Speakers Bureau
Forage Center Board and Staff bring a wide range of expertise to the organization. Experts in their fields, our Board and Staff have delivered keynote address, led and participated in panel discussions, consulted on projects, and have taken on a myriad of leadership roles. Full bios and publications are below. To connect with our Board or Staff members, please email us.
David J. Smith
President
David J. Smith works nationally in higher education and with professional groups to promote conflict resolution, humanitarian, and peacebuilding approaches to address global and domestic conflict and change. Smith was a senior manager and program officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace, and has been on the faculties of Georgetown University, Towson University, Goucher College, and Drexel University. He currently teaches at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. Smith was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar teaching at the University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia. Smith has written widely about graduate and undergraduate education and humanitarian issues in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Conflict Resolution Quarterly, The Baltimore Sun, The New York Times, International Journal on World Peace, and ACResolution Magazine. He is a recipient of the William Kreidler Award for Distinguished Service to the field of Conflict Resolution, awarded by the Association for Conflict Resolution. He has been interviewed on the TODAY show and featured in The Washington Post Magazine. Besides his work with the Forage Center, he is a career coach for professionals seeking careers in international fields. Smith holds degrees from American University (B.A.), George Mason University (M.S.), and the University of Baltimore (J.D.). He is pursuing a graduate certificate in positive psychology.
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Publications:
Smith, D.J. (2021, June). Review of the U.S. Institute of Peace: A Critical History (English, M.D.). International Journal on World Peace, 38(2). Smith, D. J. (2021). Peacebuilding as a Means to Global Citizenry. In Management Association, Information Resources, ed. Research Anthology on Instilling Social Justice in the Classroom (963-975). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-7706-6. Smith, D. J. (2019, July 12). Why Studying Abroad Could Be the Key to Career Success. Forbes. Smith, D. J. (2019, September 4). Applying an International Experience to Your Career Search. Forbes. ​​Smith, D. J. (2019). Peacebuilding as a Means to Global Citizenry. In G. Malveaux, & R. Raby (eds.), Study Abroad Opportunities for Community College Students and Strategies for Global Learning (200-212). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-6252-8.ch014. ​Smith, D. J. (2018, December 23). Lesson From the California Wildfires: Empathy for Others. Baltimore Sun. ​Smith, D.J. (2018, September). Review of Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of our Time (Milibrand, D.). International Journal on World Peace, 35(3). ​Smith, D. J. (2018, January 23). Building a Better World Through Travel Abroad. Baltimore Sun. ​Smith, D. J. (2017, September 14). Preparedness Is Everyone’s Business. Huffington Post. ​Smith, D.J. (2017, July 24). Fostering Humanitarianism With American Young People. Huffington Post. Smith, D.J. (2017, January 29). Now More Than Ever, Americans Must Offer Humanitarian Aid to Outsiders. Baltimore Sun. Smith, D.J. (2016, May 27). National Service in War and Peace. Huffington Post. Smith, D.J (2016, January 8). Working for Peace Here at Home. Baltimore Sun. Smith, D.J. (2016). Peace Jobs: A Student’s Guide to Starting a Career Working for Peace. Information Age Publishing. Carstarphen, N., Zelizer, C., Harris, R., & Smith, D.J. (2010, August). U.S. Institute of Peace Special Report: Graduate and Professional Practice in International Peace and Conflict. United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 246.
Jess Bonnan-White
Director of Education & Training
Jess Bonnan-White is a security studies scholar and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in homeland security, conflict resolution, peace studies, criminological theory, humanitarian history, and emergency management. Her work has been published in Contemporary Justice Review, PLOS Currents Disasters, Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Peace Review, Agriculture and Human Values, Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education, Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the International Association for Emergency Management Bulletin. Jess is also the recipient of an International Peace Research Association Foundation research grant for her recent work on policing in Northern Ireland. With domestic and international research and practice experience, her scholarship explores community dynamics, conflict analysis, and governmental response to public crisis. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Northern Illinois University and the University of Iowa, respectively, as well as a postgraduate certificate in conflict and peace studies from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She also volunteers with the American Red Cross New Jersey Region as a volunteer for the Service to the Armed Forces and International Services programs as the regional lead for the International Humanitarian Law Instruction Program.
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Publications:
Bonnan-White, J. (2017). Independent-Living Senior Communities in Disaster: Self-Efficacy and Trust in Responding Agencies. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 14(2). doi:10.1515/jhsem-2016-0064. ​Bonnan-White, J. (2016). Review of Security Theology, Surveillance, and the Politics of Fear (Shalhoub-Kevorkian, N.). Review of Middle East Studies 50(1), 118-121. ​Bonnan-White, J., Issa, A. (2016). Documenting the Complex Relationship Between Self-efficacy, Resiliency, and Workplace Empowerment: A Case Study of Humanitarian Workers in Palestine. Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 1(7), online. doi:10.1186/s41018-016-0011-y. Bonnan-White, J. (2015). Avoiding the Emperor’s Prophecy: Making the Case for the Primacy of Emergency Management in Criminal Justice and Human Security Studies. Contemporary Justice Review, 18(3), 296-312. doi:10.1080/10282580.2015.1057707. Bonnan-White, J., Shulman, J., & Bielecke, A. (2014). Snow Tweets: Emergency Information Dissemination in a U.S. County During 2014 Winter Storms. PLoS Currents. doi:10.1371/currents.dis.100a212f4973b612e2c896e4cdc91a36. ​Bonnan-White, J. (2013). Learning Peace From "Lower" Primates. Peace Review, 25 (3): 414-422. ​Bonnan-White, J. (2011). Review of Peacekeeping Under Fire: Culture and Intervention (Rubenstein, R.). Peace Review, 23 (3), 422-425.
Lena Choudhary
Program Specialist
Lena Choudhary, J.D., M.S., R.N., is an associate professor of nursing at Montgomery College. They have been teaching for over eight years. Their content focus is on legal and ethical issues in nursing along with worksite environments, particularly lateral violence or bullying in the nursing profession. They have presented at numerous conferences and faculty and student forums on this topic. They have taught at the undergraduate and graduate level as well. Lena’s specialty is in public health nursing, particularly vulnerable populations, domestic and international. Their experience with the Forage Center and the live training simulations for the past five years is supported by their continued professional development in nursing simulation, which has grown in use tremendously in the last decade.
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Publications:
Choudhary, L. (2018). Educational Strategies for Conflict Management. Nursing, 48(12).
Peter Reynolds
Member, Board of Directors
Peter Reynolds is a highly regarded, enthusiastic consultant and trainer with over 29 years in leadership positions in the military and 15 years as a lecturer, management and environmental safety and security consultant. He has extensive experience in strategic planning, budgeting, humanitarian logistics, security strategy, policy and training as well as humanitarian operations, public affairs and project management in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and North America.
He has travelled, lived and/or worked in more than 30 countries and is a strong communicator with extensive media and presentational experience.
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Publications:
​Reynolds, P.W. (March 2007). Law and Counter-Terrorism. Barricades. Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal.
Reynolds, P.W. (November 2006). Global Approaches to Counter-Terrorism Legislation. Lecture at Chatham House. London.
Reynolds, P.W. (January 2006). European Political Union. Barricades. Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal.
Reynolds, P.W. (2003). Media and Communications Systems in the Balkan Wars. Palgrave Macmillan (edited volume).