STAFF BIOS
Staff at the Institute for the Study of War
Kimberly Kagan, the founder and President of the Institute for the Study of War, is a military historian who has taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Yale University, Georgetown University, and American University. She is the author of The Eye of Command (University of Michigan Press, 2006), The Surge: a Military History (Encounter Books, 2009) and editor of The Imperial Moment (forthcoming from Harvard University Press, 2010). She is the executive producer of a documentary film, "The Surge: the Whole Story." Dr. Kagan has published numerous essays including “Don't Short-Circuit the Surge” in the Wall Street Journal, “How to Surge the Taliban” (co-authored with Max Boot and Frederick W. Kagan) in The New York Times, and "Why the Taliban are Winning--For Now" on the Foreign Policy Magazine website. Dr. Kagan has conducted nine battlefield circulations of Iraq since May 2007 for the MNF-I Commanding General, and two of Afghanistan. Three of these visits were formal assessments as part of larger teams. Dr. Kagan served in Kabul as a member of GEN Stanley McChrystal’s strategic assessment team, comprised of civilian experts, during his strategic review in June and July 2009. She likewise participated on the Joint Campaign Plan Assessment Team for Multi-National Force-Iraq - U.S. Mission-Iraq in Baghdad in October 2008 and October 2009. She also served as a reviewer for the CENTCOM strategic review in January 2009. Dr. Kagan held an Olin Postdoctoral Fellowship in Military History at Yale International Security Studies in 2004-2005. She was an affiliate of Harvard’s Olin Institute for Strategic Studies, where she was a National Security Fellow in 2002-2003. She received her B.A. in Classical Civilization and her Ph.D. in History from Yale University.
Megan Ortagus, the Director of Communications of ISW, leads ISW's outreach to Congress and the media. Ms. Ortagus recently embedded with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and visited Kabul, Bagram, Jalalabad and Kunar Province along the Pakistani border. Prior to joining ISW, Ms. Ortagus was the Director of Policy Coalitions for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. She traveled to Baghdad, Iraq as an embedded journalist with the Army 1-4 Cavalry and 2-4 Infantry at Forward Operating Base Falcon. Ms. Ortagus is also an analyst for London’s GMTV and a commentator for FOX News, MSNBC, al Hurra and al Jazeera English. In addition to project management and media relations, she has extensive experience in electoral campaigns and the legislative process. Her political career includes fundraisers, events and campaigns for Presidential, Congressional (both House and Senate), and state wide races. Ms. Ortagus is a master’s candidate at Johns Hopkins University. She graduated from Southeastern University with a degree in Opera and now resides in Washington, D.C.
Ashleigh Seidler, the Development Director of ISW, has distinguished herself through contributions to the nonprofit and political sector, serving as a community organizer, spokeswoman, and fundraiser for a diverse portfolio of not-for-profit organizations. Ms. Seidler previously managed an $85 million capital initiative as the Development Officer at the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Ms. Seidler significantly advanced the Foundation's efforts by helping to secure the lead sponsorship gift of $10 million from the Lockheed Martin Corporation for phase II of expansion for the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Heritage Center in April 2009.
Throughout her accomplished fundraising career, Ms. Seidler has demonstrated successful fundraising strategies in the planning and execution of major fundraising and capital campaigns. Ms. Seidler represented Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties as, Community Development Coordinator, responsible for major development initiatives and media relations for 21 cities in a dual-county area. Ms. Seidler performed for the Woman's Center of the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas; completing the VAW Federal Grant, the North Texas Woman's Leadership Program, and aided in developing the North Texas protocol for responding to victims of violence. She also served as a Research Analyst for the Presbyterian Clergy Project on Human Rights. Ms. Seidler also served for United States Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX), in Washington, DC.
Ms. Seidler received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology from the University of North Texas and a pending Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) professional accreditation. Ms. Seidler's affiliations include: Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), National Association of Professional Women, and The National Organization for Women. In 2007, Ms. Seidler received the Good Samaritan Award from Johnson County, Texas.
