With over 25 years of experience in the space, satellite, and telecommunications industries, I am a passionate leader with a proven track record of creating innovative and profitable solutions for the global market. As the Founder, Chair, and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings Inc., I am leading a venture to pioneer the future of data services from the Moon for the Earth

Multi-domain Operations Professional
Passionate leader experienced in managing logistics and supply chain operations, multi-organizational teams, and problem solving; diversified skill set brings 14 years of leadership in military operations, medical skills, and civilian personnel management to enhance an organization.

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David J. Kramer serves as the Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute. Prior to joining the Bush Institute, he taught at Florida International University’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, where he also was Senior Fellow in the Václav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy and Director for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Dr. Whiskeyman is a GNSI Non-Resident Senior Fellow and adjunct professor at Syracuse University's Maxwell School. He's also an adjunct faculty instructor at the U.S. Air Force Air Command Staff college. His experience also includes a stint as associate professor at the College of Information and Cyberspace at the National Defense University. 

Arman Mahmoudian is a Ph.D. student in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies and also a Graduate Assistant in USF World Strategic and Diplomatic Studies. Arman earned his Master’s degree in International Relations and Global Security from Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (Moscow). During his Master studies he collaborated with Russian Media and think tanks on the Middle East. Arman was a researcher in IRAS (IRANIAN and RUSSIAN Studies), and worked on some issues like “Russia’s Role in the Middle East” or the “Consequences of Rise of Terrorism in the Middle East.”

As a Senior Research Fellow at GNSI, I conduct policy relevant research in the areas of intelligence, grand strategy, & national security. I am also developing GNSI’s Future Strategist Program, which aims to prepare USF undergraduate & graduate students for careers in national security related fields. My research in American intelligence history has made me a believer in educating more informed citizens who will have to find new ways to balance liberty & security in our republic in response to the challenges of the 21st century. 

Prior to GNSI:  I was an assistant professor at the Joint Special Operations University in Tampa, FL & The Citadel in Charleston, SC. I was also previously a postdoctoral fellow in the National Security Affairs Department at the U.S. Naval War College. I currently sit on the boards of the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence and the Society for Intelligence History.

Joshua M. Scacco (PhD, University of Texas at Austin) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication. Dr. Scacco also is the founding and current Director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of South Florida. He specializes in political communication, media content and effects, and quantitative research methods.

Dr. Scacco’s research is focused on how agents and leaders in a democracy can effectively and ethically harness communication technologies to strengthen democratic governance. This aligns with his commitment to and experience applying his research through partnerships that extend democratic representation and employ democratically-focused approaches for government officials, journalists, and citizens. He is the coauthor, with Kevin Coe, of the book The Ubiquitous Presidency: Presidential Communication and Digital Democracy in Tumultuous Times (Oxford University Press).

General (Ret) Kenneth F. “Frank” McKenzie, Jr. became the Executive Director of the University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute in May 2022. In July 2022, he also became the Executive Director of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity, also known as Cyber Florida.

He is the former Commander of United States Central Command, retiring from that post in April 2022, capping off a 42-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Applied Engineering at the University of South Florida, a Distinguished Senior Fellow on National Security at the Middle East Institute, a Member of the International Advisory Committee of the National Council on U.S. Arab relations, and a Member of the National Security Advisory Council, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

July 2022 – Present, Education and Military Science Consultant 

Consultant for the United Arab Emirates War College mentoring key leadership, developing curriculum and teaching about multidomain operations, strategic leadership, cyberwarfare, great power competition, and military theory, while advising faculty on curriculum design, including faculty development courses and Joint Professional Military Education standardization. 

Joint Special Operations University, Tampa, Florida, USA

Instructor, Course Director, Interagency Education Division Chief, Dean of Academics, Department and Center Director: Supported and supervised the development and execution of professional education courses and seminars. 


United States Military Group, United States Embassy in Venezuela 

Planned, coordinated or monitored contract compliance of all programs between the US Government and the 50,000-strong Venezuelan Army. 

Lt. Gen. Kirk Smith is Deputy Commander, United States Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany. He is responsible to the Commander to help direct and enable operations, activities and investments for the command as they promote the national security interests for the U.S. in the 11.2 million-square-mile USAFRICOM area of responsibility, consisting of 53 African countries. USAFRICOM works with partners to counter transnational threats and malign actors, strengthen security forces and respond to crisis in order to advance US national interests and promote regional security, stability and prosperity. 

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mike Plehn is the President of Plehn & Associates, LLC, a strategic consulting firm that advises on personal and institutional advancement, growth, and success.

During his 37+ years of active-duty service in the Air Force he was stationed in—or deployed to—Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America. He was a Master Navigator in Air Force Special Operations, with more than 2,000 flight hours, primarily on the AC-130 gunship, as well as several hundred hours of flight time in the U-28, MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, and several other aircraft.

In his 13 years as a General Officer, he served primarily in Joint assignments including the Director of Special Plans at U.S. Central Command, the Principal Director for Middle East Policy in the Pentagon, the Military Deputy Commander of U.S. Southern Command, and as the 17th President of the National Defense University.

I'm a fellow in the Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. My research focuses on the geopolitics of energy transition technologies, critical minerals, and the role of next-generation advancements in decarbonization pathways. Alongside this work at Carnegie, I'm a nonresident fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University where I research direct lithium extraction.

