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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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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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Beyond Books: How a Schar School Senior Turned an Internship into a Legal Education

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 17:08:27 +0000

Beyond Books: How a Schar School Senior Turned an Internship into a Legal Education Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/11/2025 - 13:08

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Phillip Mink

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The first time Erika Burkard was in a courtroom as an intern for a law firm, the presiding judge asked her to introduce herself before the session began.

Erika Burkard’s advice for finding internships: Try everything that’s interesting. ‘You have time to investigate it. Don’t rush into it.’ Photo provided

“I stood up and said, ‘Good morning, ma’am.’ And she said, ‘It’s “Your Honor.” And I was like, ‘Oh, dang it!’”

Whoops! But that teachable moment is just one example of the myriad details the government and international politics senior in the Schar School of Policy and Government absorbed during an internship that not only supplemented her college education but confirmed that the practice of law was indeed her calling.

“I learned a lot of these really rigid things that you wouldn’t ordinarily recognize that I’ve been exposed to from interning,” the �鶹��Ƶ Honors College student said. “It’s been a really valuable experience. I’ve seen a lot of interesting litigation, and the fact that I’m allowed into these closed courtrooms has been an invaluable advantage.”

Finding an internship at a law firm “is really tricky,” she said. “A lot of the time you need certain qualifications, or you need to know someone who knows someone. And they’re normally looking for law students.”

With the encouragement of Assistant Professor Phillip Mink, who directs the Schar School’s Patriot Pre-Law program, Burkard did what she calls “the most old-fashioned version of finding experience you possibly can”: the cold call. She didn’t call just one or two law firms in the Richmond, Virginia, area where she lives but “roughly 30 to 40. I don’t mind endurance.”

Finally, she called Cravens & Noll, a well-established personal injury and family law firm with offices convenient to her home. After an interview, she landed a paid summer internship.

That was last summer, 2024. She returned to the firm during the winter break and again this summer, with plans to return in December during the 2025 winter break.

“Her internship with a superb law firm is a crucial component of her education as it combines hands-on experience with a law practice and the challenging intellectual work she has done as an undergraduate,” said Mink. “With backgrounds in both sectors, she is well-positioned for success in law school and the practice of law. I look forward to following her progress in both.”

She has many strengths, Mink added, “but I will never forget her core philosophy of improving her work, constantly experimenting with new ways to approach a problem.”

Burkard’s internship contributes to her legal studies minor in countless ways. During her time at Craven & Noll, she has assisted attorneys, paralegals, and clients by drafting court communications, estate documents, divorce filings, and even assisting in a memorable wrongful death suit involving a nursing home.

She has sat in on litigation, trials, and hearings and provided real-time assistance to counsel. And she’s travelled to nearly every court in Virginia, speaking with judges, clerks, incarcerated clients, the Commonwealth Attorney, and others.

“I fell in love with even the mundane procedural things that need to be done at law firms, because all of it contributes to a much larger picture,” she said. “Even if it’s just taking a client’s phone call.”

In addition to her studies and internship, Burkard is executive administrator of the campus Alpha Phi chapter, which raises funds for the study of women’s heart health. Among other duties, she writes memos at meetings, something she knows a bit about.

“It’s funny how my job at a law firm goes straight into my sorority stuff,” she said.

While the process of landing an internship required dogged persistence, Burkard knows her efforts paid off. She advises incoming students, her advice is to “go on �鶹��Ƶ360 and take advantage of the activities, meetings, speakers, because that’s how I narrowed down what I was most interested in. I had thrown around the idea of pre-law, but it wasn’t until I had gone to a pre-law meeting at the Schar School that I realized this is something I want to do. And you have time to investigate it. Don’t rush into it.”

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Former Governor Robert McDonnell Joins Faculty of �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:01:39 +0000

Former Governor Robert McDonnell Joins Faculty of �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/06/2025 - 13:01

The Schar School of Policy and Government at �鶹��Ƶ welcomes former Virginia governor Robert F. (Bob) McDonnell to the faculty as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice. A seasoned public servant with a deep background in law, governance, business, law enforcement, and military service, McDonnell brings nearly four decades of practical experience to one of the nation’s most dynamic public policy schools.

Bob McDonnell: ‘After 38 years of public service and with experience in the military and business, I hope I can inspire students to dream big, be responsible, and treat people with respect.’ Photo provided

McDonnell served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. Prior to that, he held statewide office as Attorney General after spending 14 years in the Virginia House of Delegates. His background includes substantial leadership in areas ranging from transportation and education reform to economic development and criminal justice. He also spent four years as a manager with a Fortune 500 health care company. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BBA), Boston University (MSBA) and Regent University, (JD, MA), McDonnell also served 21 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1997.

