Professor and Director, International Security Program, George Mason University

Trustee Emeritus of The Asia Foundation
Chair of American Task Force, Asian Views on America's Role in Asia
President Emeritus, The Stimson Center



Ellen Laipson served on the board of trustees of The Asia Foundation from 2003 to 2015, and was appointed Trustee Emerita in June 2015. Laipson is the Director of the International Security program at the Schar School of Government and Public Policy at George Mason University. She joins George Mason University after a distinguished 25 year career in government and as President and CEO of the Stimson Center (2002-2015). She serves on a number of academic and other non-governmental boards related to international security and diplomacy, and is a weekly columnist for worldpoliticsreview.com. Her last post in government was Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council (1997-2002). She also served on the State Department’s policy planning staff, the National Security Council staff, and the Congressional Research Service. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, she serves on the Advisory Councils of the International Institute of Strategic Studies, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. She was a member of the CIA External Advisory Panel from 2006-2009, President Obama’s Intelligence Advisory Board from 2009-2013, and on the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board 2011-2014. Laipson has a master’s degree from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.