Political Analyst, U.S. Federal Government
Hailing from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Ryan Bugas is a political analyst in the federal government. He has devoted most of his career to studying peace processes in the Middle East and South Asia. A term member on the Council on Foreign Relations, he has served in roles across the federal interagency, including in the intelligence community, as a briefer at the National Security Council, and at the Departments of Defense and State. A product of Virginia’s public school system from grade school through graduate school, Ryan holds a BA with high distinction in political and social thought and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia (UVA) and a MPP from UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, where he was a Bocock-Hitz Public Service Fellow. He was a 2022 CNAS Shawn Brimley Next Generation Fellow. In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing tennis, spending time outside, and learning introductory Arabic.