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Clements Center welcomes new Associate Director and Distinguished Senior Fellows
In September, the Clements and Strauss Centers announced that General Vincent K. Brooks (U.S. Army, Retired) and General Robert B. Neller (USMC, Retired) would be joining the University of Texas at Austin as Distinguished Senior Fellows. General Brooks is a career Army officer who recently retired from active duty as the four-star general in command of all US Forces in Korea. General Neller served as the 37th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. Prior to that assignment, he served as the Commander of both the Marine Forces Command and the Marine Forces Central Command.
 The Clements Center also welcomed Dr. Paul Edgar as its new Associate Director. Dr. Edgar holds a PhD in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of Texas, and served 22 years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, beginning as a platoon leader in Korea and then in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
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National Security Career Fair and "Counterterrorism Since 9/11" panel
On September 10, the Clements Center, Strauss Center, Intelligence Studies Project and the LBJ School for Public Affairs hosted recruiting officials from U.S. military, intelligence, and national security departments and agencies for our first ever National Security Career Fair. Over 200 students met with representatives from the CIA, FBI, DIA, NGA, DHS, NCTC, the State Department, Army Futures Command, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), UT Army ROTC, Texas Army National Guard, and National Ground Intelligence Center. This will become an annual event.
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In conjunction with the career fair, the Clements and Strauss Centers and the Intelligence Studies Project hosted former CIA Director John Brennan, former Commander of Special Operations Command, Adm. (Ret) William McRaven, author and former NSC and State Department official Farah Pandith, and former National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen for "Counterterrorism Since 9/11," a discussion on U.S. counterterrorism policy. The panel was moderated by J. Paul Pope, Senior Fellow at the Intelligence Studies Project. The panel discussed where we are 18 years after 9/11, what challenges America faces today, and what security strategies are currently in place and whether or not they have worked. Following the panel discussion, Farah Pandith signed copies of her recently released book, How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat.
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Clements and Strauss Centers host Congressman Mac Thornberry for a Conversation on U.S. Defense Policy
In September, Texas Congressman Mac Thornberry joined Will Inboden and Strauss Center Director Robert Chesney for a conversation on U.S. Defense Policy. They explored several topics, including how history can be used to interpret current events and create policy, the importance of international allies, and defense spending. Prior to his public talk, Thornberry met with Clements Center Graduate and Undergraduate Fellows and Strauss Center Brumley Scholars on the value of public service and the future of U.S. defense policy. Congressman Thornberry is a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he served as chairman from 2015 to 2019.
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Graduate Studies Director Mark A. Lawrence Named Director of the LBJ Presidential Library
In November, Dr. Mark Atwood Lawrence, the Director of Graduate Studies, was named as the next director of the LBJ Presidential Library, effective January 5, 2020. Dr. Lawrence will be the sixth director of the LBJ Presidential Library, which opened to the public in 1971. "I’m thrilled by the opportunity to lead the LBJ Presidential Library, a unique treasure for the Austin community and the nation as a whole," said Dr. Lawrence. "More than half a century has passed since LBJ left office, but his presidency remains extraordinarily relevant. I look forward above all to helping younger generations appreciate the importance of the 1960s and legacies that reverberate today."
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Exciting Fall Event Series
The Clements Center hosted a slate of outstanding speakers this semester. In September, General Vince Brooks joined Will Inboden for a conversation on North Korea and Asia Security Challenges, and Major General Amos Yadlin joined Steve Slick for a conversation on Middle East Security. We hosted Andrew Peek, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, for a talk on "U.S. Policy toward Iran and Iraq and Regional Implications" and John Gans, Director of Communications and Research at Perry World House, for "White House Warriors: How the National Security Council Transformed the American Way of War." In October, Philip Zelikow, history professor at the University of Virginia, gave a talk on his recently published book co-authored with Condoleezza Rice, To Build a Better World: Choices to End the Cold War and Create a Global Commonwealth, and John Ciorciari, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, gave a talk on "Sovereignty Sharing in Fragile States."
