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Protecting maritime trade routes, securing energy supplies, and governing an expanding space economy present interconnected challenges for policymakers. At 91����’s , faculty expertise in energy geopolitics, international security, and space policy helped bring those challenges into focus at the eighth annual Mason Energy Forum.

Held October 7 at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, the daylong symposium, “From Sea to Space: The Challenges for Energy, Trade, and National Security,” brought together scholars, government officials, and industry leaders. The event was hosted by the  (CESP) and the  (CSPS).

The collaboration connected complementary areas of research: energy security, sustainability, and resilience at CESP, and multidisciplinary analysis of defense and security challenges at the CSPS.

Organizers hoped attendees would leave with a greater appreciation for “the interconnectedness of national security, energy policy, and local infrastructure for commercial space and data centers,” said , Distinguished Visiting Professor and CESP codirector.

Energy and maritime security are crucial topics to address as “both have an immediate sense of urgency, the preoccupation of our policymakers, but also long-term consequences,” said cohost , director of CSPS and the  program.

Those immediate pressures and longer-term implications shaped discussions throughout the day. Following a keynote address by retired Admiral Charles Richard, president of the Institute for Defense Analyses, on the state of international maritime strategy, panels of government and private-sector practitioners examined the challenges of maritime security and the relationship between energy and national security amid global conflict.

The first panel followed in Richard’s wake with a thorough discussion of “Maritime Security: 21st Century Challenges,” moderated by Schar School adjunct Joe Petrucelli, a Schar School 2022 PhD graduate in international relations and national security studies. Among other topics addressed, Steven Wills, a navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy, reviewed maritime warfare developments on oceans around the world. 

A midday discussion shifted to dry land as David Hart, a former Schar School professor now with the Council on Foreign Relations, set the stage for the second session’s topics of energy security, technological innovation, and modern leadership. 

Hart was followed by a keynote address from Rian Bahran, chief nuclear officer for Antares, a California-based company developing portable nuclear reactors for military and space applications. Bahran described a future with governments, commercial clients, and international markets relying on nuclear technology, not just for energy but as a means of safeguarding national security.

Later panels explored space as economic infrastructure and the evolving mix of energy technologies, including nuclear, solar, and geothermal power. A key focus was the discussion of Northern Virginia’s energy demand driven by explosive AI data center growth. Industry experts explored behind-the-meter power generation based on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), solar and geothermal microgrids, and the challenging economic question of how “hyperscalers” will deploy next-generation power solutions.

Schar School adjunct professor Hina Kazmi, a NASA veteran who also helped to organize the event, moderated the space infrastructure discussion.

Kazmi called the symposium “a very intellectually engaging environment” and was particularly encouraged by the student participation. She noted that the rapidly expanding space sector offers significant career opportunities across disciplines ranging from STEM to law.

Asked whether space represents a growing employment field for students, her answer was emphatic: “Big time.”

Schar School students in attendance the forum connected their coursework with current debates in energy policy and national security.

“I’ve always wanted to find a way to combine my interests in energy policy and national security, so this is the first time I’m going to a summit at George Mason where I can explore both those interests—and so far I’m really loving it,” said  student Charessa Fryc.

The forum also offered something beyond the classroom: direct access to practitioners and experts confronting many of the same national security and policy challenges they study in their graduate programs. Fryc had the opportunity to meet Colin Grabow, associate director of the Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, whose published work she already knew.

“It’s like a marketplace of ideas,” she said. “There are so many different perspectives that I can learn from.”

Marine veteran Jeff Hanrahan found similar value in hearing perspectives beyond those he encounters in his coursework.

“I like being able to hear from a wide range of new experts,” said Hanrahan, a master’s student in the Schar School’s  (ISEC). “My professors are all great but getting to hear close to 10 other people who I don’t normally get to hear from every day is important.”

The&�Բ�����;“Sea to Space” symposium is one of several special events celebrating the Schar School’s 10th anniversary in 2026. Programs such as these underscore the Schar School’s role as a convening place for scholars, policymakers, industry leaders, and practitioners to examine the forces shaping public policy and national security.