The Maxwell School is pleased to welcome six accomplished alumni to its advisory board: John R. Bass, Dr. Evelyn C. Granieri, Phil Porter, Ian Schuman, Hailey Williams and Dan Zhang.

They represent a range of fields across sectors and join a distinguished group of entrepreneurs, finance leaders, attorneys, educators, public servants and friends of the school.  Board members meet twice a year and play a vital role in advising the dean and school leadership on policy, planning, fundraising, alumni relations and communications.

Bass, Porter, Schuman, Williams and Zhang were appointed to the advisory board in August. Granieri was appointed by the board this past spring. The board will convene in late October 2026.

“I’m delighted to welcome these new board members and appreciate their strong support and engagement with the school,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Their diverse experiences and commitment to becoming active advisors helps ensure that the school remains the number one ranked school in the nation.”

John Bass

Bass, of Arlington, Virginia, received a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 1986. A veteran diplomat, he served the U.S. for 37 years, departing government in 2025 as the highest-ranking member of the Foreign Service. Most recently, he served in three of the top five roles in the State Department, including as chief operating officer, where he oversaw the department’s global workforce of 85,000, and lead crisis manager. He concluded his service as acting under secretary for political affairs, where he oversaw U.S. diplomatic activity globally, including to sustain support for Ukraine’s defense, intensify counterterrorism efforts against ISIS-Khorosan and prevent state collapse in Syria.  

 A three-time ambassador, Bass led U.S. missions in Afghanistan (2017- 20), Türkiye (2014–17), and Georgia (2009–12) and served in Iraq, Italy, Belgium and Chad. In August 2021, he returned to Kabul to lead the civilian side of the non-combatant evacuation that moved over 120,000 people to safety in two weeks. He has received numerous presidential and State Department performance awards and is currently a diplomatic fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.

Dr. Evelyn C. Granieri

Granieri, of New York, New York, is professor emerita of medicine at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and an affiliate professor at the City University of New York School of Medicine and Hunter College. She previously served as chief of Columbia University Medical Center’s Division of Geriatric Medicine and Aging, a division she was instrumental in developing.

Granieri received a bachelor’s degree in dietetics (now nutrition) in 1977 from Falk College of Sport, followed by a master of public health from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s in education from the University of Southern California and a medical degree from Northwestern University. She has held leadership positions with the American Geriatrics Society and the Association of American Medical Colleges and has received numerous honors, including the Dennis W. Jahnigen Memorial Award in 2001.

Phil Porter

Porter, of New York, New York, received a bachelor’s degree in history in 2017, followed by a master of public administration (M.P.A.) in 2018. He previously worked as a project assistant at Cydecor, a veteran-owned federal government solutions provider as well as a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and a senior program analyst at V2X, providing on-site contractor support to the Navy’s International Programs Office. While working for the Navy, Porter received two commendations.

Porter served on the University’s D.C. Regional Council from 2021-26 and has volunteered with the Maxwell Alumni Ambassador Program. In 2020, he established the Philip E. Porter Endowed Scholarship to support Maxwell undergraduates. Porter has visited 193 countries and all seven continents. He’s in the process of applying to doctoral programs with hopes of beginning studies in the fall of 2027. Another focus: Planning a July 2027 wedding.