Leadership
Dr. Karin E. Warner DNP, RN
A member of WIIS since her graduate studies at the University of Maryland in the late 1990’s – Dr. Karin Warner is a full professor of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, with a secondary appointment at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA).
Dr. Warner served over 30 years in the United States Navy in numerous clinical and leadership positions in stations in the United States, Sardinia, Italy, and the Asian Western Pacific.
Her broad clinical experience includes work in cardiac step-down, neonatal intensive care and pediatric outpatient settings, emergency room, education and training. Leadership roles included Senior Nurse and Director of Wellness Programs, Primary Care and Head of Quality Management, Regional Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Black Belt for the Western Pacific Medical Alliance (U.S. Naval Hospitals Guam, Okinawa, and Yokosuka), Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Navy Medicine Enterprise, and Chief Operating Officer for a health clinic which operated 4 separate clinics in two states. She has extensive experience in emergency management and disaster preparedness. Dr. Warner served on Capitol Hill as a legislative fellow working on national and veteran’s health policy and is the past Navy Director of the Federal Nurses Association 2007-2011.
Dr. Warner earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from Duke University (2014), a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College; with a concentration in weapons of mass destruction (WMD) (2015), a Master a Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College (2012), dual Master of Science Degrees in Medical-Surgical Nursing and Nursing Health Policy from the University of Maryland (1996) as well as her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from the University of Maryland (1990).
A Senior Member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), she is also a certified LSS Black Belt, LSS Green Belt instructor, and expert facilitator. She is a Board Member of the non-profit Pan Africa Children’s Advocacy Watch (PACAW, Inc.), and her active research is focused on how security affects population health in the Niger Delta.
Dr. Warner, along with Julia Santucci and Sandra Monteverde (co-PI’s) received a $50,000 SEED Grant from the University of Pittsburgh to support the establishment of the University of Pittsburgh Chapter of WIIS Global.
Julia Santucci
Julia M. Santucci is senior lecturer in intelligence studies and founding director of the Hesselbein Forum Leadership Program in International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She is also an affiliate scholar of the University’s Institute of Cyber Law, Policy, and Security and faculty advisor for a graduate student working group conducting research on human trafficking at the Ford Institute for Human Security.
Ms. Santucci has over a decade of experience in national security and foreign policy positions. She served as a senior advisor in the Secretary of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues from 2015 to 2017, where she worked to advance gender equality as a core U.S. foreign policy priority. This included work to integrate women’s issues into U.S. efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism globally. From 2012 to 2014, she served as director for Egypt at the National Security Council, providing advice to the President of the United States and the national security advisor on coordinating U.S. policy toward Egypt across the interagency. She worked for 10 years as a leadership analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she provided written assessments and oral briefings to the president, Cabinet members, and other senior officials to help inform their decision making around developments in the Middle East. Ms. Santucci holds a Master of Arts degree in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona, and she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
Student Leadership: Fall 2020
Shannon Boehm
Shannon Boehm is a second-year Master of Public and International Affairs (MPIA) student majoring in Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and international Affairs (GSPIA). She is currently a Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies Fellow. She has participated in a graduate working group for the Ridgway Center partnered with the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, focused on emerging voting technologies that may safeguard election security and stem the tide against future intrusions in America’s elections. She will be assuming the position of Team Lead of the group for the 2020-2021 year. Shannon graduated cum laude from Washington & Jefferson College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with a minor in English and concentration in conflict resolution studies.
Jillian Royal
Jillian D. Royal is a Leroy Irvis Fellow, and a second-year Master of International Development Student at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She is also completing two certificates in Latin American Social and Public Policy and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Jillian is the current President of the GSPIA Student Cabinet. She earned a BA in Justice Studies with a concentration in International Justice and minored in Spanish, International Studies, and Child Advocacy and Policy at Montclair State University. Jillian currently works as the Outreach Director Intern for Jambo International Inc., a non-profit which supports grassroot organizations working at the nexus of environmental preservation and human development.
