Senior Fellows
The CDA Institute Fellowship Programme brings together a diverse, multi-generational community of experts and practitioners committed to strengthening informed dialogue on Canada’s national defence and security.
CDA Institute Fellows are active members of the Institute’s community and ambassadors for its mission. Fellows contribute to the Institute’s research and programming, participate in events and public discussions, and engage with their professional networks to help broaden the national conversation on defence and security.
Together, our Fellows strengthen the Institute’s capacity to foster rigorous analysis, constructive debate, and informed discussion, and help build a stronger national community of defence and security expertise.
Our Senior Fellows represent one part of a broader intellectual community. Explore our Fellows and Emerging Leaders to discover the full range of scholars, practitioners, and emerging thinkers contributing to our work.
Dr. Kim Richard Nossal
Professor emeritus, Queen’s University
Kim Nossal received his PhD from the University of Toronto in 1977. He taught at McMaster University from 1976 to 2001, when he moved to Queen’s University to head the Department of Political Studies (2001–2009). He subsequently served as director of the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen’s from 2011-2013 and director of the School of Policy Studies from 2013 to 2015 before retiring from Queen’s in 2020. He was awarded an honorary degree by the Royal Military College of Canada in 2017 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2019.
He is the author of a number of works on Canadian foreign and defence policy, including The Politics of Canadian Foreign Policy, co-authored with Stéphane Roussel and Stéphane Paquin; this book has gone through four editions in English, two editions in French, and has been translated into Chinese. Nossal’s latest book, Canada Alone: Navigating the Post-American World, was published by Dundurn Press in 2023.
Dr. Justin Massie
Professor of Political Science, University of Quebec
Justin Massie is a professor of political science at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Director of the Strategic Analysis Network, and Co-director of Le Rubicon. He was the 2019 Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canada-U.S. Relations at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. His research focuses on international security, alliance politics, and foreign and defence policy. His work has been published in several journals, including International Studies Quarterly, European Journal of International Security, International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, Contemporary Security Policy, and Comparative Strategy. He is the author of Francosphère : l’importance de la France dans la culture stratégique du Canada (PUQ, 2013), and co-editor of Paradiplomatie identitaire : Nations minoritaires et politique extérieure (PUQ, 2019), America’s Allies and the Decline of U.S. Hegemony (Routledge, 2019), and Intelligence Cooperation Under Multipolarity: Non-American Perspectives (UTP, 2024).
Dr. Stephen R. Nagy
Professor of International Studies and Politics, International Christian University
Dr. Rob Huebert
Director of the Centre for Military and Security Studies, University of Calgary
Dr. Rob Huebert, Director of the Centre for Military and Security Studies at the University of Calgary, is a renowned Canadian expert on marine security, and has significantly shaped the country’s defence discourse over the past three decades. His expertise has been instrumental in addressing the risks posed by melting ice and the growing foreign interest in Arctic maritime security, leading to his frequent appearances before parliamentary committees and defence forums. As an educator, Dr. Huebert has mentored numerous students and earned multiple awards for teaching excellence. In a democracy, government support for the navy relies on popular support and the expertise of its dedicated class. Dr. Huebert’s consistent efforts have built and maintained this foundation, sometimes subtly, but always with profound consequences.
Dr. Andrea Charron
Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, University of Manitoba
Andrea Charron holds a PhD from the Royal Military College of Canada (Department of War Studies). She is Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, and Professor of International Relations at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Dr. Charron worked for various federal departments including the Canadian Privy Council Office in the Security and Intelligence Secretariat before beginning her academic career. She writes extensively on Arctic security, NATO, NORAD and Canadian defence policy. She is coauthor of NORAD: In Perpetuity and Beyond (MQUP, 2022), coeditor of The Legacy of 9/11: Views from North America (MQUP, 2023) and several others on sanctions.
Dr. Bessma Momani
Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo
Bessma Momani, PhD, is Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo, and a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. She is also an Academic Fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecurity Catalyst. Her research examines international political economy, global governance, Canadian foreign policy, and defence and security, with growing attention to the implications of artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and digital disinformation.
Momani brings more than two decades of experience in academic research, public policy, and university leadership. She previously served as Associate Vice-President, International, at the University of Waterloo, where she led international strategy and developed research and institutional partnerships. Her earlier leadership roles included Assistant Vice-President, Research and International, and Interim Associate Vice-President, Interdisciplinary and Sponsored Research. In these positions, she oversaw major research portfolios, supported federal funding initiatives, and advanced collaboration in cybersecurity, quantum research, and interdisciplinary scholarship.
Her policy experience includes serving as an advisor to the International Monetary Fund, directing the Defence and Security Foresight Group, and contributing to Canada’s National Security Transparency Advisory Group. She serves as a Governor of the International Development Research Centre and an Advisory Board Member of the Canadian International Council. She previously held a 2026 Fellow at the NATO Defense College and non-resident fellowship at the Brookings Institution.
