The National Defense Society at JMU brings together students who want to work in defense, intelligence, and national security — and gives them a head start. We bridge policy, technology, and national security, and we're open to every major: political science and international affairs, computer science, math, business, and beyond.
We're the James Madison University chapter of the National Defense Society, a national student organization. Each semester we run a speaker series with practitioners from across the field, field hands-on project teams, and connect members directly with the people and organizations shaping American national security.
// CHAPTERS AT UNIVERSITIES INCLUDING PURDUE
// What We Do
Three Ways In
01 //
Speaker Series
Biweekly conversations with practitioners from defense, intelligence, and national security.
02 //
Project Teams
Hands-on work in cyber, OSINT, defense industry analysis, and more. Each team ships a real deliverable each semester.
03 //
Career Pathways
Direct exposure to the people, organizations, and ideas shaping American national security.
// Fall 2026 Speaker Series
This Semester's Speakers
// September 8, 2026
Melissa Juarbe-Pratt
Director, National Security Internships, IWP
Kicking off the semester with how students actually break into the national security field.
// September 22, 2026
Anthony Pignone
U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, Joint Staff
A working intelligence officer's view from inside the Joint Staff.
// October 21, 2026
Mike Driscoll
Senior Counselor, Palantir
Where defense technology is headed — and who's building it.
// November 3, 2026
Nicholas Hanson
COO, War on the Rocks
Running the publication where the national security community argues with itself.
// Meetings
When We Meet
Day
Tuesdays
Time
5:00 – 6:15 PM
Location
Union 400
We run on a biweekly rhythm: speaker weeks alternate with project work weeks, so every meeting is either a conversation with a practitioner or time to build with your team.
// Key Dates — Fall 2026
AUG 31 – SEP 1
Interest meetings — Union 400, 5:00 PM
SEP 8
Speaker: Melissa Juarbe-Pratt // SPEAKER
SEP 22
Speaker: Anthony Pignone // SPEAKER
OCT 21
Speaker: Mike Driscoll // SPEAKER
NOV 3
Speaker: Nicholas Hanson // SPEAKER
DEC 8
End-of-semester project showcase // SHOWCASE
// Project Teams
Get Your Hands Dirty
Project teams launch in the first month of each semester. Membership is application-based, and every team ships a real deliverable by the end of the semester. Fall 2026 domains:
Computer Science, minoring in Math & Data Analytics
Rory Gardner
// Director of Projects
Statistics, concentrating in Data Science
Elias Hawkins
// Cyber Chair
Information Technology
// Faculty AdvisorDr. Bernie KausslerDepartment of Political Science
// FAQ
Frequently Asked
What majors is this club for?
All majors. Our members study political science, international affairs, computer science, engineering, business, finance, biology, and everything in between. If you are interested in defense, intelligence, or national security, this club is for you.
Do I need any prior experience or background to join?
No. Our speaker series and general meetings are designed for anyone curious about the field, whether you have deep background knowledge or none at all.
Is there an application to join?
No application is required for general membership. Just show up. Project teams are application-based and open at the start of each semester.
What's the time commitment?
General members can attend as many or as few meetings as they want. Project team members commit to weekly participation for the semester and produce a final deliverable in December.
How do I join a project team?
Applications open during the first month of each semester and are announced at meetings and through our mailing list. Teams are multidisciplinary — we intentionally build teams that combine technical, analytical, and business perspectives.
What kinds of projects do you run?
Multidisciplinary teams working on real national security problems. Recent examples include open-source intelligence analysis, defense industry research, and hardware prototyping for detection and monitoring applications.
Is this an official JMU organization?
Yes. NDS-JMU is a recognized student organization at James Madison University, part of the national National Defense Society, with chapters at universities across the country.
How is the club funded?
Through sponsor contributions and optional member dues. All chapter financials are made publicly available at the end of each semester.
How can my company sponsor or partner with the club?
We welcome sponsorship inquiries. Sponsors support our speaker series, project teams, and end-of-semester programming, and can also sponsor individual project teams focused on problems their organization cares about. Reach out through the Sponsors section below.
// Sponsors
Made Possible By
Our chapter operations, speaker series, and project teams are supported by the organizations below. If your organization would like to sponsor NDS-JMU, we would love to hear from you.
