Title: Georgetown’s Chuck Hagel Nominated for Defense Secretary
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of National Governance at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service (SFS) since 2009, has been nominated by President Obama to serve as the 24th United States Secretary of Defense.
“Students and faculty at the School of Foreign Service have benefited tremendously from Sen. [Chuck] Hagel’s experience and insight,” said SFS Dean Carol Lancaster about Hagel’s impact at Georgetown.
If confirmed by the Senate, Hagel would succeed Leon Panetta in the Obama administration.
“Georgetown’s loss would be America’s gain,” said SFS Dean Carol Lancaster. “Students and faculty at the School of Foreign Service have benefited tremendously from Sen. Hagel’s experience and insight. Georgetown continues its long history of hosting exceptional scholars and practitioners.”
In addition to being an SFS professor, Hagel is chair of the Washington, D.C.-based Atlantic Council, which is designed to promote constructive U.S. leadership and engagement in international affairs.
He represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate from 1997 until 2009. At Georgetown, he has taught 21st-century geopolitical relationships.
While a senator, Hagel sat on the chamber’s Committee on Foreign Relations and its subcommittees on Near East Asian and South and Central Asian Affairs, African Affairs, East Asian and Pacific Affairs and International Development. He was chair of the Senate Global Climate Change Observer Group as well as the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
Michael Podberezin, who is pursuing the Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) degree at Georgetown, took Hagel’s fall 2012 class 21st Century Geopolitical Realities.
He said the class put him “behind the scenes of decision-making” and made him “think about issues several steps ahead.”
“The fact that Sen. Hagel was in the room when many of the decisions were made really creates a unique learning opportunity,” Podberezin said.
Hagel is the author of America: Our Next Chapter LP: Tough Questions, Straight Answers (HarperCollins, 2008), about which former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell said Hagel “writes with insight, expertise, authority, and with the credentials that come from his dedicated service in war and peace.”