Steph Shample is a Non-Resident Scholar with the Middle East Institute's Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program.
For the past 16 years, her career has focused on analyzing Iran in various capacities, including its tense relationships with Middle Eastern countries as well as their bordering states, and countering Iranian roles in terrorism, proliferation, and narcotics.
During her military career, Steph gained operational experience across the Middle East, Levant, and Central and South Asia. She also completed two deployments to Afghanistan, one military and one as a civilian.
Education:
MS in Cybersecurity Management and Policy, University of Maryland Global Campus; BS in Psychology, University of Maryland Global Campus; BA in Religion, American Military University; AA in Persian Farsi, Defense Language Institute.
Regions of Expertise:
Iran, Afghanistan, Levant, and Persian Gulf
Issues of Expertise:
Cyber conflict, diplomacy, national security, defense, military affairs, counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, counter-narcotics.
Languages:
English, Farsi, Spanish, French (Operational in Dari and Pashto)
Recent External Publications:
- Steph Shample, "The 5×5—Non-state armed groups in cyber conflict," Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative, October 26, 2022, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/the-5x5/the-5x5-non-stat…
- Steph Shample and Bryan Ch. Campbell, "The Russia-Ukraine War Exemplifies the Rise of Hybrid Conflicts: Latin America Should Pay Attention," Global Americans, September 8, 2022, https://theglobalamericans.org/2022/09/the-russia-ukraine-war-exemplifi….
Contact Information
Please contact MEI’s media relations manager, Rachel Dooley, at rdooley@mei.edu or 202-785-1141 ext. 241 for assistance contacting this expert.
