US Foreign Policy in an Era of Great Power Politics
Hilary Appel, Jean-Pierre Murray, and Hicham Bou Nassif (Jenny Taw, not pictured)
Hilary Appel is the Podlich Family Professor of Government and George R. Roberts Fellow at CMC. Appel has published numerous books and articles on the politics of economic reform and the foreign policy of Russia and Eastern Europe. Her co-authored book with Mitchell A. Orenstein, entitled From Triumph to Crisis: Neoliberal Economic Reform in Post-Communist Countries (Cambridge University Press, 2018), won the Silver Medal Laura Shannon Prize for Best Book in European Studies 2018-2019. Appel has received numerous national fellowships. In addition to her classes and research, Appel currently serves as the Director of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies.
Jean-Pierre Murray is an assistant professor of Government at CMC. His research and teaching interests include critical security studies, migration, human trafficking, Latin America and the Caribbean, global and regional governance, international organizations, and international law. His current research (and book project) focuses on the securitization of South-South migration in the Latin America and Caribbean region in which he explores the roles of elite political actors, civil society organizations, and intergovernmental organizations in constructing or contesting narratives and frames about migration and migrants as national security threats, and the corresponding security-based policy responses.
Hicham Bou Nassif is the Weinberg Associate Professor of International Relations and the Middle East at Claremont McKenna College. His expertise spans various fields, including authoritarianism, civil-military relations, and Middle East politics. His scholarship includes "Endgames: Military Response to Protest in Arab Autocracies" (Cambridge University Press) and numerous peer-reviewed articles. He is currently writing a second book on America's policy in the Middle East under Reagan. Proficient in Arabic, English, and French, he brings a multicultural perspective to his work. Beyond academia, he has undertaken extensive fieldwork in various countries in the Middle East, showcasing a hands-on approach to research, specifically focused on military politics in authoritarian contexts.
Jennifer Morrison Taw is Associate Professor of Government and International Relations at Claremont McKenna College, where she teaches an annual freshman honors Introduction to International Relations course, as well as Security Studies, War, War Film, U.S. Foreign Policy, and Race, Gender, & Identity in International Relations. Prior to coming to CMC, Taw taught as an adjunct professor at Occidental College, UCLA, and USC. Earlier in her career, she worked for decade at RAND, where she conducted research for DOD and the US Army on counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, peace operations, and special operations forces.
This Athenaeum program is the featured 2025-26 Jerome H. Garris Dialogue Series at CMC, modeling constructive dialogue across different perspectives.