Ben Rhodes

Ben Rhodes headshot

 An Evening with Ben Rhodes

Sept. 3, 2019 | 5 p.m.
Ahmanson Auditorium
Loyola Marymount University

  • Ben Rhodes is the author of the New York Times bestseller "The World As It Is"; a contributor for NBC News, MSNBC and Crooked Media; the co-chair of National Security Action; and an advisor to former President Barack Obama. From 2009-2017, Rhodes served as a Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama. In that capacity, he participated in nearly all of President Obama’s key decisions, and oversaw the President’s national security communications, speechwriting, public diplomacy and global engagement programming. He also led the secret negotiations with the Cuban government which resulted in the effort to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba, and supported the negotiations to conclude the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. Prior to joining the Administration, he was a Senior Speechwriter and foreign policy advisor to the Obama campaign. From 2002-2007, he worked for former Congressman Lee Hamilton, supporting his work on the 9/11 Commission and Iraq Study Group. A native New Yorker, Mr. Rhodes has a B.A. from Rice University and an M.F.A from New York University.

    This event featured Rhodes discussing his book, "The World As It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House." The discussion was moderated by BCLA students, Tia Carr and Yolanda Nosakhare, and was followed by a Q&A and book signing.

    Sponsors

    This event was presented by the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University in conjunction with the International Relations Program, Department of Political Science, Department of Sociology, Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, and Department of History.

    About Loyola Marymount University

    LMU is a private Catholic university with 6,000 undergraduates, 2,200 graduate students and 1,100 law students from diverse backgrounds and many perspectives. Our seven colleges and schools boast best-in-the-nation programs in film and television, business, education and more. Our stunning campus in West Los Angeles is a sun-soaked oasis overlooking the Pacific coast and a model of sustainability. We're rooted in the heart of Los Angeles, a global capital for arts and entertainment, innovation and technology, business and entrepreneurship. Our mission is grounded in a centuries-old Jesuit educational tradition that produces extraordinary men and women dedicated to service and social justice. We're proud of more than 85,000 LMU alumni whose professional achievements are matched by a deep commitment to improving the lives of others.

  • "The World As It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House"

    In "The World as It Is," Rhodes shows what it was like to be a part of the Obama Administration. The book is populated by such characters as Susan Rice, Samantha Power, Hillary Clinton, Bob Gates, and—above all—Barack Obama, who comes to life on the page in moments of great urgency and disarming intimacy. This is the most vivid portrayal yet of Obama’s worldview and presidency, a chronicle of a political education by a writer of enormous talent, and an essential record of the forces that shaped the last decade.

  • Ben Rhodes with student moderators

    Ben Rhodes with student moderators and Gene Park

    Students watch Ben Rhodes with moderators onstage

    A student asking a question to Ben Rhodes

    Ben Rhodes speaking onstage

    Moderator smiling onstage

    Ben Rhodes smiling onstage

    BCLA Dean Robbin D. Crabtree

    GPI Director Gene Park with his predecessor

    Ben Rhodes' book

    Students holding Ben Rhodes' book

  • Read the Bellarmine News story about this event here.

    Or, watch the event video below: