Helms School of Government Newsletter- Fall 2023

Welcome from Interim Dean Joel Cox

Dr. Joel Cox

Greetings from the Helms School of Government!

As our Liberty students head to Christmas break, we wanted to share with you our latest Helms School newsletter for Fall 2023.

In August, we were thrilled to welcome the Class of 2027 to Liberty – along with all our returning Helms School students.

This semester, we were blessed to have a number of distinguished guests engage with our students. These guests included former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Dr. Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Neil Wiley, Dr. Marc LiVecche, former Governors George Allen and Bob McDonnell, and U.S. Marine Corps Major General Jason Bohm.

We were also pleased to lead several trips during the semester. We hosted a Legal and Public Policy Forum at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, and Professor Scott Roenicke led intelligence students to visit the Finnish and Ukrainian Embassies and led a group of LASI students to make a presentation to analysts at the Pentagon and FBI Richmond. Dr. Mary Prentice led a group to participate in a European Union Simulation in Washington, D.C.

In closing, we want to again thank all our outstanding faculty members for the work they do every day in Training Champions for Christ. We are especially thankful to those professors who go above and beyond to serve our students in class. In addition, please join us in thanking former Dean Robert Hurt for his leadership, steadfastness, and grace during his years leading and building our Helms School programs.

As we seek to better engage with our entire Helms family, we hope that you will enjoy this newsletter. And we ask that you help us do that by joining the conversation on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

We hope that you have an excellent and safe Christmas, and we look forward to seeing you back on campus in January.

Secretary Mike Pompeo Named Distinguished Chair

Liberty University has announced the appointment of 70th U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as Distinguished Chair of the Helms School of Government. Pompeo will work to advance Liberty’s distinct Christian mission from his extensive leadership experience and expertise in public policy, international relations, and national security.

“I am honored to join Liberty University and thrilled to work with the Helms School of Government. Nothing is more important to our nation’s future than the proper education of young Americans. Liberty’s mission, to promote academic excellence while fostering a love for Jesus Christ and a commitment to Christian life, is one in which I believe deeply, and I am looking forward to contributing to it in the days ahead.” Read more about Secretary Pompeo here

President Costin’s Inauguration Ceremony

The Helms School of Government faculty joined in celebrating President Dondi Costin’s Inauguration ceremony! It was an honor to participate in the special evening as part of the Liberty University family, and we look forward to President Costin’s service and leadership. Read more about the Inauguration here.

Dr. Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen & Tim Goeglein

The Helms School of Government was pleased to welcome back Dr. Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen, Senior Lecturer of Public International Law at Ariel University and Chair of the University’s Center for the Research and Study of Genocide. Dr. MoodrickEven Khen has extensive publications in international humanitarian law, criminal law, and the philosophy of law. She is an expert particularly in the law of armed conflicts. During her time, Dr. Moodrick-Even Khen visited several classes including International Relations, Intro to Comparative Politics, and American Government. We thank Dr. Moodrick-Even Khen for visiting our school! See more about her visit here

The Helms School of Government was pleased to host Tim Goeglein, former White House Advisor to the Bush Administration and Vice President of External and Government Relations for Focus on the Family. During his visit, Mr. Goeglein spoke in various classes sharing his insights from his latest book, Toward a More Perfect Union: The Moral and Cultural Case for Teaching the Great American Story. Mr. Goeglein encouraged the importance of American exceptionalism and constitutional literacy. We are so thankful for the opportunity to hear from him this semester and look forward to having him again soon. See more about his visit here.

Neil Wiley & Dr. Marc LiVecche

Neil Wiley, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, visited the Helms School of Government National Security and Intelligence students. A former National Intelligence Officer and a senior executive with the Defense Intelligence Agency, Wiley has over 40 years of experience as an Intelligence Professional. His comments and perspectives on the history of U.S. Intelligence activities and the technical and ethical challenges for gathering, analyzing, and communicating with decision-makers from the White House to the deck plate are incredibly valuable for future government leaders. See more about his visit here

The Helms School of Government was pleased to host Dr. Marc LiVecche, the McDonald Distinguished Scholar of Ethics, War, and Public Life at Providence Magazine. His lecture this semester was based upon the correlation and symbolism of C.S. Lewis’ literary works with an analysis of the just war theory. Many thanks to Providence Magazine and Dr. LiVecche for sharing his expertise with students. See more about his visit here

Governors George Allen and Bob McDonnell & Major General Jason Bohm

The Helms School of Government was pleased to welcome back former Governors George Allen and Bob McDonnell. The governors spoke in several classes such as Constitutional Government and Free Enterprise and American Constitutional History. They offered great insight into the importance of constitutional government, free enterprise, and sound criminal justice policy and reform. We thank the Governors Allen and McDonnell for their years of public service and dedication to inspiring the next generation of leaders. See more about their visit here

U.S. Marine Corps Major General Jason Bohm visited classes in the Helms School of Government! Major General Bohm is currently serving as the Inspector General of the U.S. Marine Corps. He has had a broad and distinguished career serving in operational, training, strategic planning, and recruiting assignments worldwide, and he shared from his diverse background on the nature of modern-day national security challenges. He engaged students drawing from his professional experiences and perspectives on leadership, countering terrorism, international relations, and ethical dilemmas in national security. We sincerely thank General Bohm for his time engaging with our students and for his distinguished service to our Nation. Read more about his visit here

