The Pandora Report is produced by the students and faculty of the George Mason University Biodefense Program along with a host of friends and collaborators.
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
Gregory D. Koblentz
Gregory Koblentz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public and International Affairs and Director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University. Dr. Koblentz is also an Associate Faculty at the Center for Global Studies at George Mason University. Dr. Koblentz is a Research Affiliate with the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the Scientist Working Group on Chemical and Biological Weapons at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in Washington, DC. He received his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and his Bachelor of Arts from Brown University. His research and teaching focus on international security and weapons of mass destruction.
Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley
Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley is an Assistant Professor in the Biodefense Program. Prior to joining George Mason, she served 10 years as a Senior Research Associate at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), and Editor-in-Chief of the International Export Control Observer, a monthly newsletter devoted to the analysis of WMD export control issues in the world. Dr. Ben Ouagrham was also an adjunct professor at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, where she taught a course on WMD in the former Soviet Union (FSU). She received her PhD in Economics of Development at the Advanced School of Social Sciences in Paris, France.
Saskia Popescu
Saskia Popescu is a Term Assistant Professor for the Biodefense Graduate Program and a graduate of the PhD Program herself. Saskia is an infectious disease epidemiologist and infection preventionist whose work focuses on hospital biopreparedness after she managed response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak and a 2015 measles outbreak. She is currently working on the frontlines in the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a 2017 ELBI fellow from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and recipient of the DHS FiX award. Saskia holds a MPH in infectious disease epidemiology, a MA in international security studies, and is certified in infection prevention.
A. Trevor Thrall
Trevor Thrall is an Associate Professor at George Mason University in the Department of Public & International Affairs. He teaches courses in international security, political communication, and US military intervention. His recently edited book, American Foreign Policy and the Politics of Fear: Threat Inflation since 9/11 (Routledge 2009), examined why and how the Bush administration was able to build public support for the war in Iraq in 2003. The companion volume to that work, Why Did the United States Invade Iraq? (Routledge 2011), collects competing explanations about why the administration decided to go to war in the first place. Dr. Thrall received his PhD from M.I.T.
STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS
Schar School Biodefense programs include a range of diverse and experienced students and we are fortunate to display their written works throughout the Pandora Report. Below are some of our frequent student contributors.
Michelle Grundahl – Michelle is a graduate student in the Master of Biodefense program at George Mason University, Schar School of Policy and Government. Her interest is the interface of One Health and biodefense. A few special interests include global health security (health systems preparedness, zoonotic emerging infectious diseases), bioterrorism, agro-terrorism/food security and biosecurity. She has been managing animal disaster planning for the Philadelphia UASI region’s South Eastern PA Regional Task Force (SEPA RTF) Health and Human Services (HHS) Mass Care group for the past decade. Michelle earned her BS in Animal Science (Animal Biotechnology) in 2002 from Delaware Valley University (Cum Laude). She has been employed in the contract research (CRO) industry since 1999. Michelle has provided business development (for pharmaceutical/biotech/chemical/agriculture) and drug development services in preclinical animal toxicology and human clinical trials for the past 13 years. Read Michelle’s latest article here.
Sally Huang – Sally is a current doctoral student in the Biodefense PhD program with a background in biomedical science and science policy. Her interests include CBRN/WMD, global health, and biosurveillance. During her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and traveling to different cities. Read Sally’s latest article here.
Justin Hurt – Justin is a student in George Mason University’s Biodefense PhD program, and is currently preparing for his comprehensive exams and dissertation proposal work. In addition to his part-time studies, he is an active duty officer in the United States Army, specializing in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) matters and is currently detailed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Defense Liaison in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD), where he advises the Assistant Director and WMDD staff on interagency operations and capabilities and assists in policy development. His recent experience includes positions as a section leader for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s CBRN/WMD Military Advisory Team program, the Army’s WMD programs manager and capabilities development coordinator with the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence at Fort Leonard Wood, and as a CBRN Technical Escort Response Detachment Commander, as well as command of both chemical and infantry organizations. You can read some of Justin’s work here.
Danyale C. Kellogg – Danyale is the Managing Editor of the Pandora Report. She is a Biodefense PhD student and graduate research assistant at the Schar School, a Defense Policy Junior Fellow at the National Defense Industrial Association, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy’s 2021 Global Health Fellow. She previously earned a Master of International Affairs in China Studies and Biosecurity from the Bush School at Texas A&M University after completing her capstone with USINDOPACOM. She also earned a Global Health Graduate Certificate from the Texas A&M School of Public Health where her research focused on South Korea’s preparedness for an infectious disease outbreak. She is a graduate of Southwestern University where she earned a BA in History after completing her research on U.S. strategic and intelligence failures during the Korean War. She has professional experience with the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, among other organizations.
Stevie Kiesel – Stevie is an alumna of the Biodefense Graduate program; she previously received her M.S. in Biodefense from George Mason University. She provides full-time support to multiple components of the Department of Homeland Security and has previously worked for the Department of Defense. Her areas of interest are terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction, the extreme right wing, and the application of computational models to these subjects. Read some of Stevie’s commentaries here, here, and here.
Janet Marroquin – Janet is currently completing her last year of coursework in the Biodefense PhD program, specializing in technology and weapons of mass destruction. Her projects have covered a range of topics, including the assessment defense capabilities against Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threats; analysis of emerging technologies; and evaluation of strategy and policy of biodefense and agroterrorism. Janet holds a Master of Science in Biodefense from George Mason University and Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the George Washington University. She is also a researcher at the Institute for Defense Analyses, where she supports data-driven analyses relating to CBRN defense. You can read some of Janet’s work here.
Chris Quillen: Chris is a part-time PhD student in Biodefense at George Mason University and previously earned a master’s degree at Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree at Miami University. He has served as a CBRN analyst in the US Intelligence Community for more than 25 years at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Counter-Terrorism Center, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Energy, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and the US Army. He previously taught at Miami University, Angelo State University, and the Advanced Technical Intelligence Center among other schools. He has published widely on CBRN issues in the Middle East Journal, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Comparative Strategy, Terrorism and Political Violence, Parameters: The US Army War College Quarterly, Terrorism Monitor, the Journal of Strategic Security, and the Middle East Review of International Affairs.
The Pandora Report 