With his appointment, McDonnell joins a growing list of senior lawmakers and practitioners contributing to the Schar School’s distinctive blend of academic rigor and real-world insight. His addition to the faculty will enrich classroom conversations with firsthand perspectives on legislative processes, intergovernmental relations, and executive decision-making. Students studying public policy, law, and political leadership will benefit from his unique ability to bridge theory and practice.

“Governor McDonnell's appointment offers our students the opportunity to learn from his vast experience in state government,” said Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School. “As a school of policy and government, we benefit from a unique combination of traditional and professional faculty members working together to advance our community's understanding of key policy issues and governing challenges. The governor’s addition to our faculty further strengthens that model and enhances the real-world perspectives we bring into the classroom.”

McDonnell grew up in Fairfax County, home of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Fairfax Campus, and has seen the evolution of the university from a small college to a major research institution with more than 40,000 students.

“I care deeply about Virginians, and George �鶹��Ƶ is the largest public university in Virginia with the widest reach and many well-established programs,” he said. “I look forward to contributing to a highly respected government and policy school on the doorstep of Washington, D.C. After 38 years of public service and with experience in the military and business, I hope I can inspire students to dream big, lead well, and treat people with respect.”

McDonnell will also be a featured speaker at Schar School public-facing events, joining fellow Schar School faculty in contributing to the school’s thought leadership in forums that reflect the school’s commitment to informed policy dialogue.

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Meet the alum who probably made your George �鶹��Ƶ shirt

Katarina Benson — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:50:38 +0000

Meet the alum who probably made your George �鶹��Ƶ shirt Katarina Benson Fri, 07/18/2025 - 14:50

If you were given �鶹��Ƶ branded gear of any sort since 2006—from hoodies and tees to Hawaiian shirts and bucket hats—chances are good that Mike Ickowitz, BA Communication ’03, had something to do with creating it.

The 2003 alum was destined to market his alma mater. That destiny began early, when he was a freshman and recruited to work in the Admissions Office as a tour guide.

His fate as a Patriot salesman was cemented when, challenged to show his ability to generate school spirit during sports events, he donned a fuzzy green costume to become the lovable mascot known as Gunston (later replaced by the familiar Patriot).

Now Ickowitz is a custom merchandise merchant with a 3,000-square-foot manufacturing complex in his native Knoxville, Tennessee, and a client list with universities, businesses, and governments around the world. He is founder, with his wife, Tanya, of Patdome Promotions.

Mike and Tanya Ickowitz with Patdome George �鶹��Ƶ gear. Photo provided

The couple met in the Admissions Office while working to introduce prospective students to George �鶹��Ƶ. Ickowitz’s Patriot roots run deep. Even the name of the company is a nod to George �鶹��Ƶ: It’s a comic abbreviation of the former name of EagleBank Arena—the Patriot Center, where Ickowitz worked as a student.

“I worked in the parking lot,” he said. “It’s the greatest position from a student’s perspective. I worked before and after events, and in between I saw just about every show.”

Patdome Promotions began as a side hustle for the couple. In 2006, when George �鶹��Ƶ was making a run at the [NCAA men’s basketball] Final Four, the only place in the world to get a [NCAA] shirt was the bookstore, he said. “And they were sold out because of the demand.”

In fact, after knocking off No. 1 seed UConn in overtime in the Elite Eight game, the line to the bookstore was a mile long, he said. “It snaked out the back of the Johnson Center, around the pond, and around Patriot Circle for a shirt that was sold out.”

So Ickowitz created GMUGear, a dot com that became the university’s first e-commerce site. “If you didn’t live in Northern Virginia and wanted a shirt, GMUGear was just about the only place to get one,” he said.

While the Ickowitzes were reasonably profit motivated, he priced the merchandise “so that the average fan could get George �鶹��Ƶ memorabilia at an accessible price,” he said, adding that he always intended to spread the George �鶹��Ƶ brand focused on the fan while building a business. It’s a philosophy, he said, that still drives the business nearly 20 years later.

Ickowitz finds deeper meaning in his work than selling giveaway swag.

“I want our product to be on your shelf,” he said. “I want people to ask you about it. I want you to love it so much that you have it 20 years later. It’s the tangible part of the �鶹��Ƶ spirit.”

He’s particularly proud of the reach of Patdome into the �鶹��Ƶ Nation. “From the drawstring bag that a student receives on a tour to the graduation stole they wear four years later, and lots of branded giveaways in between, Patdome is a proud silent partner of George �鶹��Ƶ, working with incredibly talented professionals on campus who maintain the �鶹��Ƶ spirit from admission to graduation and beyond.”

