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In Memoriam: Harold F. ‘Hal’ Gortner

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:53:05 +0000

In Memoriam: Harold F. ‘Hal’ Gortner Andrew J Schappert Wed, 02/05/2025 - 12:53

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James Pfiffner

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Harold F. “Hal” Gortner in an undated photo.

When Hal Gortner arrived at ��AV in 1979, the campus was little more than a cluster of buildings and an ambitious vision. The university, just seven years old, had about 10,000 students and was still defining itself. But Gortner saw potential—not just in George Mason, but in the students he would go on to mentor over the next several decades.

Gortner, a towering figure in public administration education and a founding architect of the university’s public administration program, died August 7, 2024. He was 84.

At a time when George Mason was rapidly evolving, Gortner launched the public administration program, one of the university’s first to grant graduate degrees. His work laid the foundation for what would become the Schar School of Policy and Government, now home to 90 full-time faculty and 2,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs.

Gortner served as director of the fledgling program for four years before stepping into a larger role for eight years as chair of the new Public and International Affairs Department in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“Hal was a good chair and generous colleague,” said University Professor Emeritus James P. Pfiffner, who came to George Mason in 1984 when Gortner was chair of the department. “Faculty members knew we could count on him if we needed help, and we had high confidence in his fair and balanced leadership of the department. We knew we could count on him as our leader but also as a friend.”

A prolific scholar, Gortner authored several influential works, including Organization Theory: A Public and Nonprofit Perspective, a widely used text that has been translated into multiple languages. His contributions at George Mason were recognized in 2006 with the establishment of the Harold Gortner Distinguished Speaker Series in Public Administration.

A Missouri native, Gortner’s academic journey took him from Earlham College, where he earned a degree in political science in 1963, and to Indiana University, where he earned master’s degrees in public administration (1966) and political science (1969), as well as a PhD in political science (1971). Before arriving at George Mason, he was an assistant professor at San Jose State University.

Beyond his academic achievements, Gortner was known for his warmth and generosity. His students remember him as a mentor who believed in their potential.

“Hal’s positive outlook and confidence helped us become productive public servants,” said one former student. A colleague called him “the most community-spirited and devoted to the greater good.”

After retiring in 2004, Gortner and his wife, Sylvia, moved to Bluffton, South Carolina, and later to Bloomington, Indiana, where they settled in 2015. His legacy is etched not just in the institutions he helped shape but in the countless students and colleagues he inspired along the way.

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A Troubling, Instructive Visit to the ‘Epicenter’ of the U.S. Fentanyl Crisis

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:19:58 +0000

A Troubling, Instructive Visit to the ‘Epicenter’ of the U.S. Fentanyl Crisis Andrew J Schappert Tue, 02/04/2025 - 15:19

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Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

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Before departing to the U.S.-Mexico border as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar fellowship, ��AV Schar School of Policy and Government professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera ventured several times to Kensington, Pennsylvania, a bustling neighborhood in lower northeast Philadelphia.

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera: ‘I have a hypothesis that the fentanyl crisis cannot be blamed exclusively on Mexican cartels.‘ Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Accompanied by Texas journalist Sergio Chapa, Correa-Cabrera’s purpose was to further her research by investigating the origins and dynamics of the U.S. fentanyl crisis.

The resulting magazine story, published this week in the American Prospect magazine, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit forum addressing public policy, is titled “The Onion of Kensington,” a remarkable examination of the collision of the American dream and an immigrant community at the epicenter of the nation’s fentanyl tragedy.

It also illustrates, in her words, “Big Pharma’s role in spreading addiction” while “avoiding accountability for the devastation they’ve caused.”

“I have a hypothesis that the fentanyl crisis cannot be blamed exclusively on Mexican cartels,” said Correa-Cabrera, countering an argument used to justify trade wars with bordering countries. “The explanation is much more complex. I study drug trafficking and focus on the cartels and in my view, current U.S. drug policy is based on wrong premises. I went to Kensington to see the crisis firsthand.”

The experience, with its grim realities and uncertain solutions, was, she said, “very tough, but it was also very interesting.”

You can read the resulting story in the American Prospect.