A frequent contributor to public debate, she has provided parliamentary testimony and government briefings and regularly contributes commentary to Canadian and international media. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Fen Osler Hampson
Chancellor’s Professor and Professor of International Affairs, Norman Patterson School of International Afairs
Fen Osler Hampson is a former Director of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) (2000-2012). He is currently Chancellor’s Professor and Professor of International Affairs in the School and Co-Chair of the Expert Group on Canada-US Relations (with the Hon. Perrin Beatty). Professor Hampson served as Director of the Global Commission on Internet Governance (GCIG) and is the President of the World Refugee & Migration Council.
Professor Hampson holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he also received his A.M. degree. He also holds an MSc. (Econ.) degree (with distinction) from the London School of Economics and a B.A. (Hon.) from the University of Toronto. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, he has authored or co-authored 16 books and edited or co-edited 34 other volumes. He has also written more than 100 articles and book chapters on international affairs. His most recent books are Canada Rising: From Crisis to Renewal, The Two Michaels: Innocent Canadian Captives and High Stakes Espionage in the US-China Cyber War, Braver Canada: Shaping Our Destiny in a Precarious World, and Diplomacy and the Future of World Order. He is the recipient of several major awards, including an Honorary Degree from Trinity College, University of Toronto in 2025, the 2018 Distinguished Peace Scholar Award from the International Studies Association, the 2022 Distinguished Scholar Award of the Canada section of the International Studies Association (which is awarded every two years), various book awards, and a research and writing award from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and a Jennings Randolph Peace Fellowship from the United States Institute of Peace.
Jonathan Berkshire Miller
Co-founder and Principal, Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory
Jonathan Berkshire Miller is an internationally recognized expert in security, defence, and geo-economics, advising governments, multinational corporations, and international organizations on geopolitical risk and strategic decision-making. For nearly two decades, he has held senior roles across the private and public sectors, shaping policy and strategy on global economic and security challenges. Currently, he is co-founder and Principal of Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory, a global consultancy based in Ottawa. He is also a senior fellow at the Ottawa-based Macdonald Laurier Institute, and concurrently a senior fellow with the Centre for Strategic Statecraft, the Montreal Institute for Global Security and the Tokyo-based Asian Forum Japan. Miller is also the Director and co-founder of the Council on International Policy. He also holds appointments as Canada’s ASEAN Regional Forum Expert and Eminent Person (EEP) and as a Responsible Leader for the BMW Foundation.
Dr. Joakim Berndtsson
Professor in the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg
Joakim Berndtsson is Professor in the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, and a researcher at the Swedish Centre for Studies of Armed Forces and Society (CSMS). He is also Co-Director of the Military Personnel theme for the Civil-Military Relations Network (CMRN), funded by SSHRC and hosted by Carleton University. His research examines whole-of-society defence and security arrangements, particularly Swedish and Nordic total defence planning and organisation, civil-military collaboration, military professionalism, military–society relations, and public opinion on defence and security policy. With Irina Goldenberg and Stéfanie von Hlatky, he co-edited Total Defence Forces in the Twenty-First Century (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2023) and is currently co-editing Reserves at the Ready (forthcoming with Springer). He is principal investigator of a Swedish Research Council project on civil-military collaboration in Scandinavian total defence and participates in a Swedish Armed Forces-funded project on military professionalism and public opinion. Berndtsson has contributed to several briefings on whole-of-society defence in Canada, for instance to the DND MINDS Expert Briefing series.
Jody Thomas
Senior Advisor with Counsel Public Affairs
Jody Thomas retired in 2024 after more than 40 years of public service. Her career began at age 17 in the Royal Canadian Navy and included senior leadership roles at Passport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard.
In 2015, Jody became the first woman appointed Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard. She subsequently served as Deputy Minister of National Defence from 2017 to 2022 and as National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024.
Named as a top 100 women in Canada, Jody received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Royal Roads University in 2022. Today, Jody is a Senior Advisor with Counsel Public Affairs and serves on several boards.
Dr. Siobhan Harty
Slater Family Visiting Scholar at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University
Siobhan Harty was appointed Slater Family Visiting Scholar at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University, in June 2026. Previously, she was a senior leader in the federal public service in a combination of policy, program and operational roles over a period of 24 years. In her most recent position as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence and Marine Procurement, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Siobhan was responsible for complex procurements for the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard. She was also National Coordinator for the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) with the United States and Finland. Prior to that, she held various senior leadership positions in central agencies, such as Assistant Secretary, Priorities and Planning and Assistant Secretary, Legislation and House Planning, both at the Privy Council Office, and Assistant Secretary, Government Operations Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada, where she led on defence and marine procurement.
