Ashley is a veteran fellow at the Watson School of International and Public Affairs and a political science PhD student. Before beginning her doctoral studies, she served for a decade as a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, advising senior military and interagency leaders on complex national security challenges, including terrorism, strategic competition, and transnational organized crime. She also taught national security and leadership as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Ashley holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies from American Military University. She is an alumna of the National Defense University's Program for Emerging Leaders.