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Schar School News for February 2025

Master of International Security

Wargame Prepares Students for the Next International Security Crisis

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:07:18 +0000

Wargame Prepares Students for the Next International Security Crisis Andrew J Schappert Mon, 02/03/2025 - 15:07

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Ellen Laipson

Lee Roberts

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“When we decided to close the Suez Canal, everyone else in the room had to change their plans, especially the United States.”

George Mason alum Jerad Harper (far left), an associate professor at the U.S. Army War College, leads students in the Middle East crisis simulation. Photo provided

So commented one Schar School of Policy and Government student who represented Egypt during a Middle East crisis simulation hosted by ��AV’s Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS).

One year after the beginning of fighting in Gaza, CSPS trained students to anticipate the next crisis and how countries might respond. This simulation, which took the form of a daylong matrix board game, was part of an annual series held by the Schar School, including a defense and security research forum and a Gettysburg battlefield tour.

“We offer these ‘out of the classroom’ opportunities,” said Ellen Laipson, director of CSPS and the school’s Master of International Security program, "because they help students move from conceptual thinking and scholarly writing to actually imagining what it would be like to operate in a crisis decision-making environment.”

Ellen Laipson, director of the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies

Reflecting on her extensive career, which includes time as vice chair of the National Intelligence Council and on the staff of the National Security Council, Laipson believes that these simulations can help participants better understand what careers suit them.

“Some people are more suited to being the analyst, with deep knowledge of different world regions, or of specific political and military issues,” she said. “Others enjoy the ‘gaming’ of weighing different policy options; those who think more in terms of ‘now what do we do?’”

George Mason alumni Lee Roberts, PhD Political Science ‘22, an adjunct professor and U.S. Army strategic intelligence officer, and Jerad Harper, PhD Political Science ‘20, an associate professor at the U.S. Army War College, led the simulation in which three years had passed since the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon ended in a ceasefire. They painted a picture in which the new leadership of Fatah and Hamas had formed a united front against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and were demanding a full withdrawal to the 1967 “Green Line.” Students were then divided into eight teams representing the United States, the European Union, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and given packets describing their countries’ respective goals and interests.

Meredith Hutchens, CSPS fellow and international security master’s student, helped facilitate the simulation.

"Designing and facilitating exercises like this gives us an opportunity to merge our experience as practitioners with the curriculum," said Roberts. "Seminar discussion is great, but it can't really recreate the pressure of prioritizing limited resources, options, and time against multiple urgent challenges. We compress that sensation as best we can into the game and the students report that it makes the concepts much more tangible to them."

During the simulation, each team took turns during which they could take any action incorporating one of the “instruments of national power” identified by the Defense Department’s DIME framework (i.e., diplomatic, informational, military, or economic). They then had to defend the viability of their preferred action. Every other team was given the option of either arguing in favor of or against that action's chances of success. The adjudicator—Roberts or Harper—then used dice to determine whether that team was successful. The relative strength of the arguments for and against the proposed action determined the threshold that the dice roll must reach for the action to be successful.

“It's really great to see how quickly people get into their roles,” said Meredith Hutchens, a CSPS fellow and international security master’s student. “Most people are not timid about stepping into the role, regardless of which country they’ve been assigned.”

As a CSPS fellow, Hutchens volunteered to help facilitate the simulation and was able to observe how her peers navigated the scenario. She was especially intrigued by the negotiations that took place as groups of teams sought to coordinate their actions to achieve common goals and outmaneuver other groups.

“Your decision and your actions can have a lot of consequences, and if you choose to leave someone out of your action plan, that really impacts the game,” she said.

The Schar School’s security studies graduate programs are ranked No. 4 by U.S. News & World Report and include degrees in biodefense and international security as well as a national security track in the master of public policy program and an emergency management and homeland security concentration in the master of public administration program.

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Rwanda Puts Global Commerce and Policy Alumnus Jean-Guy Afrika at Top of Economic Development

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 17:10:26 +0000

Rwanda Puts Global Commerce and Policy Alumnus Jean-Guy Afrika at Top of Economic Development Andrew J Schappert Mon, 01/27/2025 - 12:10

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Kenneth A. Reinert

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Global Commerce and Policy graduate Jean-Guy Afrika. Image via Flickr

Schar School of Policy and Government 2006 graduate Jean-Guy Afrika has been tapped by Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). The announcement was made this week by Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente and follows the December appointment of Francis Gatare as senior presidential advisor, leaving the RDB role vacant.

