Experts

Mara Rudman

James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor
Rudman resume.pdf

Fast Facts

  • Served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, including as deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs
  • Director, Ripples of Hope Project
  • Former deputy envoy and chief of staff for the Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, U.S. Department of State
  • Expertise in foreign affairs, diplomacy, national security, the Middle East

Areas Of Expertise

  • Foreign Affairs
  • American Defense and Security
  • War and Terrorism
  • Middle East
  • Governance
  • The Presidency

Mara Rudman is the James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the Miller Center, where she directs the Ripples of Hope Project aimed at identifying practical approaches to help democratic leaders resolve key challenges. 

She serves on the 2022 National Defense Strategy Commission and the Howard University College of Arts and Sciences board of visitors. Rudman also consults for Democracy Forward. 

Rudman’s government positions have included serving as deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs in the Obama and Clinton administrations; deputy envoy for the Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace at the U.S. Department of State; assistant administrator for the Middle East at the U.S. Agency for International Development; and chief counsel to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  

Previously, Rudman was executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress and senior vice president for policy/projects at Business Executives for National Security. She also led Quorum Strategies, a geopolitical strategic advisory firm. Rudman has been a guest on numerous TV and radio shows and has written for and been quoted in various print publications. She received her BA from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Mara Rudman News Feed

mara speaking
Mara Rudman on US Classified Documents Leak
Mara Rudman, University of Virginia Miller Center Professor, discusses the United States classified documents leak regarding Israel’s response to Iran, and how the leak may change Israel’s plan going forward.
Mara Rudman Bloomberg
article headline
It’s time for a true industrial strategy for American national security
Industrial policy requires making strategic public investments designed to strengthen economic and national security — not only what is traditionally thought of as the defense industrial base, but in broader goods and manufacturing category for both America and its allies. This means ensuring effective production of and supply chains for goods and manufacturing that serve interests and needs across the economy – not just the defense industrial base — as an expanded aperture strengthens U.S. security.
Mara Rudman Breaking Defense
mara speaking
Biden, Netanyahu Speak Amid Iran Attack Threats
Mara Rudman, a University of Virginia professor and former State Department official, discusses the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the relationship between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mara Rudman Bloomberg
uva today headline
Q&A: Does Middle East Peace Start with a Path to a Palestinian State?
To better understand the conflict, and whether there is a reason for optimism, UVA Today checked in with Mara Rudman, the James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs and director of the Ripples of Hope Project.
Mara Rudman UVA Today
bloomberg headline
Lebanon Cease-Fire Confusion Tests US Approach to Israel, Again
“I see this as critical US leadership maximally leveraging diplomatic alliances to sharpen Israeli understanding and appreciation of the costs of proceeding unilaterally,” said Mara Rudman, who worked on Middle East issues during the Clinton and Obama administrations. “It will be heard and perhaps needs to sink in.”
Mara Rudman Bloomberg
panel on stage
US Strategy Since Oct. 7: Assessing the Biden Administration’s Middle East Policy One Year On
As President Joe Biden approaches his final months in office, he continues to face one of the most intense and intractable conflicts in the Middle East in decades. To assess the administration’s regional policy over the last year and explore any remaining opportunities for a diplomatic resolution of the war in Gaza and associated conflicts, the Middle East Institute is convening a panel discussion featuring foreign policy experts and former US government officials.
Mara Rudman Middle East Institute