Fall Seminars

During the fall semester, students learn about the policy-making process and discuss subject-based issues in a seminar course led by an industry expert. Site visits to federal agencies, guest speakers, and round table sessions ensure that students receive a variety of real-world perspectives on their chosen policy area. If you are interested in international affairs you may go to Global Fellows in Washington, D.C., our sister program, which has four terrific options, including Responses to Global Challenges! Note: All FGSM courses are cross-listed with Honors courses.

Students in the program choose from the following seminars for their fall Federal Fellows seminar (3 credits):

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Monday, 3:00pm to 6:00pm
Course Description: This course will explore issues of environmental sustainability through an investigation of federal policymaking in energy, climate change, and sustainable development. Students will examine efforts of the U.S. government to respond to linked challenges of increasing energy demand, climate change, growing population, and poverty alleviation. Guest speakers from Congress, federal agencies, and the non-governmental sector will highlight domestic initiatives as well as the role of the U.S. government in international agreements related to climate change and sustainable development.

Instructor Information:
Ed Fendley served in the Federal government for 34 years, specializing in climate change and sustainable development. He has worked as a Foreign Service Officer, as a U.S. negotiator under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and twice as a White House staffer. Most recently, Fendley worked in the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Community Revitalization helping people build walkable, healthy and economically vibrant neighborhoods. Fendley also served as an elected member of the School Board in Arlington, Virginia and has managed election campaigns. For fun, Ed cycles, surfs, and kayaks.

Monday, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Course Description: This course will examine the concept of U.S. homeland and national security in the context of recent history. It will supply students with an understanding about the nature of threats and major vulnerabilities that are the focus of homeland and national security efforts, with emphasis on events since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The course will pay special attention to implications of policies and strategies regarding the threats of terrorism. Expert practitioners from the government or private sector, responsible for homeland security and counterterrorism operations, will often visit class, address topics, and participate in seminar discussion. Students will also learn and practice fundamental skills of analysis, communication, and collaboration that are necessary for success in the professional workplace.

Instructor Information:
Casie Antalis has two decades of experience in immigration and national security vetting. She is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Screening and Vetting at the Department of Homeland Security. In this role, Casie leads the Department to develop and implement vetting procedures that continue to protect the homeland. She oversees the Departments immigration, border, aviation and credentialing policies and also provides guidance to increase the Department’s identity intelligence capabilities. She also served Secretary Mayorkas as his National Security Counselor where she supported the Secretary in overseeing the Department’s critical national security issues including Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, response to public security incidents, and policy development. Prior to joining Headquarters, she served as the first Chief of Staff of the National Vetting Center (NVC), which began operations in December 2018. The NVC provides a coordinated process to facilitate how intelligence and sensitive USG information is used for national security and border security missions. 

 Casie served as the Director for Security Screening and Vetting on the Border and Transportation Security Directorate in the National Security Council (NSC). There, she directed and coordinated U.S. Government policy development in security and immigration vetting, watchlisting, biometrics, and information sharing. Casie served over ten years at the National Counterterrorism Center where she served as the Deputy Group chief for Screening and Vetting, and held roles in the Directorate of the Directorate of Intelligence supporting their targeting mission and the Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning where she helped develop United States policy on Countering Improvised Explosive Devices. Casie has served at the National Ground Intelligence Center, the National Joint Terrorism Task Force and Department of State Diplomatic Security Service. 

 Casie has received numerous awards during her career including the National Security Council’s Outstanding Service Award, National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, and CIA’s Meritorious Unit Citation. 

 Casie is proud to be a University of Maryland College Park alumn where she earned her B.S in Psychology and Criminology along with a College Park Scholars citation in Child Advocacy. Casie lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three children but makes sure to make it down to campus for football and basketball games – GO TERPS!

Andrew Fausett is Senior Counsel to U.S. Senator Feinstein on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he advises Senator Feinstein on all matters within the Committee’s jurisdiction pertaining to national security, transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, and immigration law. He previously served as Senator Feinstein’s Senior Counsel for National Security when she was the Ranking Member of the Committee. Prior to joining the Senate staff, Andy was the Assistant General Counsel for Information Sharing at the Department of Homeland Security, where he provided legal support to departmental efforts to share, analyze, compare, and use law enforcement, intelligence, immigration, and travel data at scale in support of national security missions. From 2016 to 2018, he was a Deputy Legal Adviser at the National Security Council (NSC), where he advised NSC leadership and staff on legal matters pertaining to border security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, health security and biodefense, disaster response and resilience, and U.S. foreign relations with other nations in the Western Hemisphere. Among other recognition, Andy received the Secretary of Homeland Security’s Distinguished Service Medal, the Department’s second-highest civilian honor, in 2016 and the NSC’s Outstanding Service Award in 2017. Andy received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies with honors from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor degree summa cum laude from American University’s Washington College of Law.

