Strategic Analysis and
Intelligence Leadership (SAIL) Program

The Strategic Analysis and Intelligence Leadership (SAIL) program is a professional development and educational enhancement activity that supports students who aspire to careers in the U.S. Intelligence Community (Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and other federal government organizations), state government, and the broader global and national security enterprise.

An objective is that students will develop a deeper understanding of their academic studies within a broader strategic national security context. This objective is achieved in part through a distinctive aspect of SAIL scholarship to use a complex sociotechnical, engineering systems approach in the analysis of challenges to global peace and security.

Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence

SAIL is a collaboration among Penn State’s Center for Security Research and Education, the Applied Research Laboratory, and the College of Engineering, and in coordination with the College of Information Sciences and Technology and other colleges and departments.

SAIL is Penn State’s Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence, a nationwide program directed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. SAIL interacts with the National Intelligence University (NIU) and the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) and is a member of the U.S. Strategic Command’s Academic Alliance.

SAIL content and activities:

  • Guest speakers that include former senior intelligence community and Department of Defense officials and early career professionals, many who are Penn State alumni, to discuss the changing nature of the security environment and offer insights about professional development and leadership.
  • Instructional modules
    • Security clearance process;
    • History of the U.S. Intelligence Community;
    • Organization, mission, and functions of the national security enterprise;
    • Strategic foresight and analysis of emerging and disruptive technologies; and
    • Legal, regulatory, and ethical issues.
  • Student research and analysis projects.
  • Information and guidance regarding internship, employment and career opportunities.
  • Individualized career mentoring and academic advising.

Students may participate in SAIL based on their level of interest and availability:

  • As an extracurricular activity;
  • As an internship, when approved by a student’s college or department;
  • For academic credit, when approved by a student’s college or department;
  • To obtain a series of micro-credentials.

Recent speakers have included:

  • Dr. Mathew Burrows, Director of Foresight, Strategy and Risks Initiative, Atlantic Council
  • Gen. James Cartwright, Eighth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Ms. Julia Warshafsky, Research Associate, Institute for Defense Analysis
  • Dr. Jared Mondschein, Associate Physical Scientist, RAND
  • Dr. Debra Knopman, Principal Researcher; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
  • Mr. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Independent DoD/IC Consultant; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Dr. Gina Guillaume-Joseph, Director of Technology, Capital One
  • Dr. Norman Augustine, former CEO and Chairman, Lockheed Martin Corporation
  • Gen. C. Robert Kehler, former Commander, U.S. Strategic Command
  • Dr. Brian Holmes, Dean, Oettinger School of Science and Technology, National Intelligence University
  • Ms. Sharaelle A. Grzesiak, U.S. Government Accountability Office
  • CDR Eric Popiel, U.S. Office of Personnel Management
  • Mr. Jeremiah Cottle, U.S. Secret Service
  • Ms. Sue Gordon, Fifth Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence
  • Dr. William Perry, Nineteenth U.S. Secretary of Defense

For more information, please contact:

Dr. John Hodgson, Center for Security Research and Education, jgh161@psu.edu
Dr. Darryl Farber, College of Engineering, dlf112@psu.edu