Maggie Rackl, a Communications Associate at ISW, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from College of Charleston. She has also served as a Volunteer Educator aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriot’s Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Before joining ISW, Maggie served as Encampment Coordinator aboard the United States Navy’s most decorated battleship, U.S.S. New Jersey.
Researchers at the Institute for the Study of War
Lieutenant General James M. Dubik U.S. Army, (ret.), a Senior Fellow at ISW, currently conducts research, writes, and briefs on behalf of the Institute. His areas of focus include MNSTC-I and the Iraqi Security Forces, the ways to improve U.S. and allied training of indigenous security forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and counterinsurgency doctrine. LTG Dubik assumed command of Multi National Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I) on June 10, 2007. During this final command, he oversaw the generation and training of the Iraqi Security Forces. Previously, he was the Commanding General of I Corps at Ft. Lewis and the Deputy Commanding General for Transformation, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. He also served as the Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division. Dubik has held numerous leadership and command positions with airborne, ranger, light and mechanized infantry units around the world. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry from Gannon University as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1971, and he retired from service on September 1, 2008. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Philosophy from Gannon University, a Master’s of Arts degree in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Military Arts and Sciences Degree from the United States Army Command and General Staff College. His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, five awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, and numerous Army Commendation and Achievement Medals. He is ranger, airborne and air assault qualified and holds the expert infantryman’s badge, master parachutist badge as well as the Army Staff Identification Badge.
Michael R. Gordon, a Senior Fellow at ISW, is the chief military correspondent for the New York Times, where he has worked since 1985. He is the coauthor, with LTG Bernard E. Trainor, of Cobra II and The General's War. He has covered the Iraq War, the American intervention in Afghanistan, the Kosovo conflict, the Russian war in Chechnya, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and the American invasion of Panama.
James Danly, is a former U.S. Army officer and Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) where he conducts research in his areas of expertise: U.S. military counterinsurgency operations, Kurdish political dynamics, Iraqi’s political landscape, elections and security.
Marisa Cochrane Sullivan, Research Manager at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), supervises the Iraq and Afghanistan Projects. Ms. Cochrane Sullivan also conducts research on Iraqi political dynamics, Shi’a militia groups, and the security environment in central and southern Iraq. Ms. Cochrane Sullivan has also authored numerous publications on these issues, including Balancing Maliki and The Fragmentation of the Sadrist Trend.
Ms. Cochrane Sullivan served as the Command Historian for Multi-National Force-Iraq in the first quarter of 2009, where she won a civilian service award for her research and writing on the implementation of the Status of Forces Agreement, Provincial Elections, and other major issues.
Ms. Cochrane Sullivan has appeared as commentator on Iraq-related issues for Voice of America, the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, and other media outlets. She also conducts frequent briefings for journalists and congressional staff in Washington, DC.
Ms. Cochrane Sullivan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from Boston College, where she held a Presidential Scholarship and won the prestigious McCarthy Award for her scholarship in the Social Sciences. She has also studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Jeffrey Dressler, is a Research Analyst at ISW. Mr. Dressler received his Bachelor's Degree from the Political Science Honors Program at The University of Connecticut, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Mr. Dressler is the author of the recent ISW report, Securing Helmand: Understanding and Responding to the Enemy. His report has drawn praise from the Marine Corps and the intelligence community for its understanding of the enemy network in southern Afghanistan and analysis of the military campaign in Helmand province over the past several years
Mr. Dressler has briefed wide audiences on various topics related to the war in Afghanistan. Recently, Mr. Dressler was invited to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to brief a Marine Battalion prior to their deployment. Additionally, he has also conducted briefings for members of the press, including The New York Times and Fox News in addition to Congressional audiences.
Additionally, Mr. Dressler's commentary, articles and opinion editorials have been picked up by numerous outlets, including Real Clear World. He is also a frequent guest on a host of media outlets, including Fox News, Al Jazeera- English, Voice of America, Federal News Radio, the BBC and the CBC in addition to many others.
