CNA Strategic Studies
Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt, U.S. Navy (ret.) is Vice President and Director of CNA Strategic Studies, a division of CNA – a not-for-profit federally funded research center in Washington, DC. CNA Strategic Studies conducts research and analyses that focus on strategy, political-military issues and regional security studies. The Division has a 10 year history of strong Asian security research along with well established teams that focus on the Middle East, Iran, Insurgency /stability operations and long range strategic planning.
During his navy career, Rear Admiral McDevitt held four at-sea commands; including an aircraft carrier battlegroup. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in U.S. History from the University of Southern California and a Masters Degree in American Diplomatic History from Georgetown University. He is also a graduate of the National War College in Washington, DC.
He was the Director of the East Asia Policy office for the Secretary of Defense during the George H.W. Bush Administration. He also served for two years as the Director for Strategy, War Plans and Policy (J-5) for US CINCPAC. Rear Admiral McDevitt concluded his 34 year active duty career as the Commandant of the National War College in Washington, DC.
In addition to his responsibilities leading CNA Strategic Studies, he has been an active participant in conferences and workshops regarding security issues in East Asia, and has had a number of papers published in edited volumes on this subject. His most recent research focus has been the maritime dimension of China's national strategy.
International Affairs Group
Dr. Eric V. Thompson is the director of the International Affairs Group (IAG) within the Center for Naval Analyses, where he also leads CNA's Middle East/South Asia program. As a Middle East political and military affairs specialist, Dr. Thompson has traveled extensively in North Africa, the Persian Gulf, and the Levant, working closely with U.S. and regional military and civilian leadership. His most recent work has addressed counterterrorism operations, security cooperation activities, military-to-military relations with Egypt, interoperability with Turkish and Algerian maritime forces, and coalition building for military operations in the CENTCOM region. Dr. Thompson's research and analysis extends beyond the Middle East. He has led studies addressing interoperability with NATO navies, global force structure requirements, the implications of the deployment of theater ballistic missile defense systems, the use of distance learning technology in preparing for coalition operations, the effectiveness of Partnership for Peace programs, and future security cooperation priorities for the U.S. military.
Dr. Thompson is also an adjunct professor at Catholic University of America, where he teaches graduate classes on terrorism and other national security issues. Prior to joining CNA, he was an adjunct professor of international relations and history at the Virginia Military Institute, where he taught courses in Middle East history, international relations and American government, and served as the director of the Model Arab League program.
Patricio Asfura-Heim, Esq. is a Research Analyst in the International Affairs Group at CNA. Mr. Asfura-Heim’s research interests include irregular warfare, human terrain mapping, partner capacity building, and comparative and international law. From July to December 2007, he served as an advisor to II MEF in Fallujah, Iraq where he conducted an assessment of tribal customary law, as well as developed metrics for measuring economic and governance progress in Al Anbar Province. Prior to joining the CNA, Mr. Asfura-Heim interned at the State Department's Intelligence and Research Bureau and spent time in Istanbul studying the Turkish legal and political system. In addition he has several years of experience working in mediation for city government. Mr. Asfura-Heim holds a Juris Doctor and a Master in World Politics from Catholic University of America. He is a member of the Washington D.C. Bar.
Dr. Willie E. Cobble, Jr. is a Research Analyst at CNA, and a specialist on Western European defense industrial collaboration and Western European political integration. Dr. Cobble's studies at the Center have focused upon naval international collaborative procurement, improving interoperability between the United States Navy and its Euro-Atlantic partners, and USN crisis response issues. He has also worked extensively on LHA/LHD alternate operational concepts, USN counterproliferation approaches, and on United States grand strategy. He received his Ph.D. in government from Cornell University.
Mrs. Andrea L. Connell is a Research Specialist with the International Affairs Group. She earned her BA in European Cultural Studies at Brandeis University in Boston, Mass, her MA in psychology at Boston University, and is currently working on a certificate in copyediting through the University of California, San Diego. She works part-time on-call on copyediting and transcription projects for the team.
Ms. Mary Ellen Connell is a Research Analyst for the Center for Strategic Studies. Prior to joining CNA in 2001, Ms. Connell was a Counselor in the United States Senior Foreign Service. For the past several years she has directed the CNA "Commanders' Series: Workshops on Geopolitical Interest to the U.S. Navy" and a regional strategic analysis project supporting the Commander and Deputy Commander, Naval Forces Europe. Beginning in 2007, she was also asked to direct similar projects for the Navy Criminal Investigative Service on national security issues and for the U.S. Central Command on regional topics. Ms. Connell holds a BA degree from Smith College and an M. Phil. from the University of Kansas. She is a graduate of the U.S. National War College and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (UK).
