The Carnegie-Maxwell Policy Planning Lab (PPL) funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, is part of the Corporation’s Bridging the Gap program. The PPL brings together leading scholars of international relations, with midcareer policy professionals, to develop future policy scenarios whilst also offering early career civil servants’ leadership and management training.

Williams’s research and writing focuses functionally on international security and regionally on Europe-Russia and NATO. He has published extensively in both academic and policy outlets on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as on issues of war and technology. The author of three books, his most recent was “Science, Law and Liberalism in the American Way of War: The Quest for Humanity in Conflict” (Cambridge University Press).

His work has been published in journals such as International Affairs, International Politics, International Peacekeeping, Global Governance and Cooperation & Conflict. He is also co-editor of the critically acclaimed Power in World Politics. As a doctoral candidate at LSE, he was editor-in-chief of Millennium: Journal of International Studies, volume 33.

His research has been supported by numerous foundations. Most recently he was a 2023 NATO Security Studies Fulbright Fellow at the Brussels School of Governance in Belgium. He previously held a Robert Bosch Fellowship in the German Ministry of Defense, a visiting fellowship at the University of Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute, and a DAAD Fellowship at the Bundeswehr Center for Social Science in Potsdam. During his time at the German Ministry of Defense he was special advisor to the Parliamentary State Secretary for Defense.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Williams was director of the international relations program at New York University, associate professor at the University of London and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Royal United Institute for Defense and Security Studies in London.

Williams earned an honors B.A. with distinction from the University of Delaware, an M.A. with distinction from the Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin and a Ph.D. (2006) from London School of Economics and Political Science.

A specialist in defense analysis, military intelligence, national security, and international relations, Murrett teaches popular courses in the Maxwell School on the “US Intelligence Community: Governance and Practice” and “US Defense Strategy, Military Posture, and Combat Operations”; leads capstone projects for the Veterans Administration, Rand, and IDA; and organizes legendary “staff rides” for students to discuss military leadership and strategy at Fort Stanwix and Oriskany in Upstate New York and the Gettysburg, PA, National Military Park.

Before joining Syracuse University, Murrett was a career intelligence officer in the US Navy, serving in assignments throughout the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East through 34 years of duty, retiring as a Vice Admiral. Murrett was the fourth Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency from July 2006 through July 2010. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Director of Naval Intelligence from April 2005 until July 2006.

Following his commissioning, Murrett was assigned as an afloat intelligence officer, including Mediterranean, North Atlantic, and western Pacific deployments aboard USS Kitty Hawk, USS America, and USS Independence. He was assigned to Defense Intelligence College in 1980, then detailed to the Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot as a watch stander and briefing officer for Navy civilian and military leaders. From 1983 to 1985, he served as Assistant Intelligence Officer for Commander, Second Fleet. In 1989, Murrett reported to Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, where he was assigned as Operational Intelligence Officer. From 1992 to 1995, he served as Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence for Commander, Carrier Group Eight, and deployed to the European and Central Command theaters.

Between 1995 and 1997, Murrett was Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence for Commander, Second Fleet, and served concurrently as N2 for NATO’s Striking Fleet Atlantic. From June 1997 until September 1998, he was assigned to the Chief of Naval Operations Staff as Executive Assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence. He was then assigned as Director, Intelligence Directorate, Office of Naval Intelligence in September 1998. He assumed the duties of Commander, Atlantic Intelligence Commance August 12, 1999. Murrett served as the Director for Intelligence, U.S. Joint Forces Command, from August, 2000 through January 2002. From February 2002 through March 2005, Murrett was assigned as the Vice Chair Director for Intelligence, on the Joint Staff.

Murrett received a B.A. in history from the University of Buffalo and a M.A. in government and strategic intelligence from Georgetown University and the Defense Intelligence College.