Ickowitz is an example of a student who made the most of his college career. A brief television appearance as Gunston led to an offer to substitute during public appearances for the departing actor who was G-Wiz for the NBA Washington Wizards and Slapshot for the NHL Washington Capitals. “And I was the full-time mascot for the [WNBA] Washington Mystics in their first season,” he added. “All because I was Gunston.”

Now the Ickowitzes are a two-generation George �鶹��Ƶ family. The couple’s daughter, Rachel, is a University Scholar in the Honors College and a rising junior. She was recently named the 2025 Outstanding Sociology Undergraduate Student at George �鶹��Ƶ.

“We’re very proud of her,” her father said.

Mike Ickowitz and Patdome Promotions will present an educational seminar for university staff on branded products Thursday, July 31, at the Johnson Center Bistro; session one runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; session two runs from 1-2:30 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is required at this site.

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Hina Kazmi: Meet the Schar School Alum Who Is Launching ‘Intro to Space Policy’

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:55:13 +0000

Hina Kazmi: Meet the Schar School Alum Who Is Launching ‘Intro to Space Policy’ Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/17/2025 - 11:55

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Hina Kazmi: ‘We’re expanding our access to space, and it has become critical infrastructure—but what does that mean policywise?’ Photo provided

Hina Kazmi, after seeing Voyager 1’s images of Saturn: ‘I knew I was going into aerospace.’

When you ask Hina Kazmi if she would ever like to live in a colony on the moon, her answer is quick and enthusiastic.

“Oh, I would absolutely do that,” she said. “Do they need a tester for the first flight to Mars? I would do that too.”

It’s not a farfetched question to ask Kazmi. The Schar School of Policy and Government at �鶹��Ƶ adjunct professor is set to teach a new course, Introduction to Space Policy, beginning in August with the start of the 2025 fall semester. It’s one of the rare courses in the country that will bring the growing fields related to space exploration—and exploitation—into the classroom.

The course is designed to support a broad range of public policy interests, Kazmi said. Those interested in international and national security, engineering, business, public administration, and other topics will find the course useful in their academic pursuits and future careers.

“When you think of space,” she said, “you think of commercial startups and Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk launching their rockets. That’s the fun stuff. But beyond that excitement there are huge national, international, and commercial aspects to this industry.”

As more of the business of space falls into in private hands, there comes a need for clear, informed, and educated thinking on public policy, she said.

“In the past, [space activity] was government controlled, but now it’s commercially available for navigation, weather prediction, communications. We’re expanding our access to space, and it has become critical infrastructure—but what does that mean policywise?”

As an example of the field’s growth, the tiny island of Bahrain, where the Pakistan native spent her middle school years, has a space agency. “Every country now sees this as important,” she said.

Kazmi, an engineer by training who at one point was leading programs for NASA, developed a fascination for space in 1980, when the interstellar craft Voyager 1 sent its first images of Saturn back to Earth from some 800 million miles away. The astronomical event made an impression on the young scholar.

“I knew I was going into aerospace,” she said.

Kazmi earned her undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering, with a minor in mathematics, in 1993 from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.

She also holds a master of business administration degree. After rising through the ranks in technical and management roles at major private and public aerospace leaders, she began teaching at George �鶹��Ƶ, revitalizing a dormant course in managing government contracting.

Realizing her future was in academia, she earned a master of public policy degree from the Schar School in 2008, followed by a PhD in public policy in 2016. She received the Joseph A. Fisher Award for best PhD dissertation.

“I really believe Gen Z, who is in college now, and Gen Alpha behind them will be the space generations,” she said. “Space tourism, living in space, working in space, moon colonies—all of that is happening. We’re in the very, very early stages of it.”

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Alumna Whitney Woods to Lead Denver Domestic Violence Survivor Center

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:41:55 +0000

Alumna Whitney Woods to Lead Denver Domestic Violence Survivor Center Andrew J Schappert Mon, 07/07/2025 - 13:41

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Whitney Woods, a 2007 graduate of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s renowned government and international politics program—known for preparing students to lead in complex policy environments—has been appointed executive director of the Denver-based Rose Andom Center, a comprehensive resource center supporting survivors of domestic violence. The announcement was made earlier this month.

Whitney Woods: ‘When I came to visit, it was a picture-perfect weekend and felt like something out of movie. George �鶹��Ƶ turned out to be a great fit for me.’ Photos provided

For Woods, née Phillips, the new position at the helm of Colorado’s first family justice center is a fitting next chapter for someone whose career has already included high-stakes crisis communication on Capitol Hill, work with the White House, and strategic leadership across government and philanthropy.