Dr. Michael Connell is the director of Project Iran and a research analyst in the International Affairs Group at the Center for Naval Analyses. Since coming to CNA, Dr. Connell has directed and authored several studies that examine Iranian military and national security issues. His most recent work focuses on Iran-GCC relations and the IRGC's ascendancy in Iran's decision making apparatus. Dr. Connell also served as CNA's field representative to NAVCENT, Bahrain. Prior to joining CNA, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Dr. Connell earned his Ph.D. in Iranian history from Harvard University. He also has a certificate in Persian studies from Tehran University.
Dr. Ralph Espach is a Research Analyst in the International Affairs Group. His research at CNA focuses on inter-American political and security relations, and on partnership within Latin America and developing states in general. In recent projects he has assessed strategic decision making within the Venezuelan government, and has applied media content and tone analysis to estimate the attitudinal effects of humanitarian engagement missions in Latin America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. Dr. Espach also has expertise in global environmental politics and international political economics. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese and has extensive experience conducting research across Latin America. Dr. Espach joined CNA in April 2007, after completing his Ph.D. work in political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and teaching international political economics at Seattle University. Prior to his graduate school work, he worked as Program Assistant at the Latin American Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center, where he led the Brazil Project and focused on issues of inter-American security. Dr. Espach has co-edited four books: The Strategic Dynamics of Latin American Trade (with Vinod K. Aggarwal, 2004), Latin America in the New International System (with Joseph S. Tulchin, 2000), Combating Corruption in Latin America (with Joseph S. Tulchin, 2000), and Security in the Caribbean Basin: the Challenge of Regional Cooperation (with Joseph S. Tulchin and Francisco Rojas, 2000).
Mr. Ken Gause is a Research Analyst at CNA and the director of the Foreign Leadership Studies Program (FSLP) at the Center for Naval Analyses. The FSLP is dedicated to providing analysis on regimes of interest and how they make decisions, primarily for the U.S. government. Mr. Gause's work in leadership analysis dates back to the early 1980s with his work on the Soviet Union for the U.S. government. More recently, his work has focused on such regimes as Iran, North Korea, Iraq, and Syria. Mr. Gause has published numerous articles on leadership structures for such publications as Jane's Intelligence Review, Jane's Defense Weekly, RUSI's China Military Update, SP Military Yearbook (India's premier defense journal), Keesing's International, and The Worldwide Government Report. He received his MA in Soviet and East European Affairs from George Washington University and studied Russian at Middlebury College.
Dr. Dmitry P. Gorenburg is a Research Analyst in the International Affairs Groups. His main focus at CNA has been on foreign policy analysis of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He has worked on other projects, included a critical review of the Navy's Personnel Exchange Program, focusing particularly on the program's limitations due to U.S. national policy on disclosure to foreign nationals. He has also analyzed patterns of U.S. military responses to crisis situations around the world. Recently, he has focused on the future of U.S. security strategy and the most likely threats to U.S. security in the coming twenty years. Dr. Gorenburg received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from Harvard University, and A.B. from the Wilson School of International & Public Affairs at Princeton University.
Ms. Melissa K. Henton is a Research Analyst in the International Affairs Group. From 2007-2008, Melissa will be serving as an IPA in the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Global Security Affairs at the Department of Defense. Since coming to CNA in March of 2000, Ms. Henton has conducted research and analysis on a variety of issues such as strike warfare, NATO TBMD, foreign reactions to USN force protection measures, Polish naval capabilities, and DOD engagement activities in Southeastern Europe. Ms. Henton served as Field Representative to Commander Enterprise Carrier Strike Group from April 2003 to September 2004, conducting analysis of air wing support for OIF and OEF. Her previous CNA assignments include Scientific Analyst to the Director, Operations, Plans, and Politico-Military Affairs Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and as a military analyst assigned to the U.S. Department of State during in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ms. Henton's prior experience includes two years as an arms control analyst with DynCorp and seven years at the Atlantic Council of the United States, serving as Director for the Council's project on Civil-Military Relations, and later as Director of the Council's Planning Office. Ms. Henton holds an MA in security policy studies from George Washington University and a BA in political science and history from Creighton University.
