Dr. Grace Wermenbol, based in Paris, is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she lectures on the contemporary geopolitics of the Middle East, with a focus on Israel and Palestine, and on the impact of strategic competition on Sino-Middle East relations. She has held various leading positions in US foreign policy, including as a Middle East specialist at the Department of State, Middle East director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Acting Deputy National Intelligence Officer. In July 2025, she received the State Department’s Meritorious Honor Award.