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February 28, 2024

GWIA hosts its first Career Paths in International Relations Panel

On Feb 28, Georgetown Women in International Affairs (GWIA) hosted its first Career Paths in International Relations Panel, featuring Farah Pandith, Prof. Elisabeth Ferris, Dr. Laura Manning Johnson, and Diane Batchik.

Through an informal conversation among the guest speakers and a Q&A section, the panel sought to demystify career options, foster a deeper understanding of industry dynamics, and empower more informed decisions about career paths.

From left to right: Prof. Elisabeth Ferris, Farah Pandith, Dr. Laura Manning Johnson, and Diane Batchik

Some of the key themes discussed during the panel included:

Networking for success: Learn how to build a network to enhance your learning and professional growth

Community and mentorship: Discover the value of fostering a supportive community and seeking mentorship to navigate your career path and work-life balance more effectively

Seizing opportunities: Explore the value of stepping out of your comfort zone and seizing opportunities outside your skill set as a means of continuous learning

Confidence building: Embrace saying yes, projecting confidence, and finding zen amidst the chaos of professional life

From left to right: Hannah Followill, Siv Marie Röhrl and Prof. Elisabeth Ferris

About the panelists

Farah Pandith

An adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, foreign policy strategist, and former diplomat renowned for her pioneering work in counter-violent extremism. A political appointee in the George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama administrations, Pandith was appointed the first special representative to Muslim communities in June 2009 by Secretary of State Clinton, serving under Clinton and John Kerry. During her tenure, Pandith traveled to nearly one hundred countries and was the main architect of the Women in Public Service Project, earning her the Secretary's Distinguished Honor Award. She also brings additional experience in the NSC, USAID, and the Homeland Security Advisory Council

Prof. Elisabeth Ferris

Director of the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University. She specializes in humanitarian and human rights issues, focusing on the politics of humanitarian action and civil society's role in protecting displaced populations. Most recently, she served as Co-Director and Senior Fellow of the Brookings Project on Internal Displacement from 2006-2015, acted as senior advisor to the UN Secretary-General in planning the Global Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants in 2016, and was one of four expert advisors to the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement from 2019-21.

Dr. Laura Manning Johnson

A professor and practitioner of national security, she brings her experience in academia and analysis. She served as a Biological Warfare Analyst in the Weapons Intelligence and Non-Proliferation Center for the CIA before becoming the first Director of Central Intelligence Representative to the Office of Homeland Security. She was a member of the Vice-President’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Review and in numerous directorial positions at the Department of Homeland Security (Chief of Counterterrorism, Deputy Director of Fusion, amongst many others). Additionally, she served on the Board of Directors of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) from 2007 to 2010, and co-chaired INSA’S Domestic Intelligence Council.

Diane Batchik

A practitioner at the intersection of intelligence, technology, and international relations in support of U.S. national security, she worked at the National Security Agency for almost 20 years, in the U.S., at the U.S. European Command, and on the Intelligence Community's Arms Control Intelligence Staff. In industry, she ran international partner programs for a Fortune 500 company and federal programs for a tech start-up. As co-founder and CEO, Diane led a high-end cyber intelligence and engineering company providing support to US national security clients, eventually successfully selling the company to a leading data analytics firm. She is active in multiple philanthropic areas, including currently serving on the national board of one of the largest national immigration advocacy and refugee resettlement organizations; she also co-owns two restaurants.

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GWIA hosts its first Career Paths in International Relations Panel

About the panelists

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