Heritage Foundation Legal and Public Policy Forum

The Helms School of Government and the Liberty University School of Law students visited the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. for a Liberty Forum hosted by Tim Goeglein. Guest speakers at the Forum included Paul Clement, 43rd Solicitor General to the United States; Mike Berry, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute; Roger Severino, former Director of the Office of Civil Rights in the Department and Human and Health Services; and Carrie Severino, President of the Judicial Crisis Network. These outstanding speakers focused on the value of practicing law in the nation’s capital and the importance of protecting religious liberties. After the presentations at the Heritage Foundation, students had the opportunity to tour the U.S. Supreme Court. We are grateful to Mr. Goeglein, the Heritage Foundation, and our special guests for an enriching visit. See more from the visit here

Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation

Dr. Prentice and her Politics of Europe class participated in the Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation! Three student teams represented Italy, Slovenia, and Poland as they worked together with students from various universities. Student Ola Drozd won an award for best European Council Member representing the Polish prime minister, and Chloe Hinkle won best Economic and Financial Affairs Council member representing Italy’s Minister of Economy. Students also had the opportunity to visit the U.S. Department of State and meet with diplomats. Congratulations to our students and special thanks to Dr. Prentice and HSOG alum Joseph Carl for this great experience See more from the trip here

Ukrainian and Finnish Embassy Trip

Helms School of Government students visited the Ukrainian and Finnish embassies to discuss European security and stability matters with foreign diplomats. This trip to Washington D.C. was an educational extension of the White House “Principals Committee” meeting simulation conducted as part of the Helms School of Government’s International Relations course. The Liberty student delegation met with senior embassy officials, including the Deputy Chiefs of Mission for both embassies. The group also had the privilege of visiting the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon to pay their respects to those who lost their lives in 2001 serving their country to the last full measure. Students took the opportunity to pray for the nation on site at the memorial. Liberty University and the Helms School of Government is deeply appreciative for the gracious hospitality of the embassies of Finland and Ukraine. See more from the trip here

Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon

The Helms School of Government and the Liberty School of Law hosted a Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon that included local Sheriffs and Police Chiefs representing state and local agencies from Central and Southside Virginia. Our featured keynote speaker was Dr. Dot Richardson, two-time Olympic gold medalist for softball and head coach for the Liberty University softball team. We were also joined by President Dondi Costin, Dr. David Wheeler, distinguished Criminal Justice students, and seniors from Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy. We are grateful to all the brave men and women of law enforcement who put on the uniform every day to protect and serve. See more from the luncheon here.

Students Participate in Hoover Institute Public Policy Bootcamp

Helms School students Giana DePaul and Henrique Krigner along with alum Jayson Warren participated in the Hoover Institution Public Policy Bootcamp! Held at Stanford University, this intensive invited a select group of students from around the country to participate in lectures from renowned specialists in public policy, international relations, economics, campaigning, and more. Featured speakers included former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Healthcare policy advisor Scott Altas, and former National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster. We congratulate our students on this wonderful opportunity. See more about the students here.

Faculty Spotlight: Professor Scott Strobel

Scott Strobel is an Associate Professor of National Security and Intelligence Studies at the Helms School of Government. Major Scott Strobel has served in the U.S. Air Force since 1995 as both an enlisted intelligence specialist and officer, and he continues today in the Air Force Reserves. As a Signals Intelligence Analyst, Professor Strobel has served on the U2S spy plane program in the National Security Agency (NSA) and as a cryptanalyst in the Republic of Korea.

Professor Strobel has contributed to the mission of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the intelligence community as a collection manager, targeteer, counterterrorism analyst, command briefer, and Master Instructor for the Air Force's intelligence training school in San Angelo, TX.

After leaving active duty in 2007, Professor Strobel became a manager of Measurements and Signatures Intelligence (MASINT) for the U.S. Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT) mission, and in 2013 transitioned to serve as an all-source geopolitical intelligence analyst of the Air Intelligence Directorate, later becoming Senior Analyst for Regional Dynamics.

Fun fact about Professor Strobel: once every four years he loves to watch curling during the Winter Olympics! Or as he likes to put it, “There's something about it that is so mesmerizing, that once it's on, I can't look away. Maybe it's the extreme intensity with which seemingly normal people can muster such rage to yell at a stone, and two people swiffering so desperately as if their very lives depended on it.” Read more about Professor Strobel here

Alumni Spotlight: Heather Fischer

Heather graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and is currently a Senior Advisor for human rights crimes at Thomas Reuters Special Services. She most recently served as White House Special Advisor for Human Trafficking, coordinating the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Heather also served as special advisor to the Ambassador-at-large in the U.S. State Department. In addition, she is currently in the Executive Master of International Relations program at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Read more about Heather’s research here

Research Fellow Spotlight: Andy Langeland

Andy Langeland graduated with a Master of Arts in Public Policy in 2022 and is now pursuing his Doctorate in Public Policy. Andy has been researching Manumission in Virginia, the formal process used by slaveholders in the 18th and 19th centuries in which slaves were voluntarily freed. So far, he has documented instances of manumission in the City of Lynchburg and the five surrounding counties and hopes to expand his research to all corners of Virginia. As the project grows, he plans to recruit Liberty students to help him reach this goal.