 In November, we welcomed Calder Walton, Ernest May Fellow in History & Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, for "Spies, Disinformation and Election-Meddling: Past and Present." Melissa Flagg, Senior Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense spoke on "Science and Strategy: Can America Thrive in an Era of Great Competition on Our Strengths and Values?" and General Robert Neller joined Paul Edgar and Aaron O'Connell for a conversation on U.S. Defense Strategy. Most recently, we hosted Amanda Sloat, Senior Fellow at Brookings and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, for "Brexit Causes and Consequences."
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Andrew Hallman of ODNI visits UT-Austin
In December, the Intelligence Studies Project, Clements and Strauss Centers and the LBJ School of Public Affairs hosted Andrew Hallman, Principal Executive at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for a campus visit. Mr. Hallman gave a public talk on “U.S. Intelligence: New Challenges and Opportunities.” He met with students and faculty to discuss how the intelligence community needs the expertise that comes from a diversity of ideas and innovative thinking. Mr. Hallman also met with UT-Austin President Greg Fenves to discuss the importance of Intelligence Community partnerships with academic institutions.
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Karl Rove speaks to Dallas supporters at annual luncheon
In October, the Clements Center hosted its Fifth Annual Dallas National Security Seminar and Luncheon. Karl Rove delivered the keynote address on "The Old Is Passing Away: What Will Take Its Place? American Foreign Policy in the 21st Century." Mr. Rove shared his thoughts about current state of US foreign policy and what needed going forward.
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#NatSecGirlSquad 2019 Conference
As part of our mission to train the next generation of national security leaders, the Clements Center is proud to sponsor the #NatSecGirlSquad 2019: Accessible and Aspirational Conference on December 11-12 in Washington, DC. This conference brings together the #NatSecGirlSquad community in-person and online for meaningful discussion on the most pressing national security issues of the day and how to best address those threats with workshops to develop and deepen the skills needed to build a competent and diverse workforce. #NatSecGirlSquad is a non-partisan, non-political professional development community for people committed to competent diversity in national security and defense. The Clements Center will participate in this year’s conference and will be sponsoring four students and two alumni to attend as our representatives.
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Student Spotlight:
Nicholas Romanow
The Clements Center would like to acknowledge the achievements of Nicholas Romanow, an Undergraduate Fellow and third-year International Relations and Global Studies major. Nick is a Larry S. Temple Scholar and we are proud to announce that he was recently selected as a University of Texas nominee for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. His academic interests include democratization, international political economy, China studies, and global governance. Nicholas intensively studies Mandarin Chinese and recently spent a summer studying in Kunming, China. He will be attending the Clements Center London Maymester program next summer.
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Alumni Spotlight:
Rachel Hoff
Rachel currently serves as Policy Director for the Ronald Reagan Institute, which is the Washington DC office of the Reagan Presidential Foundation in California. After her time at the Clements Center while she was a student at the LBJ School, she worked at a think tank writing about national security policy and on Capitol Hill as Speechwriter for Senator John McCain at the Senate Armed Services Committee. This summer she married her wife Kate, and they are heading on a honeymoon adventure to Antarctica in January.
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Clements Center Doctoral Fellows hard at work
During their first semester on the Forty Acres, our Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellows have already accomplished many of their research objectives for the year. Postdoctoral Fellow deRaismes Combes presented a paper on counterinsurgency at the annual International Studies Association-Northeast conference this November and is now expanding it into a book manuscript. She also published in an online pedagogy symposium and is working on contributions to two other edited volumes. Postdoctoral Fellow Silke Zoller spent the semester completing her book manuscript, Criminalizing Insurgents. With the Clements Center’s support, she organized a manuscript review workshop which will take place in January 2020. Silke has also presented her research at the annual meetings of the North American Society for Intelligence History and the Transatlantic Studies Association.
