Experts

Mara Rudman

Professor of Practice
Rudman resume.pdf

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 a professor of practice 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 previously served a term as a Miller Center Schlesinger Distinguished Professor.

Rudman served on the 2022 National Defense Strategy Commission. She is a member of the Board of Visitors for the Howard University College of Arts and Sciences. She 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

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Trump’s Return Signals ‘Second Chapter’ of New Cold War, Says UK Expert at Taipei Forum
Mara Rudman, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, noted that countries worldwide are reassessing their trade and economic policies in response to the Trump administration’s aggressive tariff strategies. “Effective leaders,” she said, “are those who understand both their national goals and the shifting realities of dealing with the U.S.”
Mara Rudman Commonwealth Magazine
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Public policy in a complex age
For 50 years, the Miller Center has convened bipartisan groups of scholars and practitioners to enrich scholarly research and help shape public policy. Join us for a roundtable discussion on public policy in three critical areas: healthcare, national security, and executive branch reform. Each policy area will feature an historian paired with an experienced government practitioner to discuss perspectives on responsible and effective public policy.
David Leblang, Bob Strong, Marc Selverstone, Rachel Potter, Guian McKee, and Mara Rudman Miller Center Presents
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Assessing SecDef Hegseth tenure
Mara Rudman discusses the latest developments with and assessment of SecDef Hegseth's rocky and temperamental tenure.
Mara Rudman BBC News
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How Marco Rubio Is Staying Above the Fray in Signal Controversy
"I think Rubio in this group was probably watching his words very closely," said Mara Rudman, a former senior national security official in the Clinton and Obama administrations.
Mara Rudman Newsweek
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Trump 2.0 and the future of U.S.-China relations
What are the prospects for U.S.–China relations in President Trump's second term? In Trump’s first term, his administration initiated a trade war against China, followed by the “China Initiative,” restricting visas for Chinese students and scholars. Now the new Trump team is threatening even heftier tariffs on Chinese imports. But China is a different economic competitor than it was eight years ago. A panel of experts discusses this new reality and what it means for the future of this consequential relationship.
Mara Rudman Miller Center Presents
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Signal chat implications for U.S. national security
Following the Atlantic's reporting on the breach of security via members of the President's National Security Council communicating on imminent military operations via SignalChat, Mara Rudman discusses why such actions pose such a direct threat to U.S. national security.
Mara Rudman BBC News