Dr. Henry J. (Hank) Kenny is a Research Analyst at CNA, where he has directed projects for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and the Pacific Command for the past 13 years. A Company Commander, Special Forces Team Commander, and Province Advisor in Vietnam, he directed Special Forces mission training for Vietnam at Ft. Bragg. Wounded during the Tet Offensive of 1968, he subsequently taught international relations at West Point, graduate courses on causes of war and theories of conflict resolution at American University and George Washington University, and international politics at the Institute for International Relations in Hanoi. He has served with the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the American Embassy Tokyo (Special Assistant to Mike Mansfield), and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is the author of "Unfinished Business in Afghanistan," "Smaller, Faster, Smarter: Retooling the Military to Combat Terrorist Threats," "Strengthening and Embattled Nation: A Strategy for Contenting with the Three Wars in Iraq," The American Role in Vietnam and East Asia, and other publications. His latest book, Shadow of the Dragon, analyzes the relationship between China and Vietnam and its implications for U.S. policy in Asia.
Ms. Alison C. Lawlor is a Research Analyst and a specialist in Middle Eastern political-military affairs and maritime issues. Her Middle East research interests include leadership analysis of Middle Eastern regimes, terrorism, and political-social developments in the region. Her naval research topics include maritime theater security cooperation, joint interoperability, strategic communication, and the development of the Navy's community of regional and area specialists. Prior to joining CNA, Ms. Lawlor lived and studied in Syria, Morocco, and France, where she gained valuable Arabic and French language skills and practical on-the-ground experience. Ms. Lawlor graduated from Boston College, where she majored in Political Science and French Literature. She also earned an MA in International Relations from American University. She is also an alumna of the Arabic Teaching Institute in Damascus and Middlebury College Arabic Language School's Intensive Immersion Program.
Mr. Michael C. Markowitz is a Senior Research Specialist. At CNA, Mr. Markowitz has designed, developed, tested and evaluated wargames for such sponsors as DARPA, the Naval War College, NAVCENT, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the CNO's Strategic Studies Group. His research interests include the design of analytic graphics and cartography, wargaming 21st century conflict, and the history of military applications of science and technology. Prior to joining CNA, he worked for many years in the aerospace industry as a technical writer and trainer on a variety of defense programs. He has taught college courses in basic statistics, research design, and social science theory. His published work includes journal articles on ancient history, hundreds of game reviews, and several award-winning tabletop wargames. He graduated from the University of Rochester with a BA in History, and the University of California, Irvine with an MA in Social Ecology. Mr. Markowitz's reading languages include Russian and Latin.
Ms. Julia Voelker McQuaid is a Research Analyst in the International Affairs Group. Her work at CNA has focused on building partner capacity in Africa— particularly in the Gulf of Guinea—security cooperation/TSC, maritime security, counterterrorism, and strategic communications. Before joining CNA, she worked at the Middle East Institute as an editor on the Middle East Journal, a scholarly publication focusing on the politics and history of the Middle East and North Africa. Julia has also worked as a contractor for the National Defense University's Africa Center for Strategic Studies. She has lived and traveled in Morocco, at one point as part of a team conducting an assessment of the electoral process in that country as part of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Ms. McQuaid's personal research interests include Arab political/military affairs, the Maghreb, terrorism and terrorist organizations, and political Islam. She speaks French and Arabic. Ms. McQuaid holds an MA from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and a BA in Political Science and French from Franklin & Marshall College.
Mr. Bronson Percival, currently a Senior Advisor with the Center for Strategic Studies at CNA, is a respected specialist on Southeast Asia, terrorism, and maritime security. During his career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he reported on political and security issues from Lebanon to Indonesia. After teaching at the U.S. Naval War College, he returned to the State Department to lead the Southeast Asia Division in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and then coordinate counter-terrorism programs and policies in the East Asia Bureau. Percival's most recent book, The Dragon Looks South: China and Southeast Asia in the New Century (Westport, Conn: Praeger Security International, 2007), analyses China's goals and objectives in Southeast Asia, the region's response to China's initiatives, and the implications for U.S. interests. He holds an A.B. in International Relations from the University of California—Berkeley, an M.S. from the National War College, and completed course work and research in India for the University of Chicago's Ph.D. program before entering the Foreign Service.
