ESU Students Attend National Security Seminar in Washington, D.C.

Eight students from East Stroudsburg University attended the program “Academic Seminar on National Security” through The Washington Center in Washington, D.C. The seminar, which was held May 14-22, focused generally on the landscape of national security and democracy. The seminar gave college students from across the country a more in-depth understanding of the policy, operations, technology and risks surrounding cyber and national security in the United States. Discussions focused on such hot topics as global security concerns, prosecuting violent extremism in the U.S., whistleblowers and limits on government power, the impact on AI on national security, diversity in national security and offered students advice on future careers in national security.

Kimberly S. Adams, Ph.D., professor of political science, served as faculty leader for the seminar. The ESU students included: Benjamin Coyle, a sophomore majoring in political science from East Stroudsburg, Pa.; Salimah Ford, a sophomore majoring in political science from Philadelphia, Pa.; Scott Holderith, a sophomore majoring in political science from Milford, Pa.; Faith McLean, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice from Philadelphia, Pa.; Lucie Miller, a sophomore majoring in history from Monroeville, Pa.; Carmen Santos Gonzalez, a junior majoring in computer science from Tobyhanna, Pa.; Kwanza Smith, a senior majoring in political science from East Stroudsburg, Pa.; and Bridget Snyder, a junior majoring in history from Nazareth, Pa.

Dr. Adams also supervised eight additional students from St. Joseph’s University, the University of British Columbia, and the Community College of Baltimore.

Students spent the mornings on-site at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars listening to a diverse itinerary of speakers including Dr. Mara Karlin, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities at the U.S. Department of Defense; Mary DeRosa, Professor from Practice, Co-Director, Global Law Scholars Program, Georgetown Law; Phil Yu, Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Atlantic Council; Juan Zarate, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for Combatting Terrorism; Bilva Chandra, Senior AI Policy Advisor, National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Charles Carithers, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs.

In the afternoons, the group traveled to locations throughout the nation’s capital for educational briefings. The briefings included meetings with officials from the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission, the European Union, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S.- Asia Institute, and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

“We are pleased to offer students high impact experiential learning experiences, like this Academic Seminar on National Security, that allow students to witness governmental agencies and personnel up close and personal,” Adams said. “Such experiences have been found to be a motivating factor for students to excel academically. When students encounter young professionals in high-ranking governmental positions, they begin to envision themselves in those positions.”

For more information about the seminar, or the upcoming 2025 Presidential Inauguration seminar, contact Dr. Adams by calling (570) 422-3924 or email ksadams@esu.edu.

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