Intelligence Studies Project Director Interviewed in Spy Museum Podcast

Steve Slick was interviewed for the SpyCast series by Dr. Vince Houghton, the Historian and Curator of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

The conversation ranged from Slick’s experiences during a 28-year career as a CIA operations officer and manager, to his involvement in reshaping the U.S. Intelligence Community after the 9/11 attacks while he served on the staff of the National Security Council. Slick, who teaches at the LBJ School of Public Affairs while leading the ISP, recounted the intelligence challenges the U.S. confronted after the fall of the Berlin Wall, in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, while ending the Balkan Wars, and in responding to al-Qaida’s successful terror attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.  

The Director described the origins, main activities, and longterm goals for the ISP and credited the strong support from the UT System, UT Austin, and LBJ School leaders in bringing sharper focus to national security studies in Austin. Dr. Houghton noted the shared educational mission of the Spy Museum and ISP, and predicted UT Austin’s program would become the “gold standard” for university-based study of intelligence.

The full SpyCast episode can be accessed here.