We bring public policy experts to the Steamboat community.

Are America’s Science Prowess and Leadership at Risk?

Dr. Marcia McNutt was elected in 2016 as the first female president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), which is a private, nonprofit institution established by Congress to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology; and she was subsequently reelected for a second term in 2022. Dr. McNutt is a distinguished geophysicist who previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the Science journals, the premier U.S. scientific journals, and before that as director of the U.S. Geological Survey. During her tenure at the NAS, she has focused on strengthening U.S. science leadership, advancing climate change solutions, and fostering scientific accountability. 

Has the War with Iran Made Peace in the Middle East More Likely?

Ambassador Dennis Ross, an esteemed diplomat, scholar and foreign policy expert with more than two decades of experience in Middle East and Soviet policy, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point person on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He has written extensively and speaks widely on the history of the peace process in the Middle East and current Middle East developments, including the war in Iran.

New Technologies, the Future of Warfare and U.S. Military Capabilities

Dr. John Nagl is a Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. He had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Army, serving in combat in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, for which he received a Bronze Star in both conflicts, and retiring with the rank of Lt. Colonel. Since his retirement from the military, Dr Nagl has pursued academic and policy work, including as president of the Center for a New American Security, an independent, bipartisan organization that develops national security and defense policies. Dr. Nagl is renowned for his in-depth knowledge of and unique perspective on U.S. defense strategy, with a particular focus on counterinsurgency and irregular warfare, which is the use of force to achieve political results below the level of conventional armed conflict. 


A Future Beyond Polarization: What Still Binds Americans Together?

Stephen Hawkins serves as Global Director of Research for More in Common, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding and addressing political polarization, social division, and the psychological drivers behind societal fragmentation. He leads the design, execution, and interpretation of research that analyzes how societies might better understand and overcome their divisions. Mr. Hawkins’ own research focuses on: political polarization and tribalism in democratic societies; perception gaps—how people misconceive the beliefs and behaviors of those they disagree with; the psychology of common identity and division; and strategies for building social cohesion and dialogue. Mr. Hawkins’ work is widely cited in major media outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist, CNN, and Fox News, and it has been presented to policymakers, civic groups, and heads of state in the U.S. and Europe.

The Dollar at a Crossroads

Barry Eichengreen is George C. Pardee & Helen N. Pardee Chair and Distinguished Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1987. He is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA, a Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research in London, and he previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the International Monetary Fund. His academic work focuses on, among other things, current and historical exchange rates and capital flows. Professor Eichengreen is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles. His most recent book, published in March of this year, is Money Beyond Borders: Global Currencies from Croesus to Crypto, a 2,500-year history of international currencies that reveals new insights about the future of the U.S. dollar—as well as crypto and central bank digital currencies.