BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:icalendar-ruby CALSCALE:GREGORIAN X-WR-CALNAME:GW Los Angeles Reception with Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres (Los Angeles&sbquo\; CA) X-WR-TIMEZONE:Eastern Time (US & Canada) BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260909T102932Z UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_53175585435692 DTSTART:20260813T223000Z DTEND:20260814T003000Z DESCRIPTION:GW Los Angeles Reception with Elliott School Dean Alyssa AyresD ate and TimeThursday‚ August 13\n6:30 pm - 8:30 pm\n\nLocationKimpton Ho tel Palomar Beverly Hills\n10740 Wilshire Blvd\nLos Angeles‚ CA 90024\n\ nEvent DescriptionThe GW community in Los Angeles is invited to join us fo r a reception and discussion with Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres. Our al umni panelists will discuss their varied careers in international affairs. \n\nRegistration for the event is $15 for alumni‚ parents‚ and guests ‚ and includes hors d’oeuvres‚ beer‚ wine‚ and soft drinks. Stud ents are free.\n\nSpeakersDr. Alexis Blanc‚ ESIA MA ’08‚ CCAS MA ’ 16‚ PhD ’19‚ is a Senior Political Scientist at RAND. Dr. Blanc spec ializes in a diverse set of national security issues: nuclear deterrence d ynamics and strategic stability‚ nuclear force posture‚ long-range str ike‚ and crisis stability and escalation management strategies. She also has expertise in the space domain‚ examining many of these same issues as well as mission assurance for nuclear command and control and supply ch ain security. Her recent work has focused on the use of non-dedicated syst ems for nuclear command and control‚ nuclear design certification‚ and force structure to confront adversary nuclear saber rattling. Prior to RA ND‚ she was a senior federal program manager at the Department of Energy ’s National Nuclear Security Administration for nine years‚ managing c onstruction projects for the Office of Advanced Simulation and Computing. She completed multiple special projects for the NNSA Administrator’s Pol icy Office‚ working on nuclear weapons policy‚ posture‚ and supply c hain security. \n\n \n\nStephen Ryan‚ ESIA BA ’07‚ is Director‚ Ai r-Space Integration at Northrop Grumman Space Systems. He is a senior tech nical leader and manager bridging advanced missions‚ strategy‚ enginee ring‚ and technology to execute next-generation space system development and production programs focused on air-space integration and support to a dvanced joint warfighting concepts. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman‚ R yan was a decorated intelligence analyst with the National Geospatial-Inte lligence Agency (NGA)‚ where he specialized in terrorism analysis focuse d on Afghanistan and Pakistan. At NGA‚ he deployed to Afghanistan multip le times in support of U.S. special operations forces. Ryan’s awards inc lude the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award‚ the NATO Medal‚ th e National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation‚ and the National Inte lligence Professionals Award for Intelligence Integration. Ryan is a membe r of the Pacific Council on International Policy‚ a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics‚ and was a term memb er at the Council on Foreign Relations.\n\n \n\nTracy Williams‚ ESIA BA ’83‚ is the founder of Olmstead Williams Communications‚ a Los Angel es based public relations agency specializing in reputation management and crisis communication for companies in tech‚ healthcare and financial se rvices. The firm employs social and digital strategies‚ including AI‚ along with traditional public relations capabilities. The firm has earned more than 20 industry awards for its work with leading companies including Johnson & Johnson and nonprofit leaders including Didi Hirsch Mental Heal th Services. Williams was named a Top Woman in PR by PRNews‚ and the age ncy was a finalist for the Agency Elite Awards. With a career start at Hil l and Knowlton‚ Inc. in Washington‚ D.C.‚ Williams guided U.S. and E uropean defense manufacturers through the government acquisition process. She developed programs aimed at key decision-makers in the U.S. Congress ‚ the Department of Defense‚ the Department of State‚ and other fede ral agencies. She served as co-chair on the Los Angeles World Affairs Coun cil and is a board member and judge for the Women Founder’s Network. \n\ n \n\n\n\nModerator: Appointed in February 2021‚ Alyssa Ayres is the fir st woman to serve as permanent dean at the Elliott School. She is a foreig n policy practitioner and award-winning author with senior experience in t he government‚ nonprofit‚ and private sectors. From 2013 to 2021‚ sh e was a senior fellow for India‚ Pakistan‚ and South Asia at the Counc il on Foreign Relations‚ where she remains an adjunct senior fellow‚ a nd from 2010 to 2013 served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Sou th Asia. Her work focuses primarily on India’s role in the world and on U.S. relations with South Asia in the larger Indo-Pacific. Ayres received an AB from Harvard College and an MA and PhD from the University of Chicag o. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations‚ the Trilateral C ommission‚ the Halifax International Security Forum’s agenda group‚ and serves on the board of directors of the National Endowment for Democra cy and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group. In 2021 and 2022‚ the Washing tonian included her as one of their “most influential people shaping pol icy.”\n\nOnline registration is now closed. However‚ you may still att end. Please contact Elaine Garbe in Elliott School Alumni Programs at egar be@gwu.edu for more information. We hope to see you there! GEO:34.054908;-118.242643 LOCATION: SUMMARY:GW Los Angeles Reception with Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres (Los Angeles&sbquo\; CA) URL;VALUE=URI:https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/gw-los-angeles-reception-with- elliott-school-dean-alyssa-ayres-los-angelessbquo-ca CATEGORIES:Alumni END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR