Employer Panel: Critical Minerals, Supply Chain Resiliency, & China
Thursday, September 17, 2026
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
When: Thursday, September 17th 2026, 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, Lindner Commons (Room 602), 1957 E Street Northwest, Washington, D.C
Join us for a panel discussion on navigating the job market and kicking off our annual GSS Employer Career Panel Series: Critical Minerals, Supply Chain Resiliency, & ChinaLed by Elliott Alumni, Sergio Fontanez MA-IA/JD '18, former Senior Advisor of national policy who built the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative at the National Export Import Bank, this panel will focus on careers and opportunities surrounding Critical Minerals, Supply Chain Resiliency, national security and focus on China relations and global power competition.Confirmed panelists include:
Beth Roberts, Sr. Manager, Strategic Initiatives, GM Motors
Charles Barnett, VP- China Transformational Export Program, Export Import Bank of the US
Divyansh Kauskik, VP- Emerging Technologies and National Security, Beacon Global Strategies
David Kelm, Senior Policy Analyst, Silverado Policy Accelerator
Attendees will learn about:
The practitioner work in critical minerals or supply chain security — and what skills or experiences proved most valuable in that shift
Geopolitical issues with China and the most consequential vulnerabilities for the U.S. and its allies- the greatest opportunities for policy or private sector intervention
Types of roles that students might not be aware of, and how those with an international affairs degree can position themselves competitively
Forecasting the evolving landscape of Global Power Competition around critical minerals and supply chain resilience and the need for expertise and institutional capacity that the U.S. needs to develop
AGENDA3:30-4:30- Panel/Discussion 4:30- 5PM- NetworkingESIA NO-SHOW POLICY IS IN EFFECTIn order to ensure the effectiveness of the services offered by the Elliott School's Graduate Student Services and maintain professionalism and courtesy between graduate students, alumni, professional staff, and our Employer Partners, the No-Show Policy is in effect for this event.