Laura McAleer is the University of Notre Dame’s Associate Vice President for Federal and Washington Relations, responsible for the development and execution of the University’s strategic priorities in the Nation’s capital.

Prior to joining Notre Dame, McAleer served for more than twenty years as a defense and foreign policy advisor and analyst, most recently at the Department of Defense as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Senate Affairs and acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. Previously, she worked on Capitol Hill for more than a decade, serving as a national security and foreign policy advisor to four U.S. Senators and on the Majority Staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In addition to her congressional experience, McAleer’s public service includes assignments as a strategy and plans officer for U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, as an analyst and program manager with the Office of Naval Intelligence, and as the Director for Strategic Initiatives for the Secretary of the Navy. She also served for more than a decade as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

McAleer graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts in Government/International Studies and Spanish. Subsequently, she earned a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College and an Advanced Project Manager Certification from Stanford University. Her professional awards include the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award, and the Department of the Navy Superior Public Service Award.

McAleer currently serves on the National Council of Women in Defense and on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the National Defense Industrial Association. She is also a former member of the Secretary of Defense's Reserve Forces Policy Board and served on the Board of Directors for The Science Coalition.