WASHINGTON– The president’s most high-profile annual address, the State of the Union will take place Thursday night. President Biden plans to deliver a winning message to the American people and will touch on an array of different topics and his accomplishments. The president is expected to highlight issues ranging from infrastructure spending, crime and the economy.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary on a number of topics expected to be discussed in President Biden’s State of the Union Address. To schedule an interview with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].
Abortion
Sonia Suter is a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and founding director of the Health Law Initiative. She is an expert on issues at the intersection of law, medicine, and bioethics, with a particular focus on reproductive rights.
Sara Rosenbaum, is the Emeritus Professor of Health Policy and Management, and previously served as founding Chair of the Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy at George Washington University. She is a nationally recognized expert on health care access for vulnerable populations and is available to comment on the state of abortion in our country.
Julia Strasser, is the executive director of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health and an assistant research professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is an expert on reproductive health care and access to essential care including abortion.
Health Policy
Jeffrey Levi, a professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. His work focuses on the intersection of public health, the health care system and the multi-sector collaborations required to improve health.
Leighton Ku, a professor of health policy and management and Director of the Center for Health Policy Research at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, is a health policy researcher and public policy analyst. He is an expert in national and state health reforms, and how to improve access to affordable health care for vulnerable populations.
War in Ukraine
Robert Orttung, a research professor of international affairs, is an expert on comparative politics, Russia, Ukraine, energy security, federalism, and democracy. He can discuss Russian politics, Russian-Ukrainian relations and all issues related to urban politics in Eurasia. He can also speak to Vladimir Putin’s legacy and governance as well as the future of Russia more broadly.
Colin Cleary, Professorial Lecturer of U.S. Foreign Policy at GW. Cleary is an expert on Ukraine-Russia dynamics, Europe Energy Security and NATO. Professor Cleary can speak on the great power conflict and national security, NATO’s expansion–especially as it relates to Ukraine, and arms control. In addition to his expertise, Clearly has lived in work in Kyiv, Moscow, Poland, Romania, Spain and Ireland.
Israel/Hamas War
Ned Lazarus, Teaching Associate Professor of International Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. In addition, Professor Lazarus is an Israel Institute Teaching Fellow. Professor Lazarus is an expert in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Dialogue, Evaluation, and Peace Education. Prior to entering academia, Professor Lazarus served as the Middle East Program Director for Seeds of Peace.
Immigration
Cori Alonso-Yoder is an Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Lawyering at the GW Law School. Alonso-Yoder is nationally recognized scholar on immigration legislation and the impacts of state, local and federal laws on immigrant communities. She specializes on the health policy of immigration.
Alberto Benítez is a Professor of Clinical Law; and Director of GW Law’s Immigration Clinic. Professor Benítez is an expert in Immigration Law. Benítez supervises students that handle a variety of immigration law matters including representing noncitizens, writing comments to proposed federal regulations, and disseminating information to the public.
Elizabeth Vaquera is the inaugural Director of the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute and an Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University. Vaquera's research focuses on vulnerable and diverse groups, particularly Latinos/as and immigrants. Her work has analyzed the character and importance of immigrant status, race, and ethnic identity in outcomes such as education, health, and emotional and social well-being. In addition to an extensive body of work published in leading peer-reviewed journals, Vaquera is the co-author of several books, the most recent of which, Education and Immigration, examines the educational experiences of immigrants and their children living in the U.S.
U.S. and China Relations
Robert Sutter, Professor of Practice of International Affairs, is an expert on U.S.-China relations, China’s rise-domestic and international implications, Chinese foreign relations, Contemporary U.S. policy toward Asia and the Pacific, and political, security and economic development in Asia and the Pacific. Sutter’s government career saw service as senior specialist and director of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division of the Congressional Research Service, the National Intelligence Officer for East Asia and the Pacific at the US Government’s National Intelligence Council, the China division director at the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research and professional staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Artificial Intelligence
Alicia Solow-Niederman, Associate Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School. Solow-Niederman is an expert in the intersection of law and technology. Her research focuses on how to regulate emerging technologies, such as AI with an emphasis on algorithmic accountability, data governance and information privacy. Solow-Niederman is a member of the EPIC Advisory Board and has written and taught in privacy law, government use of AI and the likes.
National Security
Aram Gavoor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Professorial Lecturer in Law; Professor (by courtesy), Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration at the George Washington University Law School. Dean Gavoor is an internationally recognized scholar in national security, American administrative law, and federal courts. He previously served as Senior Counsel for National Security in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Politics
Peter Loge, is the director of the GW School of Media and Public Affairs and Director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication. Loge has nearly 30 years of experience in politics and communications, including a presidential appointment at the Food and Drug Administration and senior positions for Sen. Edward Kennedy and three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Loge can discuss the presidential race and upcoming debate as well as a number of topics that relate to politics, ethics, communications and political strategy.
Todd Belt is the director of the Political Management Program at the GW Graduate School of Political Management. Belt is an expert on the presidency, campaigns and elections, mass media and politics, public opinion, and political humor. In addition to his expertise, Belt is co-author of four books and helps to run GW’s political poll, which recently shared new findings.
Danny Hayes, professor of political science, is an expert on campaigns and elections who can discuss the current election landscape and provide insights and analysis on current campaign strategies.
Christopher Warshaw, an associate professor of political science at the George Washington University, is an expert on redistricting, American politics, representation, public opinion, as well as state and local politics.
Matt Dallek, a professor at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management, is a political historian with expertise in the intersection of social crises and political transformation, the evolution of the modern conservative movement, and liberalism and its critics. Along with four co-authored books, Dallek is the author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right, which explores the history and influence of America’s right-wing activism.