Young Women in Nonproliferation Initiative Information Session
Non-IA Campus Event Reflection
4 October 2019, 11am-1pm, Page Hall
This event was hosted by Dr. Amy Sands, who discussed her impressive career as an intelligence analyst and expert in nonproliferation and disarmament. As a first-year Security and Intelligence major, I valued the opportunity to hear about her diverse experiences in the field and get a sense of the different career paths within the intelligence community. Especially interesting was Dr. Sands description of often being the only woman in the room in discussions about nonproliferation and the “thoughtful risks” she had to take in order to end up there. I learned that women make up only a small minority of professionals in the field of WMD proliferation, which is problematic for several reasons. This gender discrepancy was the driving factor behind the foundation of the Young Women in Nonproliferation Initiative, which aims to encourage female students to consider careers in arms control.
Dr. Sands gave several pieces of advice for those considering such a career, emphasizing flexibility of perspective, openness to networking early on, and calculated risk-taking. She spoke on the real need for women to be involved in the analysis of WMD threats, as more diverse views and perspectives lead to better teamwork and better analyses. Ultimately, this event opened my eyes to the importance of and opportunities for a career in nonproliferation and arms control.