Stewart nominated to National Security Education Board

COLUMBUS – Todd I. Stewart, director of the OSU Program for International and Homeland Security, was nominated Thursday by President George W. Bush to serve for four years on the National Security Education Board. The nomination proceeded to the Senate on Friday.

The board oversees the National Security Education Program, which provides scholarships and fellowships to U.S. students. The program has three components:
• Undergraduate scholarships to study abroad in areas critical to U.S. national security.
• Graduate fellowships to develop expertise in the languages and cultures of less commonly studied countries.
• Fellowships to students studying advanced languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian and Turkish.

The program has awarded more than 2,500 scholarships and fellowships to students across the United States. Recipients are obligated to work for a federal government office involved in national security affairs or in higher education.

The board determines the criteria for the awards and recommends critical areas that the program should address. It is supported by a group of advisors from higher education with expertise in international affairs.

If confirmed, Stewart will be one of six non-federal officials to serve on the 13-member board. Other members include officials from the departments of defense, state, education, commerce, energy, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Stewart directs the OSU Program for International and Homeland Security, a university-wide, strategic initiative to promote and support academic research, education and service related to all aspects of national security. Prior to becoming director of this program, Stewart served for 34 years with the United States Air Force.

Todd Stewart
Director of the Program for International and Homeland Security
The Ohio State University