Tuesday, 3:30pm to 6:30pm
Course Information: This course examines the formulation, implementation and evaluation of health policy. Health care policies determine who receives health benefits, what type of care is available, who administers care, how frequently care is provided, and how much care will cost. These policy decisions are critical in influencing the health and well-being of our society. The course also explores the complexities and challenges facing the American health care system. Students will formulate a policy brief and conduct an impact analysis to better understand the potential benefits and costs of health policies addressing issues such as child health, health reform, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, smoking cessation or injury prevention.

Instructor Information:
Woodie Kessel, MD, MPH, is a community pediatrician and child advocate with experience in bioengineering, medicine, public health, community-based programming, and public policy. Dr. Kessel is the Senior Child Health Scholar in Residence at the C E Koop Institute, Dartmouth College and Medical School, and Professor of the Practice at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. Dr. Kessel is actively involved in projects focused on eliminating child poverty, advocacy and science related the care and cure of rare diseases, community-based strategies to prevent gun violence aimed at children, community data systems, and standards of care for newborns and children requiring cardio-thoracic surgery. Previously, Dr. Kessel served in the US Public Health Service as an Assistant Surgeon General and senior advisor on child and family health matters to the White House, Cabinet Secretaries, Surgeons General, and Health and Human Services officials spanning eight administrations. Dr. Kessel has been involved in setting child health policy, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program, guidelines for health supervision of children and adolescents; preventing childhood obesity through federal initiatives and community-based research that guides grandparents in helping their grandchildren make health choices; and the Healthy Start Initiative to reduce infant mortality in the US. Dr. Kessel serves on several boards including the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition Board; the Sesame Workshop Health and Nutrition workgroup; PBS KIDS Health Council; Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation; Healthy Children, Healthy Futures Organization; the Fischell Bioengineering Advisory Committee, UMD; and others. He has received the USPHS Distinguished Service Medal the highest USPHS recognition award, the Drexel 100 Distinguished Alumni Award, the Einstein College of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Excellence in Public Service Award, and others. Dr. Kessel studied electrical engineering at Drexel University; medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and, public health at the Johns Hopkins University. He completed his pediatric residency and primary care fellowship at Boston City Hospital. He was a RWJF Clinical Scholar and an ambulatory pediatrics fellow at the George Washington University’s Children’s Hospital National Medical Center.

Monday, 6:00p.m. to 9:00pm, ESJ B0322
Course Description: This course will examine questions and issues related to policy advocacy and political engagement at the local, state and national levels. Students will consider differences between power and influence, including constraints on people who hold power. Course topics will include principles of negotiation, how to advocate for causes, how to participate in the political process, and how to win political office. This non-partisan course will also examine some of the limits of democracy, the role of money in politics, and principles of civil discourse and ethics.

Instructor Information:
Peter Owen has provided policy and political advice to various government agencies – and advocated on their behalf – for over 25 years. He is currently the Deputy Officer for Legislative Affairs at the Administrative Office of the United States Courts and previously served at Department of Justice. His first job out of college was with the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.

Peter Owen has also volunteered in local policy advocacy and local politics. His civic roles have included being president of his neighborhood association and chairman of the executive committee of the county-wide Civic Federation. Peter was the campaign manager for the first Latino member of a County Board in Virginia, and has been an officer in a local political party, where he organized numerous elections and spearheaded a shift to ranked-choice voting. In 2012 he was a voting Delegate at a national political convention. He has also served as Chairman of Arlington’s Transportation Commission and its Industrial Development Authority, and as Vice Chairman of its Board of Zoning Appeals. In addition, Peter has served on the board of directors of three non-profit corporations: in the arts, the media and tenant advocacy.

An attorney, Peter holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he assisted teaching its “Leadership 101” course. He received his law degree from the College of William & Mary and undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. Peter grew up inside the beltway and enjoys urban hiking and travel.