Category: Uncategorized
April 08, 2024: IHI hosted decorated CIA veteran, Marc Polymeropoulos, to discuss global intelligence challenges.
About This Presentation: One of CIA’s most highly decorated operations officers visited BU’s Pardee School to discuss “The CIA in 2024 and Beyond: An Indispensable Institution Facing a Changing Global Landscape.” Marc’s presentation spoke on Monday, April o8, at the Pardee School. Thirty students and faculty attended.
About Our Speaker: Marc Polymeropoulos worked for 26 years at the CIA before retiring in July 2019 at the Senior Intelligence Service level. He was one of CIA’s most highly decorated operations officers who served in multiple field assignments for the U.S. Government. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Commendation Medal, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, and the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.
Marc specialized in counterterrorism, the Middle East, and South Asia, spending extensive time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior to his retirement, Marc served at CIA Headquarters where he oversaw CIA’s clandestine operations in Europe and Eurasia.
He frequently comments on international events in the American and international media. He is an on-air contributor for MSNBC, a regular on “Morning Joe,” and also is a non resident senior fellow for the Atlantic Council specializing in hybrid warfare. Marc is a sought after leadership speaker, and his book, Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA, was published by Harper Collins in 2021.
March 20, 2024: IHI & the BU Center for the Study of Asia are sponsoring a book talk by Dr. Grant Rhode, an IHI Senior Fellow, to discuss Great Power Clashes Along the Maritime Silk Road
This book talk will be held at The Pardee School of Global Studies at 121 Bay State Road on the BU campus. All are invited.
Grant Rhode is a senior lecturer at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, adjunct professor at the U.S. Naval War College, and associate in research at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University. He is an IHI Senior Fellow. Dr. Rhode was trained in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and researches and writes on ancient and modern maritime silk road issues.
About Great Power Clashes Along the Maritime Silk Road:
Current concerns in maritime Eurasia are centered on rising powers China and India. By way of background to understanding the current regional great power rivalry within maritime Eurasia, this book asks what we can learn from historic Eurasian maritime geopolitical players and their interactions that will inform and enlighten today’s international relations practitioners.
Great Power Clashes along the Maritime Silk Road examines three seminal historical cases of maritime clashes in the China Seas, four in the Indian Ocean, and one in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Each of these is an example of local or regional conflict reflecting the circumstances of time and place. The cases have been chosen to provide a comparative framework of significant premodern maritime clashes distributed along the full Eurasian maritime perimeter.
Lessons include understanding struggles between continental and maritime powers in Eurasia, and understanding the decisive impact that naval leadership, intelligence, technology, alliances, and identity have had in the past and will have on the future.
The Naval Review, the official journal of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, has favorably reviewed Great Power Clashes Along the Maritime Silk Road, written by IHI Fellow, Dr. Grant Rhode. According to the review, Rhode’s book “provides a highly interesting and informative read … It also features useful maps, charts and tables. This book will certainly appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of the Indo-Pacific region, its contemporary geopolitics, or the histories of the Ottoman Empire, India, China, Korea, or Japan.”
March 18, 2024: IHI and BU’s Kilachand Honors College hosted BU alumnus John Bell, a Broadway entertainer currently serving as the musical director of the Broadway production of Spamalot.
- About the Event: On March 18, 2024, IHI and BU’s Kilachand Honors College hosted BU alumnus John Bell, a Broadway entertainer currently serving as the Musical Director of the Broadway production of Spamalot. John met with eighty-five BU students, staff, and faculty to discuss his experiences on and off Broadway as a musical director, orchestra conductor, and musician. Details: 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the First Floor Common Room of the Kilachand Residence Hall, 91 Bay State Road.
- Above: John Bell performing "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" from the musical, "Pal Joey" by Rodgers & Hart. Below: John with Sarah and Cole, winners of the raffle for free tickets to the hit musical, "Company."
- About John Bell: John is currently the Musical Director of the hit revival of Spamalot. His previous work includes: Into the Woods, as it played engagements around the country with the acclaimed Broadway cast. On Broadway, he has conducted Into the Woods, My Fair Lady (Lincoln Center Theater and First National Tour), Fiddler on the Roof, On the Town, and An American in Paris. For City Center Encores!: Brigadoon, Me and My Girl, The New Yorkers, Cabin in the Sky, Do I Hear A Waltz, Lady Be Good, and more. At the Irish Repertory Theatre, he has been the music director/supervisor for On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Finian’s Rainbow, Meet Me in St. Louis (virtual and live productions). Other New York credits: Sondheim’s Marry Me A Little (New Cast Recording) and Adam Gwon’s Ordinary Days (Keen Company); Radio City Christmas Spectacular; Candide at Carnegie Hall. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College, a Masters in Music from CUNY, and an MBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Business.
Feb. 22, 2024 (Thursday): IHI will host technology expert Bruce Schneier to discuss “AI & Trust.”
IHI is pleased to host Bruce Schneier of Harvard University to discuss “AI & Trust.” He is a leading expert on the complicated relationship of technologies, security, and people. This free event is open to all. (Details: 5:00-6:30 p.m. at 121 Bay State Road.)
In his talk, Bruce will discuss his concerns about the world of AI. Some of these concerns are expressed in this article on his website.