The Colorado native chose �鶹��Ƶ in 2004 “because I wanted to go to college very far away from where I grew up—it was important to me,” she said. “I knew I wanted to work in government someday and George �鶹��Ƶ had a great program.”

Woods, who minored in conflict analysis and resolution in an accelerated degree program, was also interested in studying international policy.

“If I decided to go that route, I wouldn’t need to change schools,” she said, an observation that underscores one of the Schar School’s defining strengths: housing both political science and international affairs under one interdisciplinary roof.

But it was the tour of the Fairfax Campus—a leafy hub of innovation and buzzing with student life—that was the deciding factor.

“When I came to visit, it was a picture-perfect weekend and felt like something out of movie,” she said, recalling the campus vividly more than 20 years later. “George �鶹��Ƶ turned out to be a great fit for me.”

Whitney Woods Alpha Xi Delta’s 2006 recruitment event

The Schar School’s proximity to key institutions in nearby Washington, D.C., was another draw. “It was close to the city but not in it,” she said. “It felt like a small community even thought it was really connected to not just the larger community, but to the world.”

That proximity paid off: While balancing her coursework with roles as a �鶹��Ƶ Ambassador—giving campus tours to prospective students—and an active member of Alpha Xi Delta, a Schar School professor helped her develop a resumé and encouraged her to apply for internships on Capitol Hill, despite her only experience being retail work.

That nudge led to a 2007 internship with U.S. Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) and an extended stay on Capitol Hill until 2013, rising through the ranks, ultimately serving as communications director for U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) until his retirement in 2013.

In that role, she helped shape national narratives and dealt with the world’s major media outlets during a series of historic moments: the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the government shutdown, Hurricane Sandy, the Sandy Hook school shooting, and the death of Muammar Gaddafi, among other generational milestones.

“When I eventually went to work in Congress, I often thought of how interesting it was that our [government] framework remained the same—three branches—but that so much else had changed,” she said. “My [Schar School] degree provided a solid foundation for understanding how our government is supposed to work and the intention behind its design.”

As she begins her new role leading the Rose Andom Center, Woods is drawing once again on the values and vision she developed in Fairfax where, she said, “I really grew up there and found my independence, and who I wanted to be.”

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South of the Border, Deep in Policy: Study-Abroad Students Tackle U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Field

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:01:12 +0000

South of the Border, Deep in Policy: Study-Abroad Students Tackle U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Field Andrew J Schappert Mon, 07/07/2025 - 10:01

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Derek M. Mills

Michal McElwain Malur

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George �鶹��Ƶ’s study-abroad cohort visits the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México’s landmark Central Library. Adjunct professor Derek M. Mills is at right. Photo provided

You could feel the weight of geopolitics in the air as 15 �鶹��Ƶ students stepped onto the worn stone of the Plaza of Three Cultures, where centuries of conquest, revolution, and resilience converge. The students weren’t just tourists with backpacks and bottled water. They were emissaries of inquiry—and there would be a quiz.

Over a weeklong intensive in Mexico’s bustling capital, the students—most from George �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government—immersed themselves in the multifaceted knot of issues that define United States-Mexico relations. The students were eager to see firsthand elements of theory learned in classrooms: Migration, trade, national security, and the still-rippling effects of a second Trump administration.

“Throughout the program, students were encouraged to approach the experience not merely as observers but as engaged policy analysts,” said Derek M. Mills, the Schar School adjunct professor who led the trip. “The course, U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Age of Trump, provided an experiential lens into the historical, political, and economic complexities shaping bilateral ties.”

The group took deep dives into policy briefings with diplomats at the U.S. Embassy and with business leaders at the American Chamber of Commerce. They sat in on discussions at the Mexican Federal Congress and exchanged ideas with their counterparts at the prestigious Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

They weren’t just studying policy. They were living it.

A highlight was meeting Schar School alum Jose Loyola-Trujillo, who earned his PhD in public policy in 2005. Loyola, once Mexico’s undersecretary of energy, is now head of international affairs for LIGA MX—the top-flight Mexican soccer league.

Students also visited Casa de los Amigos, a migrant shelter that pulls no punches in portraying the human cost of border enforcement.

Another stop took the students to a nonprofit dedicated to empowering marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced people and families by means of a range of support programs. In fact, meeting the staff at New Comienzos “and hearing from returning migrants was inspiring to see how resilient they are and how that connects to the deep ties between Mexico and the United States,” said Jackie Tuala, a master’s student in public administration. “It was my favorite visit.”

