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  • About
    • Overview
    • Mission
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    • Lexington
    • Calendar
    • Community
    • Contact
    • Events
  • Academics
    • Program
    • Dual Degree
    • Concentrations
      • Diplomacy
      • International Security and Intelligence
      • International Commerce
      • International Organizations and Development
    • Summer Reading
    • Facilities
  • Experiences
    • Internships
    • Co-Curricular
      • Corporate Outreach
      • Simulations
      • Trips
      • Fall Conference
      • Speakers
    • Patterson Journal of International Affairs
    • Patterson Perspectives Podcast
    • Newsletter
  • Admissions
    • Applying
    • Tuition
    • Financial Aid
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Alumni
    • Professional Development
    • Employment Data
    • Resources
    • Alumni Profiles
  • People
    • Faculty
      • Dr. Kathleen Montgomery
      • Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh
      • Dr. Yujia He
      • Dr. Robert Farley
      • Dr. Gregory Hall
      • Ying-Juan Rogers
      • Dr. Michael Cairo
      • Amy McGrath
      • Dr. John Charalambakis
      • Emeritus
        • Ambassador George Herring
        • Dr. Karen Mingst
        • Dr. John Stempel
    • Staff
      • Brent Floyd
      • Audrey Sparks
    • Alumni
      • Amanda Mullikin
      • Angela Feeney
      • Ashley Givan
      • Brian Hale
      • Catherine Putz
      • David Kaluba
      • Joshua Mike
      • Julia Dzingailo
      • Katie Kerr
      • Marta Recinos
      • Nicholas Wilson
      • Reggie Gibbs
      • Richard Wynne
      • Ryan Consaul
      • Will Cash
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    • Amanda Mullikin
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    • Joshua Mike
    • Julia Dzingailo
    • Katie Kerr
    • Marta Recinos
    • Nicholas Wilson
    • Reggie Gibbs
    • Richard Wynne
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    • Will Cash
Nicholas Wilson image

Nicholas Wilson

Special Assistant to the Secretary United States Air Force

“My journey from the Patterson School to the Pentagon was not direct, but included several essential stops: first at a think tank, then with the aerospace/defense industry, and finally in politics. Working on the 2008 presidential campaign turned out to be just the right ticket to land a political appointment as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force.

I arrived at Patterson with a UK degree in political science, an interest in Africa, and a solid year's experience working in politics at the state level. At Patterson I concentrated on diplomacy with a minor in development, taking a raft of economics courses — but not a single class on defense or security issues. Who knew that my career trajectory would center upon defense, business, and politics.

Upon graduation, I immediately relocated to DC, working as a program manager and analyst at CSIS. There I put my training in "cross-cultural bargaining" to good use, directing teams tackling projects ranging from post-conflict reconstruction and Southeast Asian defense strategy to nuclear deterrence/non-proliferation and terrorism. Next, I expanded my security expertise by working as a management consultant at Renaissance Strategic Advisors, a Virginia-based aerospace and defense sector consulting firm.

At the Air Force, I help prepare the Secretary and other senior Air Force leaders for their engagements on Capitol Hill with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Currently, I am working on an effort to bring alternative sources of energy to the Air Force that are efficient, affordable, and environmentally compliant.

This is a challenging time to be at the Pentagon as we draw down from the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and set strategic priorities in the face of sharp budgetary constraints.”

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