Afrika earned his master’s degree from ��AV in International Commerce and Policy, now known as Global Commerce and Policy (GCP).

“The Schar School Global Commerce and Policy faculty are very proud that GCP alumnus Jean-Guy Afrika has been appointed by Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board,” said Professor of Public Policy Kenneth Reinert, who directs the GCP program.

“This is primarily a testament to Mr. Afrika's dedicated career but for the program’s faculty, it is also reflective of their commitment to development policy as a field of research and practice.”

Afrika steps into the RDB role at a pivotal time, tasked with continuing Rwanda’s trajectory as a hub for investment, trade, and development.

A seasoned expert in regional integration and infrastructure financing, Afrika brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Most recently, he served as lead for the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) since May 2024, a position he first held in an acting capacity starting in 2021.

While at AfDB, Afrika advised senior management on the design, structuring, and financing of major infrastructure projects, overseeing the bank’s $14 billion regional integration portfolio, and collaborating with continental heavyweights like the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat.

Afrika’s career spans key leadership roles with the East African Community (EAC) and Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA), where he spearheaded initiatives to boost integration and export growth.

In addition to his George Mason degree, he holds executive education credentials in trade policy from Harvard Kennedy School and organizational leadership from the University of Oxford, along with a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Lynchburg.

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Schar School Biodefense Students Selected for Distinguished Fellowship

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 18:31:16 +0000

Schar School Biodefense Students Selected for Distinguished Fellowship Andrew J Schappert Thu, 01/23/2025 - 13:31

The Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity (ELBI) Fellowship, offered by the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is one of the most distinguished and prestigious fellowship available to those in the biosecurity profession.

Two students in ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government’s highly ranked biodefense PhD program, Janet Marroquin and Katie Dammer, were chosen for this honor and will be joining 29 other young professionals in the fellowship’s 2025 cohort.

During their fellowship, participants will participate in biosecurity workshops, networking events, and research symposiums, in Washington, D.C., and abroad.

Gregory Koblentz, director of the biodefense graduate program, congratulated the students on their accomplishment.

“Janet and Katie are rising stars in biosecurity, so it’s very gratifying to see their potential recognized by the leading think tank in the field,” he said.

Janet Marroquin: ‘I’m most excited to engage with international perspectives on common problems …’ Photos provided.

Marroquin graduated in 2019 with a master’s degree in biodefense. Her PhD dissertation examines Russia’s motivation and strategy for using vaccine-related narratives in its disinformation operations.

She currently works as a full-time research analyst for a federally funded research and development center. Her work focuses on analyzing national security challenges related to emerging biotechnologies and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) weapons.

“I’m most excited to engage with international perspectives on common problems, especially science communication and public trust in state institutions,” she said.

Her time at George Mason helped prepare her for both her career and the fellowship because of the nature of the program, the diverse student backgrounds, and its comprehensive approach to biosecurity, she said.

“The biodefense courses exposed me to the vulnerabilities that we as a global society have to the spread of disease due, in no small part, to inadequate preparedness,” she said, adding that her favorite classes were Koblentz’s course on biodefense strategy and computational physics and chemistry professor Estela Blaisten-Barojas’s challenging-but-rewarding course on numerical methods.

Dammer is a first-year student in the biodefense PhD program. The ELBI program and those who speak highly of it have surrounded her since her undergraduate studies, so she jumped at the chance to learn more about this ever-changing field.

Katie Dammer: ‘Every year brings changes, but it is exciting to know that this will be a key piece of my professional development …’

“I am so grateful to the Center for Health Security for the acceptance and to colleagues and ELBI alumni for all of the kind words I have received since this year’s cohort was announced,” she said. “Every year brings changes, but it is exciting to know that this will be a key piece of my professional development throughout 2025.”

Her focus is on the intersection of national security and science policy, and her current professional role covers a variety of natural, accidental, and deliberate threats.

She said she is most excited to build a biosecurity community and take time away from her career to “nerd out” over the many topics presented during the fellowship.