Throughout the research process, Andy intends to illuminate the leading role that Christian values had in these decisions. “Historic court documents show us specific examples of the triumph of biblical principles over the world’s system, triumph of liberty over slavery, perseverance of free blacks in the face of many legal, political, and social challenges, and the strength of interpersonal relationships that superseded social convention.” Read more about Andy’s research here

GOVT 340 Principals Committee Meeting

Our International Relations students conducted a series of White House “Principals Committee” meeting simulations. The exercises were designed to develop policies to respond to an unforeseen Russian regime change crisis. Students played the roles of different cabinet officials and helped to create specific policies in alignment with the National Security Strategy regarding Russia and Ukraine to Government Professor Roenicke, who chaired the meeting as National Security Advisor. Our aspiring “senior U.S. Government officials” came up with innovative and compelling policy recommendations to support our Nation and Allies. The Committee Meeting took place in the President’s boardroom in the Hancock Welcome Center and was set up to replicate the White House Situation Room. The students responded effectively to a complex international crisis through rapid critical thinking, collaborative ideas, and effective communication skills. We look forward to our students contributing to real national security solutions upon graduation. See more about the meeting here

Moot Court

This semester 15 teams competed in four different regional tournaments during the fall semester. The top 25% of teams from each tournament advance to pre-nationals tournaments in January, and the top teams from those tournaments advancing to Nationals in February. Seven of the 15 teams advanced from regionals to the pre-nationals tournaments, the most in team history. Across all teams, Liberty Moot Court won 75% of the preliminary round ballots at regionals. Fourteen students earned top speaker honors at their regional tournaments. Two students, Lucas Gottlieb and Christopher Wilt, were named the best speaker at their regional; and students Natalie Snodgrass and Riley Banker were named the second best speaker at their regional.

Club Spotlight: Strategic Intelligence Society

The Strategic Intelligence Society (SIS) is a club that gives students interested in the intelligence and national security fields the opportunity to practice the skills they learn in the classroom in a simulated, real-world setting. SIS offers hands-on, scenario-based exercises, which they call "operations", throughout the school year to allow students to build skills in both analytical and operational tradecraft. SIS hosts mock operations, speaking events, and social events that facilitate fellowship and networking opportunities for students to hear and learn from other students and professionals in the intelligence career field. If you are interested in joining SIS or hearing details about future events, please sign up for the SIS email list by reaching out to lustrategicintelligencesociety@gmail.com. Read more about SIS here.

Journal of Statesmanship and Public Policy

The Journal of Statesmanship and Public Policy introduced seven distinct Research Teams in which participants can connect and collaborate with other like-minded individuals who share an interest in scholarship in either a specific subject or region of the world. The seven research teams include: 1) Domestic Public Policy; 2) Indo-Pacific; 3) Mediterranean; 4) National Security; 5) North Atlantic; 6) Political Philosophy, Jurisprudence, and Christian Thought; and 7) South Atlantic. Students and faculty members are invited to join a research team by reaching out to JSPP@liberty.edu. Read more about the journal publications here.

CJUS 350 Officer Survival Practical Exercises

Dr. Amanda Trent and her CJUS 350 class participated in officer survival practical exercises. Led by the deputies from Amherst County and Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, students had the opportunity to experience how to respond to common situations under duress, with scenarios such as an active shooter, mentally ill subject, rendering emergency aid, and an altercation in progress. Students were required to de-escalate the situation while protecting fellow “officers” and bystanders involved. Special thanks to the Liberty University Police Department and Professor Ron Staton for their donation of plastic paint ammunition and protective equipment. We congratulate our students who participated and hope they enjoyed this unique experience. See more of the simulation here.

LASI Briefings

Students comprising the Liberty Analytical Support Initiative (LASI) briefed Liberty University President Dondi Costin in November to present their analyses for NATO and other select U.S. Government sponsors. Two years ago, LASI was formed by students within the Helms School of Government and has today evolved into teams of students across multiple disciplines and Liberty schools that cooperatively assess real world problems for governmental sponsors. Teams consist of undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate across their areas of specialization to produce innovative, cross-functional solutions for their official clients. LASI teams work on a range of problem sets for a full semester and then travel to their sponsor organizations to brief them on their findings. This semester, Liberty University will have teams headed to Washington DC, Richmond, and Europe to brief final products to their clients. We wish these teams well as they seek to constructively contribute to advancing national security solutions to complex global problems. Read more about LASI here

To read the electronic version of this publication scan the code below or type in the below https://bit.ly/HSOGNewsletter-Fall2023

Many thanks to Titus Pettman, Lia Tsamoutalidis, and Jacob Slusser (HSOG ‘25) for their efforts in compiling this Fall 2023 Newsletter.