Experts

Mara Rudman

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 Rudman discusses the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Mara Rudman BBC World Service Newshour Radio
Mara Rudman discusses the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Mara Rudman BBC News
“It really is extraordinary,” said Mara Rudman, who was deputy special envoy for Middle East peace under President Barack Obama. “Everybody’s talking about who gets credit, but the fact is that it’s shared and part of the reason it worked is that it’s shared.”
Mara Rudman The New York Times
Mara Rudman discusses the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Mara Rudman BBC News
A forum that brought together scholars and experts from China and the United States to discuss the evolving dynamics of relations between the two countries was held at Fudan University in Shanghai on Jan 8.
Harry Harding, Mara Rudman, Scott Miller, William Antholis China Daily
A panel of political experts gathered at the Miller Center to weigh in on Trump’s transition into his presidency.
Eric Edelman, Mara Rudman, Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, and William Antholis 29 News