The National Defense Society at JMU brings together students who want to work in defense, intelligence, and national security — and gives them a head start. We bridge policy, technology, and national security, and we're open to every major: political science and international affairs, computer science, math, business, and beyond.
We're the James Madison University chapter of the National Defense Society, a national student organization. Each semester we run a speaker series with practitioners from across the field, field hands-on project teams, and connect members directly with the people and organizations shaping American national security.
// CHAPTERS AT UNIVERSITIES INCLUDING PURDUE
// What We Do
Three Ways In
01 //
Speaker Series
Biweekly conversations with practitioners from defense, intelligence, and national security.
02 //
Project Teams
Hands-on work in cyber, OSINT, defense industry analysis, and more. Each team ships a real deliverable each semester.
03 //
Career Pathways
Direct exposure to the people, organizations, and ideas shaping American national security.
// Fall 2026 Speaker Series
This Semester's Speakers
// September 8, 2026
Melissa Juarbe-Pratt
Director, National Security Internships, IWP
Kicking off the semester with how students actually break into the national security field.
// September 22, 2026
Anthony Pignone
U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, Joint Staff
A working intelligence officer's view from inside the Joint Staff.
// October 21, 2026
Mike Driscoll
Senior Counselor, Palantir
Where defense technology is headed — and who's building it.
// November 3, 2026
Nicholas Hanson
COO, War on the Rocks
Running the publication where the national security community argues with itself.
// Meetings
When We Meet
Day
Tuesdays
Time
5:00 – 6:15 PM
Location
Union 400
We run on a biweekly rhythm: speaker weeks alternate with project work weeks, so every meeting is either a conversation with a practitioner or time to build with your team.
// Key Dates — Fall 2026
AUG 31 – SEP 1
Interest meetings — Union 400, 5:00 PM
SEP 8
Speaker: Melissa Juarbe-Pratt // SPEAKER
SEP 22
Speaker: Anthony Pignone // SPEAKER
OCT 21
Speaker: Mike Driscoll // SPEAKER
NOV 3
Speaker: Nicholas Hanson // SPEAKER
DEC 8
End-of-semester project showcase // SHOWCASE
// Project Teams
Get Your Hands Dirty
Project teams launch in the first month of each semester. Membership is application-based, and every team ships a real deliverable by the end of the semester. Fall 2026 domains:
Computer Science, minoring in Math & Data Analytics
Rory Gardner
// Director of Projects
Statistics, concentrating in Data Science
Elias Hawkins
// Cyber Chair
Information Technology
// Faculty AdvisorDr. Bernie KausslerDepartment of Political Science
// Sponsors
Made Possible By
Our chapter operations, speaker series, and project teams are supported by the organizations below. If your organization would like to sponsor NDS-JMU, we would love to hear from you.
