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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Signal Chat Showed 'Utter Disregard' For Foreign Partners: Mara Rudman
Former State Department Official Mara Rudman discusses the domestic and international fallout from cabinet members discussing attack plans in a Signal chat that inadvertently included a journalist.
Mara Rudman Bloomberg Balance of Power
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U.S.-Ukraine talks in Riyadh
Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia's Miller Center Mara Rudman speaks with Bloomberg as U.S. and Ukrainian officials meet in Saudi Arabia.
Mara Rudman Bloomberg Balance of Power
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A small decision by a Texas court has big implications for national security
We would want Congress to act quickly to address the crisis, even though many members might not be able to get to Washington. If a ruling by a Texas federal district court judge stands, Congress would not be able to take action until a majority could make their way to the Capitol.
Mara Rudman Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Against the Executive Sledgehammer
By eliminating most of the foreign assistance workforce and funding, the Trump administration offered a disingenuous cover to destroy USAID and its ability to execute its work. And its actions effectively unilaterally disarmed the United States—to the benefit of our adversaries and competitors.
Mara Rudman The Dispatch
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Israel Hamas cease-fire fragility and Bibas family
Bringing home all remaining hostages held in Gaza is imperative, and requires Israel and Hamas commitment to the next phase of the cease-fire agreement, says Mara Rudman.
Mara Rudman CNN
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President Trump's foreign policy promises
As the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches, Miller Center faculty and senior fellows discuss President Trump’s foreign policy and national security promises, with a particular focus on Ukraine, China, and the Middle East.
Allan C. Stam, Stephen D. Mull, Brantly Womack, Dale Copeland, Jeffrey W. Legro, John M. Owen IV, Mara Rudman, Scott Miller, and William J. Antholis Miller Center Presents