While some might be happy with dinner and glad-handing during a semi-formal gala, the Schar School of Policy and Government’s tireless Alumni Chapter combined May 15’s alumni awards dinner with a remarkable policy panel on U.S. statecraft in a period of international overextension.
The evening was the capstone of an active year for the Alumni Chapter, headed by president Colin Hart, a 1993 graduate of the Master’s in International Commerce and Policy program. In recent weeks the chapter has hosted forums featuring U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Ambassador Kurt Volker, Georgian Ambassador David Bakradze, and acting deputy director of the Federal Aviation Administration Carl Burlson.
The gala program, held at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus and titled “America’s Allies: The Impact of America’s Withdrawal from Joint Combat Zones,” featured special guest Giorgi Tsikolia, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Georgia.
Tsikolia was joined in conversation with Schar School Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich, former U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Azerbaijan. The moderator was Ellen Laipson, director of the Master’s in International Security program and the Center for Security Policy Studies at the Schar School.
The post-dinner discussion provided insights to developments involving U.S. allies in fighting terrorism in the Middle East, specifically Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The Alumni Chapter recognized three honorees during the awards portion of the evening:
- Carol Hart Metzker, a 2001 graduate in the Master’s in Organization Development and Knowledge Management program, received the Distinguished Graduate of the Year Award. She led anti-slavery projects in India, the United States, and Nepal after receiving a master’s degree from the Schar School.
- India J. Adams, a 2012 Bachelor of Science in Public Administration graduate, earned the Rising Star Award. She currently serves as the assistant to the city manager in Petersburg, Va.
- The Gender and Policy Leadership Award went to Aubrey Leigh Grant, a PhD in Public Policy candidate. She works as a graduate research assistant at the Schar School’s Gender and Policy Initiative.
Alexander Naumov is an undergraduate student at George Mason University majoring in government and international politics and Russian and Eurasian studies. Additional reporting by Buzz McClain.