COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Scholars & Experts
Government officials, academics, and the media benefit from the informed analysis of MEI's Adjunct Scholars. Their years of experience inform original research, writing, and speaking appearances in the US and abroad.

MEI Scholars

Dr. Mishkat Al Moumin
Area of Expertise: Iraq, Environmental Issues, Women's Issues
Served as Minister of Environment in Iraqi Interim Government (2004-2005)
Professor at Baghdad University, College of Law (2001-2004)

Dr. Graeme Bannerman
Area of Expertise: Egypt, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, US-Arab Relations
Staffer for Middle East and South Asia on US Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1979-1987)
Middle East analyst on US State Department Policy Planning Staff

Dr. Roby Barrett
Area of Expertise: Iran, Iraq, Gulf Security
President, C.COMM, Inc. (1993-present)
Senior Fellow, Joint Special Operations University (2008-present)

Dr. Mehrzad Boroujerdi
Area of Expertise: Iran
Founder & director of Middle Eastern Studies program at Syracuse University; associate professor of Political Science
Editor of the 'Modern Intellectual and Political History of the Middle East' book series and Book Review editor for the 'International Journal of Middle East Studies'

Dr. John Calabrese
Area of Expertise: Central Asia, Iran, Asian-Middle East Policy
Currently teaches US Foreign Policy at American University
Previously held teaching positions in government and politics at Richmond College in Surrey, UK, the University of Kansas and Bowdoin College

Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin
Area of Expertise: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Development, US Foreign Policy
Former Deputy High Commissioner for the UN Commissioner for Refugees (2004-2006) and Assistant Administrator of the Asia/Near East Division of USAID (2002-2004)
US Ambassador to Pakistan (2001-2002) and to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (1996-1999)

Dr. Michael Collins Dunn Area of Expertise: Egypt, Military & Defense, Regional Security Editor, The Estimate, a biweekly newsletter of intelligence and analysis of the region Professor and lecturer at numerous universities, including Georgetown University (1983-1991) and Utah State University (1976-1977)

Charles Dunne Area of Expertise: Iraq Issues of Expertise: Regional Military Intelligence, democratization of Middle East, Strategic Policy Director for Iraq at the National Security Council (2005 – 2007) Director of Strategic Plans and Policy of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon (2007 – 2008)

Dr. Sena Eken Area of Expertise: Turkey, Middle East and Central Asia economies, and macroeconomics Scholar at the Foreign Economics Relations Board (DEIK) in Instanbul (2010). Assistant Director at the Middle East and Central Asia Department and the External Relations Department of the International Monetary Fund (2004-2009).

Mohamed Elmenshawy Area of Expertise: Egypt; Arab Media; Political Islam Director of Languages and Regional Studies, Middle East Institute (2010-present) Editor-in-Chief, 'Arab Insight,' an English-language foreign affairs magazine (2007-2010) Project Manager, 'Taqrir Washington,' an Arabic-language news service based in Washington, DC (2005-2010)

Senator Wyche Fowler Area of Expertise: Saudi Arabia, Trade US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1996-2001) US Senator from Georgia (1987-1993); member of the Appropriations, Budget, Energy and Agriculture Committees

Dr. Herman Franssen Area of Expertise: Energy, Oil Executive Director, Energy Intelligence Group Senior Economic Advisor to the Minister of Petroleum and Minerals of the Sultanate of Oman (1985-1996)

Dr. George Harris Area of Expertise: Turkey, Political Islam Former Director, Office of Analysis, US State Department Bureau of Intelligence & Research (1979-1995) Has taught at the George Washington University, Johns Hopkins SAIS Research Fellow at Bilkent University, Ankara

Dr. Syed Farooq Hasnat Area of Expertise: Pakistan, Regional Security Chairman of the Department of Political Science at the University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan (2000-2004) Former Head of the Middle Eastern section of the Islamabad Institute of Strategic Studies

