning to develop my work.

And my courses with the Honors College prepared me with research skills that I’ve been able to use at LSC.

What have you gained from your time with LSC?

After this experience, I’ve decided that once I become a lawyer, I’ll be doing pro bono work, no matter what. I think it instilled that culture of service and caring about the community and really help reinforce that law is where I want to be. I believe in LSC’s mission now more than ever, and having had my eye on this profession since I was 11, this experience has only made me more certain that it’s the right place for me.

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Study Abroad in South Africa: Democracy, Development, Diplomacy—and Lions

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 17:45:40 +0000

Study Abroad in South Africa: Democracy, Development, Diplomacy—and Lions Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/28/2025 - 13:45

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Michal McElwain Malur

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Schar School students walk with the lions at the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank. Photos provided

In the days before the 2025 fall semester began, graduate students from the Schar School of Policy and Government at �鶹��Ƶ ventured some 8,000 miles away from the Arlington, Virginia, campus to South Africa to take part in an academically rigorous study-abroad program hosted in partnership with the University of Pretoria.

Democracy, Development, and Diplomacy is a three-credit “global intensive” course set against the backdrop of South Africa’s first coalition government since 1994. The program challenged students to critically evaluate how domestic politics intersect with development strategies, regional security, and international diplomacy.

The course provided demanding case studies in governance adaptation and policy implementation, deepening students’ understanding of democratic transitions and international relations in practice.

“Study-abroad programs like this are invaluable to our students,” said Michal Malur, the Schar School’s director of external programs who served as part of the course leadership. “They strengthen résumés, expand global networks, and give students a perspective that simply cannot be gained in the classroom alone.”

Former Associate Dean Thys van Schaik, who has curated the program itinerary for two decades, once again led this year’s initiative. He emphasized that courses such as Democracy, Development, and Diplomacy play a vital role in advancing the mission of higher education.

“Study abroad transforms education. It’s not just about what students learn in lectures, it’s about how they live the lessons, experience the world firsthand and carry those insights into their careers and lives,” said van Schaik.

Academic sessions were held in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg. Highlights included a panel on coalition governance and South Africa’s 2024 political transformation; briefings at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on foreign policy and global security; and an in-depth exploration of constitutional design and legitimacy at Constitutional Hill, guided by judicial and academic experts.

Students also engaged in focused discussions on conservation, restorative justice, and biodefense with specialists at leading research institutes, reinforcing the connection between theoretical frameworks and real-world challenges.

“We weren’t just reading about democratic transitions,” said biodefense master’s student Kate Groves, “we were hearing directly from policymakers.”

German Acosta, a public administration master’s student, added that “the combination of site visits and lectures gave me a broader global perspective.”

The program’s experiential learning extended beyond the classroom and involved the local wildlife. In addition to spotting whales off the scenic coast of Cape Good Hope, a visit to the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank, a cutting-edge educational research hub for mammal and predator conservation, students engaged—safely and ethically—with a pride of lions. The lions are part of the center’s reproductive research on species that are keystones to African ecosystems.

Schar School students met dignitaries at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria.

For more information on the Schar School’s study-abroad offerings, visit abroad.gmu.edu. Ben Main is a master of international security student in the Schar School.

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study abroad

South Africa