National security expert Javed Ali has been appointed an associate professor of practice on the faculty of the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, effective August 30, 2021. Ali is currently a Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence at the Ford School.
“I’m thrilled that Javed Ali will deepen his relationship with the Ford School as an associate professor of practice,” Dean Barr said. “Javed has already contributed so much to our community, and I know he will help us to continue to build strength on national security issues in the years to come.”
Ali brings more than 20 years of professional experience in national security and intelligence issues in Washington, DC. He held positions in the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Department of Homeland Security before joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While at the FBI, he also held senior roles on joint duty assignments at the National Intelligence Council and the National Counterterrorism Center, and the National Security Council under the Trump Administration.
"I am incredibly honored and excited to be joining the Ford School and the broader U-M community in my new role. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues in the Weiser Diplomacy Center to lead and develop practically focused courses on national security, heighten public engagement through media commentary and expert visits to Ann Arbor, and mentor and guide students interested in the professional paths I pursued. As a proud U-M alum from 1990, this is a dream come true and I am eager to start the next year."
Ali is an active contributor to the public discourse, and has appeared on 60 Minutes, NPR’s Morning Edition, CNN, MSNBC, and in the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, The Hill, and more. In 2020, he launched a national security themed podcast called “The Burn Bag” with two U-Mich alumni. Ali holds a BA in political science from the University of Michigan, a JD from the University of Detroit School of Law, and an MA in international relations from American University.
In fall 2021, Ali will teach a combined graduate/undergraduate Ford School course called “Domestic Violent Extremism: Policies, Threats, and New Approaches” and co-teach his popular Engineering/Policy course, “Cybersecurity for Future Leaders."