Biography: Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist, called a “security guru” by The Economist. He is the author of over one dozen books—including his latest, A Hacker’s Mind—as well as hundreds of articles and essays, and many more academic papers. His influential newsletter Crypto-Gram and his blog Schneier on Security are read by over 250,000 people. He has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, served on several government technical committees, and is regularly quoted in the press.
Feb. 06, 2024: IHI will host a book talk by Dr. Calder Walton of Harvard University to discuss his award-winning work, Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West.
This in-person event is open to all.
Dr. Calder Walton, a leading expert in the field of intelligence studies, will discuss his latest book with Pardee Prof. Joe Wippl, a retired CIA officer who was a Station Chief (COS) in several overseas locations, and Pardee Prof. John Woodward, the IHI Director and a retired CIA officer who served as an operations officer in numerous overseas assignments.
Dr. Walton will autograph copies of his book. Copies will be available for sale.
Details: 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the First Floor Common Room of the Kilachand Residence Hall, 91 Bay State Road.
Nov. 09, 2023: Screening & Veterans’ Panel Discussion of “What I Want You to Know,” a powerful documentary about the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan
In honor of Veterans' Day, IHI co-sponsored the screening of What I Want You to Know, an award-winning and hard-hitting documentary about the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. Following the screening, a BU-affiliated War Veterans Panel discussed their war experiences. Prof. Jim Johnson and Prof. John Woodward, the IHI Director, also provided brief remarks.
BU War Veterans’ Panel consisted of:
Moderator:
Prof. Cathal Nolan is a Professor of History at Boston University and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a Progress History Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a Pardee Research Fellow at Boston University’s Pardee Center for the Study of the Long-Range Future. He is the author of fourteen books of diplomatic and military history.
Panelists:
Eric Greek is a retired U.S. Army infantry officer with service in Airborne, Light, Stryker, and Mechanized Infantry Brigades. His multiple combat deployments include tactical commands in Afghanistan (Regional Command - South, the birthplace of the Taliban) and as an advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior Police Force during the Sunni Awakening. Eric is currently a graduate student at Boston College. He has also worked as an advisor to Never Alone Advocacy, a group dedicated to combating sexual assault in the U.S. military.
Brandy Hernandez is a U.S. Army Captain and an instructor in BU’s Army ROTC program. Since commissioning as an Aviation Officer, Brandy has served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard as an Aeromedical Evacuation Officer. She has deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in 2017, serving as the Medical Site Lead and MEDEVAC Pilot in Northern Iraq. Brandy is a UH60 Blackhawk Pilot, Airborne and Air Assault qualified, and has worked with foreign militaries extensively. Her military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal.
David Hruban is a retired U.S. Army First Sergeant. Dave graduated from Infantry Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1993 and served 20 years on active duty, retiring in 2013. He deployed four times in support of the Global War on Terrorism with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). These included two tours in Iraq (2005-06 and 2007-08) and two tours in Afghanistan (2001-02; 2003-04), most notably fighting in Operation Anaconda directly following the 9-11 attack. He has earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, and four Bronze Stars. Since retiring from the Army, Dave has been employed by BU, currently serving as the Construction Audit Manager in Internal Audit & Advisory Services.
Brian Hummel is a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and the Professor of Military Science at Boston University where he oversees BU’s Army ROTC program. Brian received his commission via Army ROTC from Lehigh University in 2001. He graduated flight school and the Aviation Basic Officer Leader Course in 2003. Among his many assignments, he served in Iraq on several deployments as well as Operation Spartan Shield in the Middle East. His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with Valor (3rd Award), the Air Medal (3rd Award), and the Combat Action Badge.
Ed Krov, a Foreign Area Officer for the U.S. Army, is currently getting his master’s degree from BU’s Pardee School of Global Studies. Captain Krov was a finance officer for his first ten years in the Army, which included a nine-month tour in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2014-2015. In this position, Ed oversaw the finance office at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and conducted frequent finance missions to many other U.S. Forward Operating Bases. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star.
Sept. 21, 2023: Conference on “U.S. Clandestine Operations Against China in the Early Cold War,” honoring BU alumnus Richard Fecteau
Conference proceedings (as video-recorded)
On September 21, 2023, IHI sponsored a BU conference on the topic of “Clandestine Operations Against China during the Early Cold War.” This conference, in part, honored the service and sacrifice of CIA officer Richard “Dick” Fecteau, a Lynn, MA native and Boston University (BU) alumnus.
Dick Fecteau, a Massachusetts hero, is one of the CIA’s most highly decorated officers. He spent twenty years in a Communist Chinese prison enduring horrible conditions when a CIA clandestine operation into China, in which he was a participant, went horribly wrong in 1952. The Chinese released Fecteau from prison in 1972. He retired from the CIA and became the assistant athletic director at BU in 1976. Upon his retirement from BU, he enjoys a quiet retirement in his hometown. On September 23, BU honored Mr. Fecteau with its highest alumni award at a banquet on campus.
Above Left: CIA officers Richard Fecteau and John Downey with a captured American B-29 crew in a Chinese prison in this staged Communist Chinese propaganda photo from the 1950s. The second person from the left is Downey; Fecteau is standing at the right side of the table, reaching down for a meal. (CIA)
Above Right: John Downey (left) and Richard Fecteau at a CIA award ceremony in 2013. (CIA)