Ambassador Arthur Hughes Area of Expertise: Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Yemen Director-General, Egypt-Israel Multinational Force and Observers (1998-2004) Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (1994-1997) US Ambassador to Yemen (1991-1994)

Dr. Zubair Iqbal Area of Expertise: Pakistan, The Gulf, Gulf Economics Held multiple postings at the International Monetary Fund (1972-2007), including policy development for the Middle East and Central Asia Department Lecturer in Economics at Government College in Lahore, Pakistan

Dr. Murhaf Jouejati Area of Expertise: Lebanon, Syria Professor at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Adjunct Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the George Washington University Former Director of the Middle East Studies Program at GWU’s Elliott School of International Affairs

Mr. Allen Keiswetter Area of Expertise: The Gulf, Islam Senior Advisor to US Delegation to the UN General Assembly (2003) Advisor to US Mission on Middle East issues before Security Council and General Assembly (2003)

Mr. Thomas Lippman Area of Expertise: Saudi Arabia Reporter and editor for The Washington Post (1966-1999, 2003) Covered the war in Iraq for the Post (2003) and served as diplomatic, national security, and Middle East correspondent

Ambassador David Mack Area of Expertise: Iraq, Libya, UAE, US Foreign Policy Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs (1990-1993) and US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (1986-1989) US diplomatic assignments included Iraq, Jordan, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Libya, and Tunisia

Ambassador Richard Murphy Area of Expertise: Iran, Iraq, US Foreign Policy President of Richard W. Murphy Associates (2004-present) Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East and South Asia (1983-1989) U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania, Syria, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia (1971-1983)

Mr. Greg Myre Area of Expertise: Israel, Peace Process Correspondent for New York Times in Jerusalem (2003-2007) Previously reported for the Associated Press from Jerusalem, Islamabad, Moscow, and Johannesburg

Ambassador David Newton Area of Expertise: Iraq, Yemen Director, Radio Free Iraq (1998-2004) Special envoy for public diplomacy to the Middle East during the February-March 1998 Iraq crisis US Ambassador to Yemen (1994-1997) and Iraq (1984-1988), where he was the first ambassador following the resumption of diplomatic relations

Dr. Ilan Peleg Area of Expertise: Israel, Peace Process Charles A. Dana Professor of Government & Law at Lafayette College (1990 – present) Editor-in-Chief, Israel Studies Forum (2000 – present) President of the Association for Israel Studies (1995 – 1997)

Mr. Aamir Rehman Area of Expertise: Gulf Commerce, Gulf Investment Formerly the Global Head of Strategy for HSBC Amanah Consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (2004-2006)

Dr. Andrea Rugh Area of Expertise: Development, Tribal Society, Women's Issues Technical advisor on education projects in Africa and the Middle East, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, and Yemen Over 30 years of residence and work abroad Published technical reports and research on development projects in conjunction with UNICEF and USAID

Ambassador William Rugh Area of Expertise: Egypt, UAE, Yemen, Arab Media Edward R. Murrow Visiting Professor of Public Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Tufts University (2008-2009) Former President and CEO of America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc (AMIDEAST) (1995-2003) Served as Ambassador to Yemen (1984-1986) and the UAE (1992-1995). Also held posts in Beirut, Cairo, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Damascus

Dr. Michael Ryan Area of Expertise: Egypt, Islam Vice President at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (2007-2008) Political-Military and foreign assistance specialist for Departments of Defense and State with emphasis on Middle East and North Africa (1979-1997)

Mr. Paul Scham Area of Expertise: Israel, Peace Process Visiting Professor of Israel Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park Coordinator of joint research projects with Palestinians and Jordanians at the Truman Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1996-2002) Visiting Scholar, Program in Jewish Studies, George Washington University (2002-05)

Mr. S. Abdallah Schleifer Area of Expertise: Egypt, Islam, Media, Public Diplomacy Former Washington Bureau Chief, Al Arabiya (2006) Professor Emeritus of journalism and mass communications at the American University in Cairo

Dr. Charles Schmitz Area of Expertise: Yemen, international law, counterterrorism, governance Professor of Geography, Towson University (1999-present) President of the American Institute for Yemeni Studies

Dr. Daniel Serwer Areas of Expertise: Iraq, Peace and Conflict Resolution; Afghanistan; Sudan Professorial Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University Former Vice President for Centers of Peacebuilding Innovation (2009-10), United States Institute of Peace Former Vice President for Peace and Stability Operations, Balkans Initiative Director and Senior Fellow (1998-2009), United States Institute of Peace

Randa Slim Areas of Expertise: Peacebuilding, Track II Dialogue, Lebanon, Iraq, Democratization, Post-Conflict Reconciliation Former Vice President and Current Board Member, International Institute for Sustained Dialogue Senior Program Advisor, Rockefeller Brothers Fund Guest Scholar, United States Institute of Peace Board Member, Project on Middle East Democracy

Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar Area of Expertise: Iranian politics, Political Islam Adjunct faculty at The George Washington University (2008 – Present) Broadcast journalist for BBC World Service (2006 – Present)

Dr. Gönül Tol Area of Expertise: Turkey, Muslims in Europe, Political Islam Program Manager, TUSIAD US, the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association US Representative Office (2008-2009) Director, Model United Nations, Florida International University (2007-2008) Graduate Fellow, Middle East Studies Center, Florida International University (2006-2007)

Mr. Alex Vatanka Area of Expertise: Iran Issues of Expertise: Iranian domestic and foreign affairs; transnational security; regional military and POL-MIL affairs; energy and geopolitics Senior Fellow, Middle East Studies at the US Air Force Special Operations School Managing editor, Jane’s Islamic Affairs Analyst (2006-2010) Senior Middle East Analyst, Jane's Information Group (2001-2006)

Ambassador Edward Walker Area of Expertise: Egypt, Israel, US Foreign Policy Professor of Global Politics at Hamilton College President of Middle East Institute, 2001-August 2006 Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (2000-2001) US Ambassador to Israel (1997-2000), Egypt (1994-1997), and the United Arab Emirates (1989-1992), and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1992-1993)

Dr. Sulaiman Wasty
Area of Expertise: Pakistan; Economic Policy and Development; International Development; Evaluation of Development Effectiveness President, Sharakpur Ltd. (1999-present)
Consultant, World Bank (1989-present)
Managing Director, G. William Miller, LLC (2002-2005)
Special Assistant to the Minister for Finance, Planning, and Development, Planning Commission of Pakistan (1983-1988)
Assistant Chief of International Economics Section, Planning Commission of Pakistan (1975-1986)

Dr. Marvin Weinbaum
Director of the Middle East Institute's Center for Pakistan Studies
Area of Expertise: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Terrorism
Former Afghanistan and Pakistan Analyst at the Bureau of Intelligence Research at the US Department of State (1999-2003)
Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois; served as Director of the Program in South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Mr. Wayne White
Area of Expertise: Iran, Iraq, US Foreign Policy
Deputy Director of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research's Office of Analysis for the Near East and South Asia (INR/NESA) and senior regional analyst (2002-2005)
Principal Iraq analyst and head of INR/NESA's Iraq team (2003-2005)
Chief of INR's Maghreb, Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq division and State Department representative to NATO Middle East working groups (1990-2002)

Ambassador Philip Wilcox
Area of Expertise: Arab-Israeli Relations, Peace Process
President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace
Former US diplomat who served as US Consul General, Jerusalem. He also served at US embassies in Laos, Indonesia and Banglades

Ms. Molly Williamson
Area of Expertise: Energy, Oil
Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Energy (2005-2008)
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Middle East, South Asia, Oceania and Africa (1999-2004)
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations (1996-1999)