Mr. Patrick H. Roth is a Research Analyst in the International Affairs Group. He has extensive experience in defense, intra-governmental, joint and inter-service affairs and liaison with foreign governments, including over twenty years practical experience in development of defense engagement activities, especially in the Pacific East Asia region and the Western Hemisphere. Since joining CNA he has led or participated in studies related to future requirements for U.S. Navy international operative engagement including assessing interoperability requirements. He was a senior participant in studies related to Coast Guard future direction including authorship of a study on Coast Guard purpose and ethos. These recommendations became a basis for Coast Guard Publication One. He has also directed or participated in studies related to staffing and organization, foreign disclosure issues, establishing Navy activities abroad, and deployment analyses. Mr. Roth holds the degree of Master of Public Administration (Public Policy) from the University of Washington. He is a recognized authority on the history of U.S. Navy in Latin America. His latest monograph, on the U.S. Navy's South Atlantic Station, is currently being translated for publication in Uruguay.
Dr. Christopher Yung is a Senior Research Analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses. He specializes in Asia-Pacific security and defense issues. Dr. Yung's recent work has involved an examination (for the Office of Naval Research) of China's Science and Technology base and China's capacity to technologically surprise the U.S. intelligence community. He also recently completed a study for the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (ACMC) on the lift and training implications of moving Marine Corps combat units from Okinawa to Guam and Hawaii. Dr. Yung has conducted studies for the Commander Seventh Fleet, the Commander Pacific Fleet, the Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI), and the OPNAV N3/5 staff. He has also led studies on future Chinese naval capabilities and China's maritime strategy. Dr. Yung was the Scientific Analyst to the OPNAV Director of Politico-Military Affairs (N52). Dr. Yung has direct operational analytical experience. He was the Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Atlantic on matters related to analysis, experimentation, and assessment of East Coast USMC forces. Prior to that he was the Special Assistant to the U.S. Navy's Commander, Amphibious Group Two on matters related to analysis, experimentation, and assessment of the Atlantic Fleet's amphibious forces. Dr. Yung received both his Ph.D. and Masters from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Stability and Development Program
Dr. Carter Malkasian directs the Stability and Development Program at CNA. In 2007 and 2008, he led a team that advised Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in eastern Afghanistan. Previously assigned to the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) as an advisor on counterinsurgency, he deployed for the war in Iraq from February to May 2003, February 2004 to February 2005, and February 2006 to August 2006. Most of that time was spent in Al Anbar province. Dr. Malkasian's most recent publication is a co-edited book (with Daniel Marston of Royal Military Academy Sandhurst), Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare. His other books include: A History of Modern Wars of Attrition (2002) and The Korean War, 1950-1953 (2001). His journal publications include: "Did the Coalition Need More Forces in Iraq? Evidence from Al Anbar" in Joint Force Quarterly "A Thin Blue Line in the Sand" in Democracy: A Journal of Ideas; "Signaling Resolve, Democratization, and the First Battle of Fallujah" in the Journal of Strategic Studies; "The Role of Perceptions and Political Reform in Counterinsurgency" in Small Wars & Insurgencies; and "Toward a Better Understanding of Attrition" in the Journal of Military History. Dr. Malkasian completed his doctorate in the history of war at Oxford University.
Ms. Megan Katt is the Program Coordinator for the Stability and Development Program. She received her B.S. in Business Marketing from San Diego State University, with a minor in Political Science. She is now an M.A. candidate in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Her areas of academic interest include counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, ethnic and religious conflict, and the psychological dimensions of conflict. Prior to joining CNA, Ms. Katt supported research on international security and national defense issues at the RAND Corporation where she focused on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and counterterrorism.
Dr. Gerald Meyerle is a Research Analyst in the Stability and Development Program. He has published articles on the insurgency in Kashmir, the Pakistan military, and the Pakistan-Afghan border areas. Before coming to CNA, he was an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia where he taught courses on terrorism and guerrilla warfare. While working on his dissertation, he spent a year studying Urdu and doing field research in India, Pakistan, and Kashmir. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of Virginia.
Mr. Lonn Waters is an Associate Research Analyst in the Stability and Development Program. Prior to joining CNA, he served as a Presidential Management Fellow with Joint Forces Command. During his time at JFCOM, he analyzed the Department of Defense disaster response to Hurricane Katrina, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan on lessons learned collection teams (focusing primarily on counter- IED analysis), and worked as a Special Assistant to the Commander of JFCOM. Additionally, Mr. Waters helped develop a new initiative for the Joint Warfare Analysis Center (JWAC) and worked in the Joint Staff J5 where he contributed to the Joint Strategy Review, National Military Strategy and the revision to the Joint Strategic Planning System. Most recently he focused on Department of Defense joint and interagency training requirements. Mr. Waters holds a B.A. political science from Princeton University and an M.S. in political science from MIT.
To arrange an interview:
Contact Connie Custer, Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs
703.824.2100 office, 703.585.6827 cell, custerc@cna.org.