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, 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
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
“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
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
Experts weigh in on the latest attacks and explore the potential for a resolution in the region.
Mara Rudman AlArabiya News
As the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks approaches, panelists discuss U.S. policy options regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, including the administration’s proposed peace deal and the ramifications of the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
Mara Rudman Council on Foreign Relations