Dammer hopes her time as a ELBI fellow will both complement and enhance her research and discussion skills, and she looks forward to engaging with pioneers across the public health and policy fields.

She added that she owes a special thanks to her father who, as a career academic, has been an inspiration as she started her PhD journey and now the fellowship ahead of her.

Marroquin and Dammer join a number of other Schar School biodefense students and graduates who have served as ELBI fellows, including Siddha Hover, MS ’14 (ELBI Class of 2016); Francisco Cruz, MS ’15 (ELBI Class of 2016); Saskia Popescu, PhD ’19 (ELBI Class of 2017); Yong-Bee Lim, MS ’13, PhD ’21 (ELBI Class of 2018); Justin Hurt, PhD ’23 (ELBI Class of 2019); and Matthew Ferreira, MS ’22 (ELBI Class of 2023).

The author is a first-year student in the biodefense master’s program with a special interest in terrorism and the use of pathogens as weapons. This story first appeared in the biodefense program’s The Pandora Report.

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Using AI to uncover human smuggling networks

Teresa Donnellan — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:39:59 +0000

Using AI to uncover human smuggling networks Teresa Donnellan Wed, 01/15/2025 - 17:39

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Sean Luke

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

As vulnerable members of society, migrants are subject to exploitation. Professor Carlotta Domeniconi in the Department of Computer Science at ��AV is using artificial intelligence (AI) to combat that abuse. She is the principal investigator (PI) on a groundbreaking project aimed at understanding and modeling human smuggling networks.

Carlotta Domeniconi

In collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security’s Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis (CINA) Center for Excellence, Domeniconi and co-PIs Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera and Sean Luke are developing advanced machine learning techniques to analyze publicly available data and uncover the intricate workings of human smuggling networks between Mexico and the United States. While Domeniconi and Luke, both computer science faculty, bring expertise in machine learning, Correa-Cabrera is a professor in George Mason's Schar School of Policy and Government specializing in border studies, U.S.-Mexico relations, international security, migration studies, and illicit networks.

A significant challenge in this project is the sparsity and complexity of the data, said Domeniconi. Criminal networks are large, dynamic, and constantly evolving.

"The very nature of criminal networks—their secret nature—makes it practically impossible to gather useful data," she explained. This challenge led to the team’s innovative approach of using publicly available text data—past cases of prosecuted smugglers at both the state and federal levels in the United States as well as social media posts and news articles by and about smugglers. They are collecting data from the 1980s to 2024 to analyze the temporal dynamics of these networks.

“There are videos of smugglers actually showcasing people traveling across very difficult areas from Central America,” Domeniconi noted as an example. “You can extract a lot of information about the routes they take, where they cross the borders, and the means they use."

The team is using natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning models that are pre-trained on vast amounts of text data, enabling them to understand and extract meaningful information from the data they are collecting. Two doctoral students will support the co-PIs, one from computer science and the other from the Schar School. The team is working on automating the process of building and analyzing these criminal networks using large language models and graph mining techniques. By visualizing these networks as knowledge graphs, the team aims to mine behavioral patterns and understand how these networks adapt to changes in policy enforcement. Ultimately, this project could provide a methodology applicable to various criminal networks beyond human smuggling.

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

“The current project bridges the gap between machine learning and social science,” explained Correa-Cabrera. “We can replicate this same model and methodology to analyze legal cases of drug smuggling, money laundering, and arms trafficking, thereby modeling and explaining the evolution of these activities over the past few decades.”

Domeniconi's pioneering work in modeling human smuggling networks is a testament to the power of AI in addressing complex social issues. By merging domain expertise with state-of-the-art machine learning techniques, this project not only promises to unravel the clandestine operations of human smuggling but also to create a robust methodology applicable to various criminal networks. The insights gained from this research could significantly enhance national security measures, offering a strategic advantage in the fight against human smuggling and those who perpetrate this crime.

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How Visiting International Scholars Contribute to the Academic Community: Meet Maurizio Geri

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:04:36 +0000

How Visiting International Scholars Contribute to the Academic Community: Meet Maurizio Geri Andrew J Schappert Wed, 01/15/2025 - 13:04

Maurizio Geri has wasted no time in exploring opportunities at ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The voluble Italian is a distinctive presence in the classroom, at panel discussions, and at various social events held throughout the semester at the school.

