The Atlantic Council today named international security experts Dr. Nora Bensahel and retired Lieutenant General David Barno as Nonresident Senior Fellows for military affairs and national security policy in its Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security.

Dr. Bensahel is a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the School of International Service at American University. She previously served as a Senior Fellow and Codirector of the Responsible Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security and for more than a decade as a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Bensahel spent many years as an Adjunct Professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and received the Alumni Leadership Council Teaching Award for her work.

Lieutenant General David Barno, USA (Ret.), is a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the School of International Service at American University. He was previously a Senior Fellow and Codirector of the Responsible Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. In his thirty-year active duty Army career, he served as an infantry officer, Ranger, and paratrooper and commanded at every level. From 2003 to 2005, Lt. General Barno commanded the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

At the Scowcroft Center, Bensahel and Barno will draw on their expertise on defense issues to help advance the Center’s work on US defense strategy, military affairs, and international security.

“As the Brent Scowcroft Center increases our work on defense and national security strategies and policies, we are excited to have Lieutenant General Barno (Ret.) and Dr. Bensahel, two of the most well-respected experts in this field, join our team,” said Barry Pavel, Atlantic Council Vice President and Scowcroft Center Director.

“The Scowcroft Center at the Atlantic Council is doing cutting-edge work on a wide variety of emerging security challenges and the strategies needed to address them effectively,” Bensahel said. “We are eager to be joining such an innovative and dynamic team of experts.”

Barno added: “We are thrilled to join the Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center – already renowned for its original thinking on strategy and national security. We look forward to contributing our practitioners’ perspectives and long national security experience to this terrific team and its leading-edge work.”

Bensahel will join the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC on June 24 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a public, on-the-record event on America’s Role in the World: How Others See Us. Space is limited. RSVP to press@AtlanticCouncil.org to reserve your spot or to set up a sideline interview with her.