CELESTE WARD Gventer
Celeste Ward Gventer, a defense policy expert, is Associate Director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas. She joined UT from the RAND Corporation, where she was a Senior Defense Analyst.
Prior to joining RAND, Celeste served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations Capabilities in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2007-09, where she provided policy advice regarding effective stabilization and reconstruction and counterinsurgency operations. Before that, she served two tours in Iraq, with the Coalition Provisional Authority in 2003-04, where she assisted in the creation and stand-up of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, and as politico-military advisor to the Multi-National Corps–Iraq Commander for all of 2006.
Celeste has also worked as a Special Assistant to the Counselor of the State Department, as a Strategist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as a Research Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as a Defense Analyst at the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Stanford University and her Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and is a recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal, the U.S. Army Superior Civilian Service Award, and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.