Haseeb Humayoon, is a Research Analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), where he analyzes political developments inside Afghanistan and Pakistan, the U.S. military and civilian efforts in Afghanistan, and the political strategy and information operations of the insurgency and counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. Mr. Humayoon recently served as a Communications and Operations Advisor to Afghanistan's domestic election observers group, the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, from July to September 2009.
Prior to joining ISW, Mr. Humayoon worked on several Afghanistan-based projects with organizations such as the Human Rights Watch, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Human Rights First, and the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies. Mr. Humayoon studied and observed the planning and convention of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Peace Jirga of August 2007 in Kabul. He has also researched the history of the rivalry between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the role of negotiations between the two countries in times of crisis. In Washington, Mr. Humayoon has worked with the Middle East Institute (MEI) on Afghanistan and Pakistan research. He co-authored, with MEI scholar Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the "Intertwined Destinies of Afghanistan and Pakistan,"; a widely read chapter in The Future of Afghanistan (A. Their, ed., January 2009).
Mr. Humayoon has published opinion and analytic pieces in the New York Times and appeared as commentator on issues related to Afghanistan and Pakistan on channels such as Al Jazeera English, the National Public Radio, and Voice of America. He conducts frequent briefings for journalists and congressional staff in Washington, DC.
Born in Kabul, Mr. Humayoon studied high school in Afghanistan and Pakistan's Peshawar city. He holds a B.A. in political science from Middlebury College and has also studied at the American University in Washington D.C., focusing on U.S. Foreign Policy. Mr. Humayoon has native fluency in Dari/Farsi and Pashto, and is proficient in Urdu.
Carl Forsberg, is a research analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), where he specializes in the security and political dynamics of Kandahar Province. Mr. Forsberg recently authored the ISW report The Taliban's Campaign for Kandahar, providing a detailed and authoritative overview of the history, tribal affiliations, battlefield geography, and military operations in Kandahar. He has commented on Afghanistan for both print and radio journalism.
Before coming to ISW, Mr. Forsberg worked at the Marine Corps Intelligence Headquarters and for the Ugandan State Minister for Disaster Relief and Refugees in Kampala, Uganda. He holds a Bachelors Degree in history from Yale College and has studied the Persian language.
Research Interns
Daniel LaGraffe, a graduate intern at ISW, is pursuing a Masters Degree in Security Policy Studies from the George Washington University focused on transnational security and security and development. He earned a B.A. Summa Cum Laude in Political Science from Arizona State University after serving in the United States Marine Corps. Aditionally, he studies the Arabic language.
Paul Garaffo, a graduate intern at ISW, holds a Bachelor's Degree in Government from Hamilton College and is pursuing his Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies at George Washington University. Paul has also studied at Queen Mary, University of London and previously interned with the U.S. Department of State.
Brett Van Ess, a graduate intern at ISW, is currently pursuing a MA in Security Studies at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
Staff Interns
Sarah Hoffman, an undergraduate Communications intern at ISW, is a junior at The George Washington University where she is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs with a concentration in International Development and International Economics and a minor in Anthropology.
Christin Aucunas, an undergraduate intern at ISW, is a senior at The George Washington University where she is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict & Security Studies and a minor in Art History. She has done course work at the Universidad de Sevilla, and Universitat de Barcelona where she studied Muslim integration in Cataluña.
Ian Galloway, a communications intern at ISW, holds a degree from the University of Edinburgh with a concentration in history and politics. After graduating Ian joined the Obama presidential campaign in Chicago where he worked in the constituency communications division and on the surrogate radio program. Ian spent the better part of 2009 travelling in Europe and working in South America as he continues to perfect his language skills in Spanish and French. He currently resides in Washington, DC.
Recent Contributors
David Phillips, the Operations Manager of ISW from August 2008 to January 2010, holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University where he concentrated in Conflict and Security Studies and minored in World Religions. Previously, David conducted media monitoring for a U.S. defense contractor and coordinated the Foreign Policy Center of the Roosevelt Institution at the George Washington University.