 Predoctoral fellow Theo Milonopoulos did archival research at the LBJ Library and drafted chapters of his dissertation focused on Johnson’s escalation decisions in Vietnam. He also coauthored a research paper on the impact of commercially available satellite imagery on North Korea nuclear negotiations, which he presented at an International Studies Association conference at the University of Denver. Predoctoral Fellow Jaehan Park has continued to make progress on his dissertation, including taking a research trip to the Library of Congress and National Archives in Washington DC. He has also published a co-authored piece published in War On The Rocks, as well as a historical essay for Pacific Forum, and has presented at several academic and policy conferences. Predoctoral Fellow Jordan Roberts continues towards the completion of his dissertation and also saw the publication of an article in Civil Wars. Additionally, he has given presentations at the APSA and Peace Science annual conferences, as well as at Duke University and Coastal Carolina University. Research Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate Tommy Jamison accepted an Asst. Professorship in Strategic Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. This winter he will present original research at the National University of Singapore and the Imperial War Museum North (Manchester, U.K.).
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 Texas National Security Review and "Horns of a Dilemma" podcast series
In August 2019, the Texas National Security Review (TNSR), a joint partnership between War on the Rocks and the University of Texas, released Volume 2, Issue 4 titled "Terra Incognita." This issue features essays by Todd Hall, David Betz and Hugo Stanford-Tuck, Gregory Brew, Philip Zelikow, Andrew Rhodes, Brendan Rittenhouse Green and Austin Long, and Mark S. Bell and Julia Macdonald. TNSR annual subscriptions are available for purchase. Print editions are released quarterly and can be delivered straight to your door.
 The Clements Center and War on the Rocks have also joined together to produce the "Horns of a Dilemma" podcast series, a component of TNSR. Episodes released this semester include "Counterterrorism Since 9/11" with John Brennan, Farah Pandith, William McRaven, Nick Rasmussen and Paul Pope, conversations with Rep. Mac Thornberry on U.S. Defense Policy and General Vince Brooks on North Korea and Asia Security Challenges, and discussions on the history of the National Security Council with John Gans and the history of influence and interference by the Soviet Union and Russia with Calder Walton. Also featured are guest speakers Darren Dochuk of Notre Dame, Charlie Laderman of King's College London, and Allen Packwood of Cambridge. Check back over the holidays for episodes featuring Melissa Flagg on Science and Strategy, General Robert Neller on U.S. Defense Strategy and Amanda Sloat on Brexit.
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Undergraduate Fellows meet with General Brooks and General Neller for Professional Development
Earlier this semester, General Vince Brooks met with our Undergraduate Fellows over breakfast to discuss the importance of public service and his recent experience as the four-star general in command of all US Forces in Korea. He also highlighted the importance of diversity in our armed forces and civil servants. In November, our fellows had the opportunity to dine with General Robert Neller at the UT Club to learn about the Marine experience in the Pacific Theatre of Operations during WWII. General Neller was able to provide context before the group’s visit to Fredericksburg and the Pacific War Museum several days later. We also celebrated the Marine Corps birthday with a ceremonial cake-cutting by one of our student Marine veterans.
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Undergraduate Fellows trip to Fredericksburg
This fall, the Clements Center took 22 of our Undergraduate Fellows on a field trip to Fredericksburg to visit the LBJ Park & Historical Site and the Museum of the Pacific War. The students started off the day visiting the home of President Johnson with Dr. Mark Lawrence and his class to learn about the legacy of his presidency and how the land continues to be used as a working ranch. The afternoon consisted of a self-guided tour of the Museum of the Pacific War and learning about the relevance of this theatre of operations during World War II.
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Clements Affiliates teaching this spring
Throughout the academic year, the Clements Center offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to learn about US national security from a uniquely qualified ensemble of policy practitioners and scholars. This spring, Executive Director Will Inboden is teaching "Policymaking in a Global Age"; ISP Director Steve Slick is teaching "Covert Action and U.S. National Security Policy"; ISP Senior Fellow J. Paul Pope is teaching "Intelligence and National Security"; and LBJ Resident Intelligence Officer Dr. Alan Kessler is teaching "Global Policy Simulation" and "Thinking, Writing and Briefing for Intelligence."
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