There were lessons in history and humanity at every turn—from the pyramids of Teotihuacan to the testimonies of deportees. But there was also room for forward-looking policy dialogue.

In Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, the group met with the Secretary of Tourism Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, who didn’t mince words about how U.S. political rhetoric affects Mexico’s global image. When U.S. media parrots terms like “rapists” and “murderers,” the official said, the damage isn’t abstract—it costs Mexico tourist dollars, jobs, and dignity.

Students also toured AirDesign and FloraPlant—two export-focused companies where the granular details of tariffs, supply chains, and sustainability initiatives became tangible.

“The trip brought the issues we study in class to life. I loved how everything—from policy debates to cultural sites—was tied together,” said Stella Lovelady, a master’s student at George �鶹��Ƶ’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

As the Trump administration 2.0 begins to cast long shadows over cross-border cooperation, the students came away with a clearer, more nuanced perspective, as well as a deeper sense of responsibility.

“Experience is crucial to our students’ professional development as future public, private, and nonprofit leaders,” said Michal McElwain Malur, Schar School’s external program director, who accompanied the students for the week.

“By engaging directly with these issues on the ground, they build the kind of informed, empathetic understanding that will shape them into thoughtful leaders in our increasingly interconnected world,” she said.

Study abroad is a vital and highly recommended component of a Schar School education. Questions on future classes can be directed to McElwain Malur at mmcelwai@gmu.eduand be found on the Schar School of Policy and Government Study Abroad page.

Students visit the U.S. embassy in Mexico to gain insights into the life and work of a diplomat. The students were briefed on issues of the day and saw in real time what they studied in classrooms. Photo by Ibis Perez.

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study abroad

PhD Public Policy

From the White House to Borough Council: Brandon Ledford Makes Local Government Matter

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:02:59 +0000

From the White House to Borough Council: Brandon Ledford Makes Local Government Matter Andrew J Schappert Wed, 06/11/2025 - 11:02

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Brandon W. Ledford doesn’t do things halfway. By day, he’s the senior vice president and general manager of MGT, a public-sector consulting firm that helps state and local governments tackle everything from cybersecurity to compensation fairness.

Brandon Ledford: ‘You can have a much bigger impact locally … It doesn’t take, literally, acts of Congress to get things done.’ Photo provided.

By night—well, evenings and weekends—he puts his 2011 Schar School of Policy and Government master of public policy (MPP) degree into practice as vice president of the Borough Council in Dormont, Pennsylvania, a community of 8,000 bordering Pittsburgh.

As it happens, the borough manager, John Stinner, is also a Schar School graduate. (See Stinner’s story on this page.) The two did not know each other at �鶹��Ƶ.

“When he said we had the same degree, I thought he meant an MPP, not necessarily an MPP from George �鶹��Ƶ,” Stinner said.

For Ledford, being a councilmember is personal.

At age 9, Ledford was diagnosed with the African form of Burkitt’s lymphoma, an incredibly rare and aggressive cancer. He was the third known case in the United States—and the first to survive.

But survival came with consequences. His mother, forced to miss work to care for him, lost her job. That was just as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was being passed, and a pro bono attorney helped her fight for reinstatement.

“We were on public assistance because of medical bills,” Ledford said. “So, growing up, I got to see government protecting folks in their neediest, and I wanted to dedicate my life to this.”

While earning an MPP degree with concentrations in science and technology policy at George �鶹��Ƶ, he interned for a semester at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, a perfect fit.

After graduating with his degree, Ledford, 41, spent years in federal government consulting, working for Deloitte U.S., Booz Allen, and now MGT. But he never lost his belief in the power of local government.

In Dormont, as a councilperson (there are seven) and chair of the public safety, building and code enforcement committee, he’s championed initiatives such as a façade grant program to revitalize the town’s business district and, particularly, a robust family leave policy for borough employees.

“You can have a much bigger impact locally,” he said. “The time from idea to implementation is way shorter. It doesn’t take, literally, acts of Congress to get things done.”

Ledford has lived and worked in the highest levels of government. But in a town where he knows his neighbors and can see change happen firsthand, he’s found where he can make the biggest difference.

“It started with wanting to be involved in politics,” he said. “But when we had our first daughter, I really liked the community we were in. I thought, ‘We can do great things here.’”

The Schar School is working to assist those considering careers in government, nonprofit, and government-adjacent organizations by offering application fee waivers, discount pricing, flexible and customizable courses, and other programs. Find out more about “upskill” and retooling certificate and degree programs at this webpage.

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Master of Public Policy