Alumni Success

IWP Alumni are Assuming National Security Positions Around the World

The Institute of World Politics has consistently nurtured exceptional leaders and strategists who are making indelible contributions in vital institutions worldwide. The institute’s alumni form a dynamic and influential network, channeling the insights gained through their education at IWP into key leadership and management roles within every significant department and institution in the national security world including congressional offices, think tanks, academic institutions, and government contracting corporations.

Contributing to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America.
Contributing to the writing of the State Department Policy Planning Staff’s “long telegram” on the China Challenge – a sea change in U.S. assessment of, and strategy to address, the threat from China.
Organizing the first Congressional hearings ever on the war of ideas against radical Islamism.
Commanding all NATO land forces in Europe.
Serving in the FBI in the White House as Senior Staff Director on the staff of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Heading security at Dell, including management of security risk across physical and cyber domains.
Serving in the FBI in the White House as Senior Staff Director on the staff of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Successfully leading the effort to counter the massive Chinese theft of intellectual property in Silicon Valley and receiving multiple DoD awards.

By the numbers

Making a
National and
Global Impact

Our graduates are already serving at the highest levels of the state department, defense department and other executive branch intelligence agencies. We provide a useful education to help you excel in your career and get the desk you deserve.

0 %

of our graduates get jobs
in their field of interest

M.A.
Programs

Graduate
Certificates

Doctorate
Program

0 %

Student loan default
rate for our alumni

Where IWP Graduates Work

House of Representatives

Department
of Homeland
Security

Central
Intelligence
Agency

US Department
of Defense

Department of
State

Intelligence

Two alumni conduct counterintelligence investigation and receive highest FBI award

John Russo (2006), Tim B. (2012), and a small team received the most prestigious FBI award for combatting a foreign intelligence threat. Their counterintelligence investigation involved multiple agencies working together to deter foreign spies from penetrating the U.S. intelligence community and recruiting federal employees to commit espionage.

National Security

Dr. Zak Allal (’18) boosts U.S.-Algeria relations through reality TV show

WP alumnus and research scholar Dr. Zak Allal (’18) was part of a jury on an Algerian TV show supported by the U.S. Embassy in Algiers in order to encourage entrepreneurship in the country. The program Andi Hulm, or “I Have a Dream” in Arabic, featured 60 aspiring entrepreneurs who worked within member companies of the American Chamber of Commerce to develop their ideas.

International Relations

Alumnus Spotlight: Stephen Dreikorn (’11), Foreign Service Officer at the State Department

Stephen Dreikorn (’11) grew up in rural Western Michigan, with few people to ask about how to become a diplomat. He used IWP as a launchpad to begin a career as a Foreign Service Officer focused on public diplomacy at the State Department, where he has now been serving for 10 years and has earned nine Department of State Meritorious Honor Awards. Below is his story.