Event Preview: Panel Targets Domestic Terrorism

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 17:34:48 +0000

Event Preview: Panel Targets Domestic Terrorism Andrew J Schappert Wed, 03/24/2021 - 13:34

David Priess, Schar School of Policy and Government visiting professor and senior fellow

Supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building on January 6, believing Trump’s claims of electoral fraud. Since then, the issue of domestic extremism and terrorism has jumped to the top of the priority list of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies alike.

“The rising tide of charged political rhetoric, internet conspiracy theories, and false narratives of election fraud has elevated the threat posed by domestic violent extremists,” said Andrew McCabe, former deputy director of the FBI and now a distinguished visiting professor at the Schar School. “Conversations about the dynamics of domestic terrorism are essential to fully understanding this threat.”

The problem is not a new one, but it still poses a great challenge for national security practitioners. What is the nature of threat? What are possible responses? How does a nation stop domestic terrorists while protecting civil liberties? What roles do the FBI and Department of Homeland Security play in countering it?

In short, what should America’s intelligence community do?

Andrew McCabe, former Deputy Director of the FBI and Schar School distinguished visiting professor

That will be the conversation taking place Thursday, March 25, at 7 p.m. (EDT), when the Schar School’s Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security welcomes McCabe and Elizabeth Neumann, former senior advisor to the deputy chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security, for a discussion on domestic terrorism and how it can be countered. Schar School visiting professor and senior fellow David Preiss will moderate the discussion.

Schar School fact: A generous gift from the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation provides $450,000 in new scholarships for master’s students enrolled in a security studies program for Fall 2021. Learn more about the scholarship and how to apply.

Topics

National Security

Terrorism

Schar School of Policy and Government

Events

Schar News March 2021

Event Preview: Pris Regan on Technology in a Changing World

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 19:09:49 +0000

Event Preview: Pris Regan on Technology in a Changing World Andrew J Schappert Thu, 03/11/2021 - 14:09

Photo of Priscilla Regan

Originally published on March 10, 2021

“We still have not passed effective policy addressing the spread of disinformation or the ethics of gathering online information on people,” said Priscilla Regan. “If we could address information privacy, I believe we could mitigate disinformation and greater ethics issues.”

For the past 40 years, Schar School professor Regan has studied the dynamic world of technological change and the policies that accompany it. She’s lived it first-hand: “I wrote my dissertation on long-hand and lived in the library, because that is where all of the information was,” she said. “We went from writing on these chunky computers to having an incredible amount of knowledge at our fingertips within a very short time. Because of easy access to information and composing ideas, everything is vastly different.”

Regan joins a distinguished panel of technology security experts at noon (EST) on Thursday, March 18, during a discussion called “Health Trackers & Tracers: Big Data and the Challenge of User Privacy in the Age of Covid-19.” The virtual event is hosted by ��AV’s Office of Government and Community Relations.

Other panelists include Washington Post technology columnist Geoffrey Fowler, Paul Jarris of the MITRE Corporation, Virginia Department of Health executive advisor Jeff Stover, and Mason assistant professor of computer science Foteini Baldimtsi. The session will be moderated by Nektaria Tryfona, scientific director for data innovation and strategy at Mason.

The discussion is part of Mason’s Arlington Forward Series, which centers on Mason’s transformational expansion of its Arlington Campus, the development of the Institute for Digital Innovation, and the creation of the Rosslyn-Ballston Innovation Corridor.

The challenges of user privacy are not new to Regan. Before becoming a professor at the Schar School, Regan provided insights to Congress as a senior analyst in the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) between 1984 to 1989. However, her true passion was teaching and research.

“In 1989, [��AV] was a much smaller place,” said Regan. “Yet, there was this undeniable need within the state for a major university in the Northern Virginia area…When I came in, there was an uptick in faculty who were interested in research. There was quickly an increase in the overall profile of the university and the quality of graduate programs.”

Regan has seen issues within the realm of technology change dramatically over the past 40 years. Her work will continue to evolve as technology—and the world—continue to advance.

Topics

Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar News March 2021