Students and Alumni

The Institute’s student body includes recent graduates of colleges and universities from the United States and around the world and a mix of mid-career professionals from government, the armed forces, industry, and foreign embassies and governments, whose various perspectives enrich the classroom experience.

Meanwhile, IWP alumni are bringing their insights learned at IWP to leadership and management positions in such crucial organizations as the FBI, CIA, DIA, and Secret Service; the Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Justice, State, and Treasury; the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard; Congressional offices, think tanks, academic institutions, and government contracting corporations.

Read the latest news and updates on IWP students and alumni
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Alumni Testimonials

Lawrence Buckley (’07) has been promoted to the FBI’s Senior Executive Service, where he is serving in the Intelligence Branch as Senior Director on the staff of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB).
Meet Lawrence

“If you are willing to go 100%, the school will meet you at 200%, whether it is through financial help, the professors, even the administrators.”
Christiana Reasor
Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill
Meet Christiana

“I am looking to apply my knowledge, rather than develop theory… When I talk about issues in the federal system, my professors understand where I am coming from.”
Curt Klun
Senior Policy Analyst at DOJ and IWP Doctoral Candidate
Meet Curt

“I kept all of my notes and I have them in my desk right now; I’ve carried them around the world with me… My experience learning at IWP has molded me into the leader I have become.”
LTC Katie Crombe, U.S. Army (’12)
Meet Katie

“Dr. Streusand’s Geography and Strategy and General Jajko’s Military Strategy courses both provided an opportunity to explore the Marine Corps’ operational and even strategic role as force projector throughout the world.”
Major Jeff Brewer
USMC Intelligence Officer
Meet Jeff

What I was learning from the practitioners at school were the right kind of things I needed in my toolkit for this career.”
Stephen Dreikorn (’11)
Foreign Service Officer at the State Department
Meet Stephen

“Whether it is the art of diplomacy, economic thinking, or warfare, my classes have solidified my drive to dig deeper into world politics. They have made me want to become a practitioner in this field.”
Semaj McDowell
M.A. Candidate; Business Process Analyst, Booz Allen Hamilton
Meet Semaj

“I was able to have a higher impact than my GS grade allowed, and that was a testament to my experience and education at IWP.”
“Daniel” (’20)
Military Intelligence
Meet “Daniel”

“I have found a lot of overlap between my career and school, both while at IWP and now.”
Jonathan Earles (’19)
Foreign Affairs Officer at the Department of State
Meet Jonathan

“All the theory in the world doesn’t prepare you for a role as an analyst. You need to know what the practicalities are. The strength of IWP is that they use the theories to apply from a practitioner’s role.”
Courtney Kelley (’20)
International Affairs Professional
Meet Courtney

“The IWP program helped me prepare for work in a civilian role supporting national security.”
John Walsh (’19)
National Guard Veteran and Civilian Contractor
Meet John

“Walking into the State Department, I had a lot more knowledge of the topic I am working on than quite a few of my colleagues, even those with M.A.s from well-respected – even Ivy League – schools.”
Diane (’19)
Contractor with the State Department
Meet Diane

“IWP helped me understand that execution without a strategy, direction without a clear vision, and leadership without virtue, strains the maintenance of peace.”
LTC Howard (Gavin) Rice, USA (’14)
U.S. Army Strategist
Meet Gavin

“My IWP education was helpful in being able to have that perspective of where you are within the [intelligence] cycle and knowing how it all comes together.”
Jarrod McDowell (’17)
Analytic Editor with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Meet Jarrod

“If you are looking for a focused education in intelligence, statecraft, and diplomacy, and if you want to feel like your professors care about you individually, IWP is your best bet.”
Caleb Crim (’16)
Senior Analyst Manager at Bulletin Intelligence
Meet Caleb

“All of the classes I took at IWP help with my work. I still hear concepts and terms at work that I go home and read about in books I was assigned in my IWP courses.”
Karissa Chadwick
U.S. Air Force Intelligence Analyst
Meet Karissa

“[Attending IWP] has been among the best decisions I have made so far.”
Mohammad Shafiq (’17)
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Former Deputy Senior Advisor to the President of Afghanistan
Meet Mohammad

“In Dr. Thomas’ intelligence class, he emphasized the tension between the executive branch and legislative branch… I feel like that’s my everyday life now.”
Rachel Bauman (’18)
Helsinki Commission policy advisor
Meet Rachel

“One of the great things about IWP is the freedom to engage in civil discourse even when you don’t see eye-to-eye with professors.”
Nathan Ginty
Veteran, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
Meet Nathan

“[My classes at IWP] gave me the opportunity to deal with reality and how the international system really works.”
Amb. Federico González
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Paraguay
Meet Federico

“I cannot say enough about IWP. I truly enjoyed my time… I have learned so much more I wish I could have learned when I was younger and in the prime of my career.”
Roger Myers (’19)
Director, Combat Sustainment Systems, Acquisition and Systems Management Directorate, Department of the Army
Meet Roger