Laura Gooding
Laura Gooding is a second-year Master of Public and International Affairs student with a concentration in Security and Intelligence at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She currently holds a Graduate Assistantship with the Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadershipーa scholarship and leadership development program that sends women abroad every year with the goal of growing intercultural competency and civic engagement while empowering them to be global citizens. She has worked as an editor for graduate journals at both The University of Pittsburgh and Princeton University, and has participated in a graduate research group that focused on the issue of human trafficking in global supply chains. She holds a BA in Anthropology and a Certificate in Transatlantic Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.
Taylor Broshar
Taylor Broshar is an Alumni Fellow and second-year Master of Public and International Affairs candidate at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. As a human security major, Taylor’s interests lie at the intersection of civil conflict, migration and climate change. Taylor is currently completing a research internship with The Stimson Center, where her work has focused on protecting civilians in conflict and enhancing the efficacy of peacekeeping missions. Before GSPIA, Taylor held internship positions with the British Parliament in London and the Des Moines Attorney General’s Office as well as served as a Cultural and Language Assistant in Spain. She holds a BA in Political Science and a minor in Business Management from Central College.
Student Leadership: Fall 2019
Kelsey Brennan
Kelsey Brennan is a second-year Master of Public and International Affairs student at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She holds a Graduate Assistantship with the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies and the Ford Institute for Human Security. Kelsey also leads a graduate research group studying human trafficking in global supply chains, and previously interned at the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Prior to her graduate studies, Kelsey worked for three years in the Massachusetts State Senate as Communications Director. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Rachel McGrath
Rachel McGrath is a second-year Master of Public and International Affairs student at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She holds a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship for the study of Russian at the University of Pittsburgh. Rachel has academic interests in conflict zones, organized crime, and law enforcement. She participated in FBI-partnered Matthew B Ridgway Center Working Group on malicious threats posed by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Rachel holds a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Political Science and Global Studies. There she authored an honors thesis on US Humanitarian Intervention in the 1990s.
Jessica Sprouse
Jessica Sprouse is a senior nursing student at the University of Pittsburgh, anticipating graduation in April, 2020 with magna cum laude honors. Clinical experience extends across rotations in pediatric oncology, step-down trauma, step-down pulmonary medicine, and community health serving the working poor and homeless. Leadership positions include Vice President and Health Promotion Chair of the University of Pittsburgh Chapter of the Nursing Students Association, a representative within the Coalition of Pre-Health Students, and an Assembly member for the University of Pittsburgh Student Government Board. Jessica is also an active member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the Outside the Classroom Curriculum Honorary Society at the University of Pittsburgh. She has been a member of WIIS since April of 2019.
Mission
Vision
WIIS – University of Pittsburgh seeks to become the preeminent organization in the Western Pennsylvania region focused on increasing women’s participation and leadership in international peace and security. The organization will boast a robust, diverse, and interdisciplinary membership that makes a meaningful contribution to scholarship in these fields, and will be a model for WIIS chapters globally.
Upcoming Events
Peace and Security During Uncertain Times: October 5th- 9th, 2020
Virtual Event
You are invited to attend “Peace and Security During Uncertain Times,” a week-long, virtual conference occurring October 5th – 9th, 2020 presented by the University of Pittsburgh chapter of Women In International Security (WIIS). Our world, at present, is more tumultuous than ever. COVID-19 has exposed inequities in global health systems, including disproportionate burdens on women, migrants and refugees, and other marginalized and vulnerable populations. Climate change persists, and experts predict that rising temperatures will increase the risk of violence and armed conflict globally. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction pose an evolving threat to U.S. national security, which Cold War-era foreign policy tools and institutions are questionably equipped to address.
Each evening, Monday through Thursday, Oct. 5-8 from 7-8:30pm EST, a panel will present a facilitated discussion exploring these challenges and propose courses of action that may assist our country in moving forward. On Friday from 1-4pm, WIIS Pitt students will present their research. Detailed information about each session and panelists can be found at our website https://www.wiis.pitt.edu/.
Keynote Address – Gender and the Security Agenda: Strategies for the 21st Century | Mon., Oct. 5, 7:00pm – 8:30pm EST with Dr. Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, President, Women in International Security (WIIS).
