Press Release
from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
Kelly Ayotte, Ehud Barak, Ray Mabus, Mike Rogers, and Jake Sullivan Will Join Discussions on Critical Policy Issues
Cambridge, MA – A Harvard research center known for combining the best in scholarship and policy leadership is pleased to welcome two former Republican members of Congress, Israel’s former Prime Minister, a longtime Secretary of the Navy, and one of America’s leading Democratic diplomats and national security advisers to its talented community of experts.
Ehud Barak, Mike Rogers, and Jake Sullivan are joining Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs as non-resident senior fellows. Kelly Ayotte and Ray Mabus are joining as visiting fellows.
“The Belfer Center’s purpose – to provide research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world – has never been more timely,” said Belfer Center Director Graham Allison. “Drawing from left, right, center, and abroad, our new fellows will help inform and stimulate the Center’s work to develop solutions for some of the world’s most challenging policy questions. There is no substitute for hard-earned insights from the front lines of government, and I look forward to spirited discussion among the fellows and our staff, scholars, and students.”
Kelly Ayotte, who is also a visiting fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, was a Republican U.S. Senator from New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017. Ayotte served on the Senate Armed Services Committee and was previously the state’s Attorney General.
Ehud Barak was Israel’s 10th Prime Minister and the nation’s most decorated soldier. As Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, he helped negotiate and implement the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan. He also served as Minister of the Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Defense Minister.
Ray Mabus was Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994-1996, and Democratic Governor of Mississippi from 1988-1992. Secretary Mabus is serving concurrently as a visiting fellow with the Institute of Politics, executive fellow at the Harvard Business School, and lecturer in law at the Harvard Law School.
Mike Rogers is a former Republican member of Congress from Michigan, Army officer, and FBI special agent. In the U.S. House, he chaired the Intelligence Committee from 2011-2015, becoming a sought-after leader and expert on cybersecurity and national security policy. He is a national security contributor at CNN.
Jake Sullivan, a visiting lecturer in law at Yale Law School, was National Security Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State, and Senior Policy Adviser on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. A key player in the negotiations over the Iran nuclear deal, Sullivan joins the Belfer Center as a senior fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project.
Contact: Sharon Wilke, Associate Director of Communications, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs: Sharon_Wilke@hks.harvardedu | 617-495-9858.