Visiting international scholar Maurizio Geri: ‘I had great interactions with interested and passionate students.’ Photos provided.

But Geri, it should be noted, is not a student, nor is he a member of the faculty. He is one of about a dozen Schar School visiting international scholars who spend a predetermined amount of time at the university. The scholars, many of them professors elsewhere, come to the Schar School to use George Mason resources in accomplishing their research and contributing to relevant classroom discussions.

In Geri’s case, the senior strategic international security analyst is capitalizing on his more than 20 years of experience with nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, and international institutions to develop “a better strategy for NATO and European Union cooperation to combat hybrid warfare from Russia and China,” he said.

“The work studies the technology and energy sectors in particular,” he said, with hopes to “improve cooperation in dual-use emerging disruptive technologies.”

Geri, an Italian Navy Lieutenant Reservist-POLAD (a political advisor), was awarded the 2023 EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc Fellowship’s Horizon Europe, a prestigious and competitive flagship program for doctoral and postdoctoral training through a fellowship from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.

The practice of universities hosting visiting international scholars began in ancient Greece, with cross-border scholarly exchanges, notably Plato’s Academy of Athens and the Library of Alexandria, where scholars from different regions shared knowledge.

In modern times, the practice was institutionalized in the late 19th century, beginning in Germany and spreading across Europe and into the United States. While the scholars benefit from research resources, the schools—including students and faculty—gain new viewpoints and fresh insights.

Maurizio Geri: ‘Maurizio is eager to work with students and colleagues. He is a wonderful addition to the school.’—Professor of Public Policy Desmond Dinan

“Visiting international scholars such as Dr. Geri enrich the academic climate of the Schar School,” said Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell. “They bring diverse perspectives on public policy issues and help build research and academic program collaborations for our faculty and students.”

Desmond Dinan, the Schar School professor of public policy who supervised Geri’s visit, has seen the effects of a visiting professor first-hand.

“International scholars bring different perspectives, experience, and insights to the classroom and, more broadly, to the intellectual life of the school. Maurizio Geri is a great example,” he said, citing Geri’s credentials and activities on campus.

“He also happens to be a reservist in the Italian navy, which made his participation in my European Security class in the fall of 2024 even more interesting. On top of all that, Maurizio is eager to work with students and colleagues. He is a wonderful addition to the school.”

Among the visiting international scholars at the Schar School is Tetiana Khutor, founder of the Institute of Legislative Ideas, a Ukraine-based think tank that devises legislative strategies and policies to combat corruption, assist asset recovery, and encourage good governance. She also teaches anticorruption policy as a professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Khutor came to George Mason as an academic participating in the New School’s New University in Exile Consortium, made up of a global group of colleges dedicated to supporting scholars facing threats at home that force them to leave or prevent them from performing meaningful work. George Mason is one of 12 in the United States participating in the program.

Khutor and Geri participated together in a panel discussion on hybrid warfare with Russia’s economic sector hosted by the Schar School Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS) and they coauthored an op-ed in the influential political publication, The Hill.

In addition to guest lecturing and auditing several classes, Geri published his initial studies on Russian hybrid warfare against Europe’s energy sector and on NATO-EU cooperation in technologies last year in the Journal of Strategic Security and the Security and Defense Journal published by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense.

At the moment, Geri is continuing his work via the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. He returns to the Schar School in the fall before finishing his fellowship in Venice in 2026.

“I had great interactions with interested and passionate students” at the Schar School, Geri said. “The faculty is always kind and very prepared. I look forward to being back in the fall.”

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Mark J. Rozell

Desmond Dinan

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Chaos on Bourbon Street: The Growing Threat of ‘Rampage Terrorism’

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:40:35 +0000

Chaos on Bourbon Street: The Growing Threat of ‘Rampage Terrorism’ Andrew J Schappert Fri, 01/10/2025 - 10:40

A man in a pickup truck drove down a crowded Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, killing 14 and wounding at least 35 others. The driver engaged police in a shootout, wounding two before being fatally shot and ending the spree of violence.

Zak Kallenborn: Rampage terrorism ‘possesses unique characteristics that warrant attention.’

