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Military Writers’ Symposium

Celebrating three decades of exceptional military writing.

MWS 30 Years

“Perception Wars: The Battle to Control Reality”

ĻӰ, Northfield, Vermont

The only program of its kind at an American university, the ĻӰ Military Writers’ Symposium convenes authors and experts in the fields of military history, intelligence, and current affairs to offer important perspectives on pressing global concerns.  

This year, we invite you to join ĻӰ faculty, staff, and students to celebrate 30 years of exceptional military writing and contemplate today’s most pressing issues in the information warfare field. This renowned two-day event will feature subject matter experts, those currently serving in the field, and some of the world’s leading military writers, including the 2024 William E. Colby Military Writers’ Award winner, Mariana Budjeryn.

Budjeryn has been selected for the 2024 William E. Colby Military Writers’ Award for her work Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine (John Hopkins Press). The annual award is presented to a solo work of fiction or nonfiction that has made a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations, or international affairs. Budjeryn, whose work is both timely and relevant, has the added distinction of being the first female author to be honored as the winner of the Colby Award in its 25-year history. 

[SOLD OUT] Meet the Authors Dinner: On Tuesday, October 8, the symposium will conclude with this not-to-be-missed dinner. Ask any former attendee and they will tell you that this dinner is a one-of-a-kind experience. Join ĻӰ leadership, our special guests, alumni, and students as we eat great food, engage in exciting conversation, and make lasting connections. Tickets are required for the dinner.

Agenda

To view the event, visit the linked playlist on YouTube.

  1. Monday

    9 AM to 9:50 AM | Setting the Stage – Two Truths and a Lie 
     

    Welcome Remarks by Dr. Travis Morris, Director, NU Peace & War Center
    Introduction of keynote speaker by LTG John Broadmeadow, President, ĻӰ
    Keynote Address: LTG Laura A. Potter, 58th Director of the Army Staff, US Army

    10 AM to 10:50 AM | From Data to Defense: Information Warfare Roadmap  
     

    Student Moderators: Sophia Righthouse and James Culp &Բ;
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    11 AM to 11:50 AM | From Virtual Footprints to Boots on the Ground: Information Warfare in Practice

    Student Moderators: C. Will Bazant and Isabella Ross  
    Panelists: Colonel Curtis Boyd, US Army (Ret.); Colonel Scott Nelson, US Army (Ret.); Dr. Diane Zorri, Senior Fellow, Global and National Security Institute, University of South Florida

    1 PM to 1:50 PM | Russian Information Warfare: The Battle to Control Reality

    Student Moderators: Jenna Jones & Greyson Merola
    Author: Dr. Bilyana Lilly, CISSP, Chair, Democratic Resilience Track, Warsaw Security Forum

    2 PM to 2:50 PM | Student Research Presentations

    Discussion Moderators: Mark Perry, Lead Research Analyst - Information Warfare; John Kidder, Information Warfare Subject Matter Expert
    Presentations by: Lucia Frezza, Richard S. Schultz '60 Symposium Fellow; Lilian Lu, Richard S. Schultz '60 Symposium Fellow; Dumisani Janda, Information Warfare Intern and Isabella Ross, Information Warfare Intern

     

    7 PM to 8:30 PM | Perception Wars: The Battle to Control Reality

    Introduction by Dr. Karen F. Gaines, Provost & Dean of the Faculty, ĻӰ Discussion Moderator: Colonel Stephen Roberts, PhD, Reserve Officers' Training Corps, ĻӰ
    Panelists: Drs. Bilyana Lilly, and Zizi Papacharissi, Nina Jankowicz, and Colonel Curtis Boyd.
     

To view the event, visit the linked playlist on YouTube.

  1. Tuesday

    9:30 AM to 10:45 AM | Safeguarding the Role of Media in Democracy

    Student Moderators: Hector Aponte and Daniel Inglee 
    Author: Dr. Zizi Papacharissi, Department Head and Professor, Communications, University of Illinois-Chicago

    11 AM to 12:15 PM | Weaponizing Perception in Communities: A Researcher’s Perspective and Tool Kit

    Remarks by Jakon Hays, Kristen Pedersen, Rachel Sickler, and Eszter Szenes.

    1 PM to 1:50 PM | Colby Award Book Presentation: Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine

    Student Moderator: Rodion Pedyuk
    Author: Mariana Budjeryn, PhD, Senior Research Associate, Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center, Project on Managing the Atom (MTA)

    2 PM to 2:50 PM | Dennis E. Showalter Research Fellowship Presentation

    Discussion Moderators: Dr. David Ulbrich, Associate Dean of the Arts and Sciences Division in the College of Graduate and Continuing Education; R. Pierce Reid, Chair, Military Writers' Symposium Associates.
    Presentation by William Bain, US Navy (ret.), Dennis E. Showalter Research Fellow

    6 PM to 9 PM | Meet the Authors Reception & Dinner | By Invitation Only

    Dinner Remarks by Dr. Karen F. Gaines, Provost & Dean of the Faculty, ĻӰ

Past Programs

For three decades, the ĻӰ Military Writers’ Symposium has brought well over 100 military writers, historians, journalists and biographers to campus, giving NU residential and online students the opportunity to meet some of the most prominent military writers and historians of our time, and to gain a better understanding of the world through their eyes. 

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