Furman presents symposium on national security April 10-11

Furman University’s Riley Institute and Department of Politics and International Affairs will present a two-day symposium on national security and civil liberties Monday, April 10 and Tuesday, April 11, 7-8:45 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium on the Furman campus.

The symposium, “Safe and Free? Civil Liberties and the Fight for National Security,” is free and open to the public, and is made possible with support from the J. Kelly Sisk Fund and Mayville Fund.

Lt. Gen. John Mulholland

On April 10, Lt. Gen. John Mulholland (U.S. Army, ret.), former commander of special forces and CIA associate director for military affairs will speak on “America’s Current and Future National Security Challenges.” Following his talk, commander of U.S. Army Intelligence Maj. Gen. Chris Ballard, Jen Lambert of the State Department, and biotechnology scientist Sheana Cavitt will discuss how we address national security challenges in an increasingly complex world.

Adm. Mike McConnell

On April 11, Adm. Mike McConnell (U.S. Navy, ret.), former U.S. Director of National Intelligence and former head of the National Security Agency presents the case for government surveillance. Weighing in on the balance between providing national security and protecting civil liberties are Maurice Owens, who coordinated the White House situation room and is now an executive with Libra Group; Eli Dourado, a technology policy and cybersecurity expert; former CIA officer Mike Roosevelt; and NPR’s lead digital reporter Jessica Taylor.

Historian and 10^th Furman president David Shi will moderate both sessions.

All 10 speakers are graduates of Furman University. They will share their expertise not only during the evening public events, but also during the day on campus—as guests in classes, over meals with students and faculty, and in other small group settings.

A full schedule follows. Speaker bio information may be found at this link.

April 10: The Fight for National Security
7:00 – 8:45 p.m.
Keynote Address: America’s Current and Future National Security Challenges
Lieutenant General John Mulholland, U.S. Army, ret., Furman Class of 1978

Panel Discussion:

Major General Chris Ballard, Furman Class of 1984, commander, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command

Sheana Cavitt, Furman Class of 2004, senior professional, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

Jennifer Lambert, Furman Class of 2001, foreign affairs officer at U.S. Department of State

April 11: Spying on Americans? Balancing Safety, Free Speech, and Privacy
7:00 – 8:45 p.m.
Keynote Address: The Case for Government Surveillance
Vice Admiral Mike McConnell, U.S. Navy, ret., Furman Class of 1966, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence

Maurice Owens with President Barack Obama. (Pete Souza/Official White House Photo)

Panel Discussion:

Eli Dourado, Furman Class of 2002, co-creator of WCITLeaks, and director of Technology Policy Program at Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Maurice Owens, Furman Class of 2000, head of D.C. office for Libra and former coordinator of the White House situation room

Michael Roosevelt, Furman Class of 1981, former CIA senior intelligence officer

Jessica Taylor, Furman Class of 2007, National Public Radio’s lead digital reporter

For more information about the symposium, contact the Riley Institute at 864-294-3546 or visit this link. Or contact the Furman News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.