Authorities discovered the assailant, a 42-year-old American-born resident of Texas and an Army veteran, had an Islamic State flag in the truck and had been radicalized by ISIS.

The New Orleans tragedy is an example of what Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV’s Zak Kallenborn calls “rampage terrorism.”

Rampage terrorism happens when “the terrorist is physically present at the attack location, attacks targets of opportunity, and the attack continues for an indefinite period, either until the terrorist is subdued or chooses to end the attack,” said Kallenborn, a Schar School policy fellow and the lead author on a new paper on the subject.

The study, “The Logic of Rampage Terrorism,” cowritten with the University of Albany professor of emergency management and homeland security Gary Ackerman and University of Arizona PhD candidate Herbert Tinsley, was published last February in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.

“In popular thinking, the archetypal terrorist attack consists of a preconceived plan, where terrorists carefully select the location, targets, and timing of their operation,” he said. “Bombings, hijackings, and targeted assassinations are all tactics that fit with such perceptions.

“However, increasingly, terrorists have chosen to engage in what can be termed ‘rampage terrorism’ … Examples include stabbing attacks, shootings in crowded areas, and driving vehicles through crowds.”

The study, which offers policy implications and points to future research, examines five recent cases in depth and defines rampage terrorism as a specific subset of terrorist tactics. The conclusion: Rampage terrorism “possesses unique characteristics that warrant attention.”

“For as long as extremist views inspire some towards violence, rampage terrorism can be expected to persist within terrorist tactical repertoires,” the authors conclude. “Since rampage terrorism will likely linger, states should seek opportunities to reduce the harm by emphasizing resilience in the face of the threat, building civil defenses, and countering influencers.”

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2024: A Transformative Year for Schar School’s Public-Private Partnerships Center

Kristin Heydt — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:18:09 +0000

2024: A Transformative Year for Schar School’s Public-Private Partnerships Center Kristin Heydt Wed, 01/08/2025 - 14:18

The Center for Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Policy at ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government closed out 2024 with groundbreaking achievements that reflect its expanded mission to shape the future of infrastructure through research, education, and collaboration.

The center is led by founding Director Jonathan Gifford, a professor of policy and transportation in the Schar School.

Founding Director Jonathan Gifford

The center, which supports objective evaluations of public-private partnerships (P3s) for infrastructure development, broadened its scope this year, reaching new heights in addressing challenges across sectors.

A New Name, A Broader Horizon

This year marked a pivotal shift for the center as it redefined its mission to encompass infrastructure beyond transportation.

“With a broader focus, the center now considers critical areas such as higher education, K-12 schools, energy, and communications,” said Gifford. “The change underscores a commitment to addressing infrastructure challenges that are increasingly interwoven into every facet of modern life.”

A Forum for the Ages

September saw the 11th annual P3 Forum take place, called Inflection Point: New Capital, New Markets, and New Challenges. The event brought together leading voices from the public and private sectors to explore how P3s are adapting to evolving infrastructure needs.

The keynote address, delivered by Beau Memory, North America president for global infrastructure giant Transurban, showcased major projects in Northern Virginia and across the United States. Panels examined new sources of capital, innovative technologies, and the expanding role of P3s in areas such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Leading Research, Building Talent

The center’s academic initiatives flourished in 2024. Masters and PhD students produced pioneering research on P3 opportunities and challenges, contributing to a growing body of knowledge. Their work also addressed the urgent need to develop a robust talent pipeline to support the future of infrastructure development in both the public and private sectors.

Bridging Communities

The center’s faculty and students forged connections with stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and local communities. These partnerships aim to tackle the pressing challenges of creating infrastructure that can adapt to society’s changing demands.

As 2024 draws to a close, the center stands at the forefront of shaping the next generation of infrastructure solutions. Its continued growth signals exciting possibilities for 2025 and beyond.

AI and Cybersecurity: In 2025, the center will explore how artificial intelligence can both improve infrastructure development and introduce new vulnerabilities, such as cybersecurity risks, requiring careful analysis.
Expanding Student Engagement: The research program will continue to support master’s and PhD students, as well as reintroducing undergraduate engagement through the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP).
2025 P3 Forum: The next forum will take place in Van Metre Hall at Mason Square in Arlington, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Information will be announced soon.

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