Siobhan obtained a PhD in Political Science from McGill University, a MPhil in Latin American Studies from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Concordia University.
Dr. Gregory Smolynec
Defence Industry Advisor, Softchoice/WWT
Dr. Gregory Smolynec helps the Canadian Armed Forces gain decision advantage — delivering IT solutions for defence customers from the workplace to the tactical edge, spanning networking, cloud, and cybersecurity.
His public service career was built at the center of Canada’s national security apparatus. Greg started at the Department of National Defence as a Strategic Analyst in Defence R&D Canada, rising through Section Head roles (Land and Operational Commands; Strategic Analysis) and Director, S&T Centre Operations, before becoming Director General Strategic Initiatives on the Canadian Armed Forces’ Strategic Joint Staff. There, he led Strategic Outlook/Strategic Orientation Look Ahead— the decision-support process that identified Canada’s central military challenges and shaped strategic advice to government. After DND, Greg served as Deputy Commissioner, Policy and Promotion at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Gregory holds a BA in History (McGill), an MA in Russian and East European Studies (Carleton), and a PhD in History (Duke).
Dr. Stephen Saideman
Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs
Stephen Saideman holds the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and is the Director of both the Canadian Defence and Security Network and the Civil-Military Relations Network. He has written five books: The Ties That Divide: Ethnic Politics, Foreign Policy and International Conflict; For Kin or Country: Xenophobia, Nationalism and War (with R. William Ayres); NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone (with David Auerswald); Adapting in the Dust: Lessons Learned from Canada’s War in Afghanistan; and the award-winning Overseen or Overlooked: Legislators, Armed Forces, and Democratic Accountability (with David Auerswald and Philippe Lagassé), edited two others, and published articles and chapters on nationalism, ethnic conflict, civil war, alliance dynamics, and civil-military relations.
Prof. Saideman has received fellowships from the Council on Foreign Relations, the Social Sciences Research Council, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The first placed Saideman on the Bosnia desk of the Strategic Planning and Policy Directorate of US Joint Staff for a year, the second facilitated research in Japan, and the third placed him as a Fellow at the Hertie School in Berlin. He taught previously at the University of Vermont, Texas Tech University, and McGill University. He writes online at saideman.blogspot.com. He has won awards for teaching, for mentoring other faculty, for public engagement, and for his blogging on international studies. His social media address on a variety of outlets is @smsaideman. He is a co-host of the Battle Rhythm podcast, which is part of the CDSN Podcast Network. His work of late has focused on figuring out which civilians are, if any, are overseeing the armed forces of modern democracies.
Dr. P. Whitney Lackenbauer
Professor, School for the Study of Canada, Trent University
Dr. Christopher Ankersen
Clinical Associate Professor at the Center for Global Affairs
Dr. Christopher Ankersen is Clinical Associate Professor at the Center for Global Affairs, where he teaches in the Transnational Security concentration. Prior to joining NYU, Christopher was the Security Advisor for the United Nations system in Thailand (2012-2017). Previously, he held positions at the UN Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2010-2012); the UN Offices in Geneva (2007-2010) and Vienna (2006-2007); and with the Department of Safety and Security in New York, where he was Desk Officer for Iraq (2005-2006).
From 2002 to 2004, Dr. Ankersen was a Ralf Dahrendorf Scholar at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has taught at the LSE, the London Centre for International Relations, King’s College London, Carleton University, and the Royal Military College of Canada and has lectured at staff colleges in Canada, Australia, and Denmark. From 2000 to 2005, he acted as a policy and strategy consultant to militaries, governments and private firms in the UK and Canada. From 1988 to 2000, Dr. Ankersen was an officer in the Canadian Forces, serving in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, including on overseas missions with the UN and NATO.
His research interests include civil military relations, strategic studies, international security, and crisis/disaster response. He is particularly interested in the geopolitics and transnational security issues of Southeast Asia.
Christopher Ankersen holds a BA (Hons) in International Politics and History from Royal Roads Military College (Canada) and an MSc and PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Colonel (Ret'd) Charles Davies
Former Canadian Armed Forces Logistics Officer, Public Servant, and Defence Policy Analyst
Colonel Davies served for thirty-eight years in the Canadian Armed Forces and a further five years as a civilian executive in the Department of National Defence.
He attended le Collège militaire royale de St Jean and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1976 with a degree in History. He later studied applied technology at the UK Royal Military College of Science and the British Army School of Ammunition, and qualified as an Ammunition Technical Officer.
During his career in National Defence he had a number of unique opportunities to gain broad insights about the institution working in widely varied parts of it. Since retiring in 2013 has been researching and writing about defence and security issues, focusing in particular on defence procurement, defence management and defence policy.