Omid Townsend, a former graduate intern at ISW, is currently completing a Master of Arts in International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Georgetown University. He received his BA in Political Science from Portland State University, and will receive his commission as a Second Lieutenant from Georgetown University Army ROTC in 2011. Omid is fluent in Farsi and familiar with Arabic., an undergraduate intern at ISW, is a junior at Yale University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in History and International Studies.He is active in Yale's Marine Corps student organization and has interned previously in the U.S. Senate.
Patricia Puttmannan former undergraduate intern at ISW, is a junior at The George Washington University where she is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict & Security Studies and a minor in History. She spent six years abroad at the NATO Military Headquarters, S.H.A.P.E. in Mons, Belgium; as a military dependent, Patricia has additionally lived in Germany and Australia.
Metty Fisseha, a former undergraduate intern at ISW, is a student at Duke University where she is pre med pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and a certificate in Global Health. She was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and has since lived in Europe and Washington, D.C. She most recently traveled to Turkey where she engaged in interfaith dialogue and conducted research on religion in the political atmosphere. She is fluent in English, Amharic and Spanish and is learning French.
Michael Moore, a former ISW Research Assistant, holds a Bachelor’s Degree cum laude in Social Studies with a Foreign Language Citation in Modern Standard Arabic from Harvard University. Michael has also studied at the Arabic Language Institute in Fes, Morocco, and has travelled extensively through Europe and the Mediterranean.
Jeremy Domergue, a former ISW Research Analyst from 2008-2009, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Government with a minor in Arabic from Georgetown University. He is also a veteran of the United States Air Force, speaks fluent French, strong Arabic, and has studied three years of Persian at the university level.
Scott Weiner, a former ISW Research Assistant from 2008-2009, holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations with a regional concentration in the Middle East from Tufts University. He also completed a minor in Modern Standard Arabic. Scott has studied at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel, where he completed a special track in Peace Studies and Regional Security. In addition to abilities in Arabic and French, Scott is proficient in Hebrew.
Jared Young, the ISW Communications Director from 2008-2009, holds a Master's Degree in International Affairs from the University of Oklahoma. He is now employed on Capitol Hill.
Claire Russo, a former ISW Research Analyst from 2008-2009, holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Politics from Tulane University. Claire is now employed with a Human Terrain Team (HTT).
Kaitlin Oujo attends The George Washington University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Middle Eastern Studies and minoring in Arabic. She has also interned for the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq and is now a Yitzhak Rabin Fellow at the Embassy of Israel.
Wesley Morgan, is a junior at Princeton University, where he is a cadet in Army R.O.T.C. He was embedded in Iraq in August 2007, reporting for the Daily Princetonian, and traveled with units in Baghdad and its belts.
Adam Willner is a senior at Georgetown University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy with minors in Arab Studies and Theology. He has also studied at Oxford University.
Farook Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University and a Master’s degree in International Security Studies from Georgetown University. Following his graduation from Princeton University, he lived and worked in South Korea as a Princeton-in-Asia fellow.
James Tyson attends Columbia University, where he plans to concentrate in Political Science and Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures, with a special interest in diplomacy.
Jonathan Bronitsky, Cambridge University, Master’s Student
Patrick Gaughen holds Master’s Degrees in Security Studies and Political Science from Georgetown and Duke Universities, respectively. Following his undergraduate work at Yale, he worked for the Department of Defense.
Leah Gould is a graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, where she was also a cadet in Navy R.O.T.C. She was stationed on the USS Ronald Reagan while it deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Valiant Shield during her summer training cruise in 2006.
Adrian Myers, University of Toronto, Law School Student
Nathaniel Rabkin is a graduate of Cornell University. He studies the Middle East, reads Arabic and Persian, and has worked as an intern at the American Enterprise Institute.
Cassiah Rasmussen holds a Master's Degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University.
Andrea So holds a Master's Degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University.
Ed Stein holds a B.A. in History from Yale University. He was a student in Yale’s Studies in Grand Strategy program. He has conducted archival research on twentieth-century British foreign policy in Cambridge and London.
William Waddell, The Ohio State University, Doctoral Candidate, Military History