“IWP gave me a general understanding of the national security apparatus…Many people come to my profession from other fields, and they have no idea what agencies make up the Intelligence Community or how the Department of Defense works. I was exposed to that.”
Peter Sulick (’11)
Review Team Lead at CACI
Meet Peter

“The education here provides a foundation for anything that you could possibly want to do in intelligence, national security, or the diplomatic realm.”
Joshua Drusbacky (’19)
Army Officer and Analyst for the U.S. Government
Meet Joshua

“IWP really instructs on the dignity of the human person, and if that’s not foundational in your policy, your policy is flawed from the get-go.”
Jacqueline Halbig von Schleppenbach (’15)
Government Relations Expert and Religious Freedom Advocate
Meet Jacqueline

“Even though I had knowledge from working with an actual spy, [my course at IWP] introduced me to the whole realm of academic thinking and experience of the IC with all these different spies.”
Dr. David Charney
Expert on the Mind of the Spy
Meet David

“What IWP has really helped me with is to get in the mind of what a policy maker or senior official has to deal with on a day to day basis.”
Moises Benhabib (’15)
Special Assistant to the Executive Secretariat Staff, Office of the Secretary of State
Meet Moises

“IWP has the most qualified professors, most highly motivated students, and the greatest visiting speakers of any grad school.”
Gene Poteat
Former CIA Scientific Intelligence Officer
Meet Gene

“Having an intelligence degree has given me more perspective on the threats that are out there and the mindset of our adversaries.”
Robert
Department of Defense Director of Security Operations
Meet Robert

“When I went back to Estonia, I became the first ever U.S. Desk Officer in the Estonian Foreign Ministry.”
Amb. Eerik Marmei
Former Ambassador of Estonia to the U.S.
Meet Eerik

“I cannot estimate how much I have changed since coming to IWP…both in understanding the reality of broad topics, but also in experiencing other countries and people.”
Piotr Trabinski (’18)
Alternate Executive Director, International Monetary Fund
Meet Piotr

“It is really interesting to see the techniques and the statecraft and the vocab and knowledge that I’m learning in [my IWP] classes and how it is applicable to my current job.”
Emily
Analyst, U.S. Government
Meet Emily

“Based on my time at Kings Point and in the Marine Corps, in every class, I have learned something that I could relate back to my previous experiences.”
Richard Laszok (’20)
Marine Corps veteran
Meet Richard

“IWP is such a unique learning experience because the administrators and professors are so accessible… IWP as a whole pushed me to the career I have today.”
Kevin Murphy (’16)
Consultant for the U.S. Navy
Meet Kevin

“I can honestly say [IWP] almost completely altered the lens with which I view the world… IWP broadened by field of vision drastically.”
Kipp McGuire (’18)
Advance Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Marine Corps veteran
Meet Kipp

“Working in anti-money laundering is a fascinating field… I know I am making a difference every time I go into the office.”
Wilson Nash (’16)
Anti-Money Laundering Senior Investigator
Meet Wilson

“It has been a wonderful experience learning from such accomplished yet humble people.”
Samantha Moyer
Contractor for the military and intelligence communities
Meet Samantha

“The critical thinking and analytic skills within the Institute of World Politics BSAP program will serve me well in the future.”
Major Holly Harris
Fellow, White House Office of Management and Budget
Meet Holly

“Often, the student sitting at the left or right of you is somebody who is already in intelligence or public service.”
Paris Michaels
U.S. Airways Pilot
Meet Paris

“IWP classes weren’t pushing an ideological point of view, but was a measured point of view based on years of experience. It was a very different take than I’d been used to.”
Kristopher Klaich
Founder, Innovato LLC
Meet Kristopher

“My IWP studies absolutely impact how I approach my profession. Understanding the intelligence life cycle has been an important key to success in all my roles.”
CW Walker
Federal Solutions Manager – Threat Intelligence
Meet CW

“I can safely say almost every class at IWP has helped me in various ways so far in my career.”
Josh Davis
Intelligence Professional, Counterterrorism Operations
Meet Josh

“[The professors and students] liked what I brought to the table, and would often agree that I had a valid point… It’s more gratifying to argue successfully against people with differing views than those with similar views.”
Chris Deckert
Intelligence analyst, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
Meet Chris

“I knew attending IWP would be a useful experience, and helpful to my career…but it far exceeded my expectations, and proved to be much more interesting and beneficial than I had imagined.”
Robert Turner
Telecommunications Professional
Meet Robert

“I looked at a lot of schools that had national security and/or intelligence programs… IWP’s faculty with real world experience convinced me to attend.”
Nicholas
Contractor to the State Department
Meet Nicholas

“I took many intelligence-related courses at IWP… The area knowledge I gained at the Institute has also been very valuable.”
William Stiles
Secret Service Intelligence Analyst
Meet William

“I want to make an impact locally and in my state, and help others become state senators, representatives, and governors. I will continue to employ the things I learned at IWP.”
Brendan Steinhauser
Founder of Steinhauser Strategies
Meet Brendan

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