What threatens the security of nations? Can peace prevail? How? The faculty, students, and special guests of Missouri State University’s School of Defense & Strategic Studies grapple with their toughest assignment: deterrence.
dsstestaccount.substack.com (https://dsstestaccount.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Publisher
School of Defense & Strategic Studies @ Missouri State University
Derek Licina on US Strategic Competition against China in the Global Health Space
Melissa Galazin interviews Derek Licina, Adjunct Professor at George Washington University, about global health's role in US strategic competition with China.
25 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
S2 E6 Wilson Rickerson on Powering the Fight
Paul Schecklman, DSS Doctotal Student at Missouri State, sits down for a discussion with Wilson Rickerson from Converge Strategies. Paul and Wilson talk through the issues facing the grid, generation, and future demands or issues. Much of today's attention is focused on the defense industrial base to supply the war materiel necessary to deter and defend American interests. Less attention is spent on powering such effort in parallel with increasing electricity demand from compute, reshoring, and general electrification. Tune in to hear more about how the U.S. needs to ensure it can power a future fight.
Wilson Rickerson is the President and Co-Founder of Converge Strategies, where he leads efforts to strengthen the resilience and security of America’s energy systems. He works across the military, government, utilities, and emergency management communities to address risks ranging from cyber threats and extreme weather to aging infrastructure and geopolitical disruption, and has supported resilience planning for more than 100 military installations. Previously, Wilson served as CEO of Meister Consultants Group, shaping energy and resilience strategies across all 50 states and in over 40 countries.
About Converge Strategies- Converge Strategies provides consulting services focused on the intersection of energy resilience and national security. Our mission is to connect and align the people and organizations required to strengthen the resilience of our communities and infrastructure.
Check out more from Rickerson and Converge Strategies-
Converge Strategies LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/converge-strategies/)Rickerson’s LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilson-rickerson-7067633/)Website (https://convergestrategies.com/wilson-rickerson-on-open-circuit-podcast/)Newsletter (https://us19.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=cbfea47ba0e517499f87e6730&id=6f32938038)
Thanks for reading DETERRENCE SCHOOL! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsstestaccount.substack.com (https://dsstestaccount.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
11 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Season 2 Episode 5: Glenn Borsky on The Security Risks of AI-Generated Content
Doctoral candidate Adam Shusterman interviews cyber threat intelligence expert Glenn Borsky about the security risks posed by AI-generated content, including deepfakes and influence campaigns.
28 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Season 2 Episode 4: Connor McPartland on Arctic Security Strategy
- 2022 National Strategy for the Arctic Region (https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/National-Strategy-for-the-Arctic-Region.pdf)
- U.S. Department of Defense 2024 Arctic Strategy (https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jul/22/2003507411/-1/-1/0/DOD-ARCTIC-STRATEGY-2024.PDF)
- Implementation Report for the 2022 National Strategy for the Arctic Region (https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NSAR-2022-Implementation-Report-.pdf)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsstestaccount.substack.com (https://dsstestaccount.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
14 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Season 2 Episode 3: Nguyen Nguyen on Escaping Saigon and a Life in U.S. National Security
Additional Details on the Fall of Saigon–
The Story Behind the Fall of Saigon’s Most Iconic Photo
https://www.history.com/articles/fall-of-saigon-photo-helicopter-evacuation-rooftop-1975 (https://www.history.com/articles/fall-of-saigon-photo-helicopter-evacuation-rooftop-1975)
The Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975: The end of the Vietnam War
https://apimagesblog.com/historical/2020/4/24/the-fall-of-saigon-april-30-1975-the-end-of-the-vietnam-war (https://apimagesblog.com/historical/2020/4/24/the-fall-of-saigon-april-30-1975-the-end-of-the-vietnam-war)
Nguyen Nguyen’s Book Recommendations–
Nguyen Book Recommendation 1: The Vietnam War, by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33512518-the-vietnam-war (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33512518-the-vietnam-war)
Nguyen Book Recommendation 2: The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57007687-the-bomber-mafia (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57007687-the-bomber-mafia)
Nguyen Book Recommendation 3: Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis, Bing West
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46037714-call-sign-chaos (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46037714-call-sign-chaos)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsstestaccount.substack.com (https://dsstestaccount.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
4 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT
Season 2 Episode 2: Michael Hochberg on Drone Warfare in Ukraine
The Deterrence School podcast examines the rapidly changing character of war in Ukraine through the lens of drones, counter-drone technology, and artificial intelligence. Doctoral student Paul Dodge hosts Michael Hochberg, Ph.D., a technology expert, serial entrepreneur, and national security consultant. With an MS and a Ph.D. from Caltech in applied physics, Dr. Hochberg is a highly distinguished expert that is well positioned to help navigate this complex topic. Dr. Hochberg is also the President of Periplous LLC, which advises on strategy, technology, and policy (https://www.periplo.us/), and is the chairman of the board at the Mackinder Forum focused on geopolitics (https://mackinderforum.org/).
Thanks for reading DETERRENCE SCHOOL! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsstestaccount.substack.com (https://dsstestaccount.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
13 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT
(NEW) Episode 8: John DiPirro on Security in the Black Sea Region
DSS doctoral student Zachary Popovich talks with John DiPirro (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpauldipirro84/), currently Senior Fellow for Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council and one of America’s top experts on the Black Sea region’s complex interplay of contested borders, economic potential, and longstanding tensions. Popovich and DiPirro take a country-by-country tour covering recent developments, including the August 2025 peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its associated “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.” Listen in and get up to speed on one of the world’s most fascinating regions.
Here's a link to DiPirro’s argument for adding a Russian containment component to US strategy more broadly in Central Asia: Rethinking Central Asia | American Foreign Policy Council (https://www.afpc.org/publications/e-journals/rethinking-central-asia)
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21 Sept 2023
Episode 7: Dr. Jennifer Bradley on How Private Actors Affect Deterrence
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22 Aug 2023
Episode 6: John Gentry Warns Against Politicizing the Intelligence Community
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2 Aug 2023
Episode 5: David Trachtenberg on the Making of Deterrence Policy
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12 Jul 2023
Episode 4: Dr. Jonathan Trexel on the Primacy of Nuclear Deterrence
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3 May 2023
Episode 3: Amb. Robert Joseph (Part 2) - Deterrence Today and Tomorrow
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30 Mar 2023
Episode 2: Amb. Robert Joseph - Deterrence Present and Past
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8 Mar 2023
Episode 1: Deterrence 101 and the Origins of DSS @ MSU
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Inside a recent episode
Derek Licina on US Strategic Competition against China in the Global Health Space
Published 15 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And that eventually led to a greater role and influence of the Chinese CDC. and in particular with its partnership with the African CDC. So as you can imagine, their strategy, just kind of like ours, isn't purely philanthropic, right? It's about aiming to convert health access into diplomatic leverage that we see playing out in the United Nations, establishing global technology standards that others will follow, and then opening up those global markets for those Chinese firms, quite frankly. So in short, Mel, yes, China wants a voice in setting the goals as well as the rules of global health. And it's using financing equipment and training to do it. […]
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