Join us for a series of AU educators who will explore ideas, research & debates linking scholarship to practice & advancing the joint force.
Good to know
Highlights
- In person
Location
Air University Library (AUL)
600 Chennault Circle
#building 1405 Montgomery, AL 36112
How do you want to get there?
Agenda
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Session 1 (15 Apr 2026)
Location: Chiabotti Speaker: Col Tony Franks Title: Innovation in the AF, What Works and Why Col Tony Franks lecture will be a quick history of AF innovation over the last few decades, and what the AF has been doing over the last decade to incorporate new and emerging technologies into the AF enterprise. Lecture will discuss innovation units, how they transition technology into AF requirements and program sustainment. Lecture will discuss successes and failures along this decade-long journey and what is next for AF innovation.
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Session 2 (13 May 2026)
Location: Chiabotti Speaker: Dr. Matthew Millard Title: America: A Reliable Ally? In "America: A Reliable Ally?", Dr. Matt Millard examines the question whether the United States is a reliable ally or not. Using quantitative evidence from the Alliance Treaty Obligations and Provisions dataset, Dr. Millard monadically and dyadically examines all alliances in the international system going back to 1816 to determine whether the United States makes a reliable formal ally. Dr. Millard identifies six alliances that the United States was involved in that ended irregularly and examines the formation, lifecycle, and termination of those alliances.
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Session 3 (24 June 2026)
Location: Chiabotti Speaker: Dr. Miruna Barnoschi Title: Proffering Protection or Peril: The NATO Umbrella and Moldova In “Proffering Protection or Peril: The NATO Umbrella and Moldova,” Dr. Miruna Barnoschi examines whether extending NATO’s security umbrella to Moldova would enhance regional stability or instead heighten geopolitical risk. Drawing on historical analysis of and process tracing NATO’s post-Cold War partnership mechanisms, regional security dynamics in the Black Sea area, and Russia’s strategic interests in the post-Soviet space, Dr. Barnoschi evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with Moldova’s deeper integration into the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. Particular attention is given to NATO cooperation programs, the unresolved Transnistria conflict, and the strategic implications of expanding Western security commitments into a region historically viewed as within Russia’s sphere of influence.