Prior to joining Carnegie, I worked at the International Institute of Sustainable Development and Eurasia Group where I led their research on critical minerals. Alongside this work, I was an adjunct professor at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. My writing has been published in Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development, Columbia Public Policy Review, GreenBiz, and routinely with Climate & Capital where I worked as the energy editor.

Nadwa Al-Dawsari is a veteran researcher, conflict analyst, and policy advisor with 20 years of field experience in Yemen and the broader Middle East. Currently, she serves as an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and a fellow at the Center on Armed Groups. She has provided advisory services to policymakers, US and European donors, regional actors, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations. Nadwa is regularly featured as a guest speaker on panel discussions about Yemen and the broader Middle East and her work has been widely published by the top think tanks in the United States and Europe.

Nicole is an astronaut, aquanaut, artist, author of 'Back to Earth What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission To Protect It', and most importantly a mom. She creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone’s appreciation of our role as crew mates here on Spaceship Earth.

Influential leader, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral (Retired) and selected by Homeland Security Today as a DHS "Trailblazer". As a prior warship captain, CFO, and Director of a joint, interagency/international task force who has successfully navigated nationally covered media stories, I bring tested leadership and a strategic perspective to resolve complex problems.

I energize cross-functional teams by creating and communicating a shared vision to drive collaboration and productivity. I inspire and build trust with individuals so teams can excel and enjoy the journey.

Proven success when leading homeland and defense operations, directing multi-national coalitions, responding to crisis situations, engaging in high profile media engagements, innovating for process improvement, and building partnerships within the interagency and international arenas. 

Richard Kerbaj is a BAFTA-winning and twice Emmy-nominated filmmaker, writer, and journalist specializing in crime and national security. Born in Melbourne, Australia, he moved to Lebanon in 1980 before returning to Melbourne, where his family ran a milk bar. He began his journalism career in Australia before relocating to the UK, where he worked for The Times, focusing on intelligence and counter-terrorism. ​

Kerbaj's notable works include the BAFTA-winning documentary My Son the Jihadi, which tells the story of a mother's struggle with her son's radicalization, and Hunting the KGB Killers, detailing the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko. In 2022, he published The Secret History of the Five Eyes: The Untold Story of the International Spy Network, offering an in-depth look into the intelligence alliance between the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. ​

Burrell is a resilience and resistance interdisciplinary scholar using data-driven and human-centric methodologies to analyze intrastate conflict ranging from nonviolent protest through belligerency. My disciplines include history, military science and international relations. I currently work as a Senior Research Fellow with Global and National Security Institute at University of South Florida.

From 2020-2024, I taught irregular warfare at Joint Special Operations University. Additionally, I am the former editor-in-chief of special operations doctrine. Previously, I also taught history at U.S. Naval Academy.  A retired Marine with combat experience, I am an Asia-Pacific expert with 12 years living and working in Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Thailand, as well as a diplomatic tour at the U.S. Embassy in Australia.

With 15+ years of experience in cybersecurity, cloud architecture, and compliance operations, I bring a dual lens of technical depth and executive leadership to securing regulated environments. As a U.S. Air Force veteran and former cyber officer, I lead with mission clarity, turning complex frameworks into operational outcomes.

Dr. Tad Schnaufer II is the Strategy and Research Manager at USF's Global and National Security Institute (GNSI). In this position, he oversees the planning and execution of GNSI conferences and events. Additionally, he manages the institute’s internal research and publication programs. He is the host of the “What’s Really Happening” Podcast with General (Ret) Frank McKenzie (USMC), and he has hosted several GNSI speaker series interviews.

Dr. Schnaufer earned his Ph.D. in Security Studies from the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs (SPSIA) at UCF. He earned a master’s in Global Affairs from NYU. 

Dr. Schnaufer has published a book chapter in “The Challenge to NATO: Global Security and the Atlantic Alliance” titled, NATO Burden Sharing in the Age of Hybrid Warfare. He has published articles in journals, including the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and the Journal of Strategic Security.

Dr Vlado Vivoda is a distinguished scholar and researcher with over 17 years of expertise in international relations, critical minerals, energy security, and strategic studies. His work addresses some of the most pressing global challenges, focusing on the geopolitics of critical minerals, sustainable energy policies, and the strategic impacts of global energy transitions. Dr Vivoda has published extensively in leading journals and edited volumes, making significant contributions to understanding the intersection of resource governance and international policy.

In addition to his research, Vlado has authored major technical reports and working papers on mining governance, energy policy, and sustainable development. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Resources Policy, one of the world’s premier journals dedicated to the economics and policy dimensions of energy and mineral extraction, production and use.

Zachary Selden focuses on US national security and alliances with an emphasis on the transatlantic relationship. His first book, Economic Sanctions as Instruments of American Foreign Policy (Praeger,1999) examines the use of sanctions and provides a framework for understanding when and why they succeed or fail in furthering American national interests. In Alignment, Alliance, and American Grand Strategy (University of Michigan Press, 2016), he examines the different forms of alliance relations that the United States maintains, and how these alliances can be leveraged to ensure American security interests at a relatively low cost. His current research focuses on the development of the intelligence community and how specific events led to the growth of its size and power