New Approaches to Arms Control & Nonproliferation | Tue., Oct. 6, 7:00pm – 8:30pm EST with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins (Founder and Executive Director, Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS)), Dr. Rupal Mehta (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and Dr. Amy Nelson (National Defense University).
Climate Change and Conflict | Wed., Oct. 7, 7:00pm – 8:30pm EST with Dr. Katherine Mach (University of Miami), Ms. Mackenzie Burnett (The Next 50), and Ms. Rebecca Simon (USAID).
Inequities and Global Health Systems | Thur., Oct. 8, 7:00pm – 8:30pm EST with Sylvanus Ayeni, M.D. (Pan Africa Children Advocacy Watch, (PACAW)), and Doris Browne, M.D., M.P.H. (118th President of the National Medical Association (NMA)).
Student Showcase | Fri., Oct. 9, 1:00pm – 4:00pm EST
Past Events
Mia Bloom: October 22nd, 9-10:30am
University Club, Conference Room B, 123 University Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
On October 22nd, the WIIS University of Pittsburgh chapter will cohost terrorism expert Dr. Mia Bloom. Dr. Bloom will discuss her research on women, children, and terrorism, as well as her work as a female academic, opportunities for mentorship, and advice for women beginning careers in international security.
Dr. Bloom is a Professor of Communications and Middle East Studies at Georgia State University. She conducts ethnographic field research in Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia, and speaks eight languages. Bloom has published numerous books on terrorism, including Bombshell: Women and Terror (2011), and most recently Small Arms: Children and Terror (2019). She is regularly featured as an expert contributor on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News for terrorism and national security issues. Dr. Bloom is a member of the UN terrorism research network (UNCTED) and the radicalization expert advisory board for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Fall Career Panel: October 29, 1:00-2:00
Location TBD
WIIS University of Pittsburgh will host an expert panel of women working in international peace and security. The panel is open to all disciplines and academic backgrounds. It is designed to expose students to diverse careers in the field and allow them to engage directly with our experts. The panel will include Ms. Tracy Rice (FBI), and WIIS University of Pittsburgh cofounders Professor Julia Santucci and Dr. Karin Warner.
Tracy Rice has been with the FBI since 2004 and is currently a Supervisory Intelligence Analyst (SIA) and the Intelligence Program Coordinator for the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office. Prior to her arrival in Pittsburgh in 2012, she served in a variety of intelligence functions, including Intelligence Analyst (IA) and SIA, in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate/WMD Operations Unit at FBI Headquarters. Prior to joining the FBI, she worked as a Senior Research Technician in the Molecular Diagnostics Department of the Biological Defense Research Directorate at the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring, Maryland where she designed tests for the detection and identification of biological warfare agents.
Julia M. Santucci is senior lecturer in intelligence studies and founding director of the Hesselbein Forum Leadership Program in International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Ms. Santucci has over a decade of experience in national security and foreign policy positions. She served as a senior advisor in the Secretary of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues from 2015 to 2017, where she worked to advance gender equality as a core U.S. foreign policy priority. Prior to the State Department, Ms. Santucci served as director for Egypt at the National Security Council and worked for 10 years as a leadership analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency.
Dr. Karin Warner is a full professor of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, with a secondary appointment at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Dr. Warner served over 30 years in the United States Navy in numerous clinical and leadership positions on assignments in the United States, Sardinia, Italy, and the Asian Western Pacific. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing are from the University of Maryland, where she also received a Master of Science in Nursing Health Policy, which was followed by a two year fellowship on Capital Hill. Holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from Duke University, Dr Warner is also a graduate of both the U.S. Naval War College and the U.S. National War College, with Masters Degrees in National Security and Strategic Studies as well as National Security Strategy, with a concentration on Weapons of Mass Destruction. Her current research is on the Implications of Security on Population Health in the Niger Delta region of Africa. She has been a WIIS member since 1996.
Skills Training
WIIS University of Pittsburgh will host a series of skills-training workshops throughout the year, including a resume writing workshop and training session on overcoming barriers in the job application process. Details to follow.