11/13/2025
By Sue Kim
UMass Lowell will host a special panel discussion, “Defense and Diplomacy: Navigating National Security Challenges in a Dangerous World,” featuring retired Ambassador Robert Sherman and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein on Monday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. in Coburn Hall, Room 255.
The panel will bring together two distinguished leaders with decades of experience in global affairs and national security to examine the complex international landscape facing the United States and its allies. Together, Sherman and Weinstein will explore how military leadership and diplomatic strategy work in concert to address global threats, strengthen alliances and promote peace in an increasingly volatile world.
Sherman served as U.S. ambassador to Portugal from 2014 to 2017, where he focused on transatlantic relations, cybersecurity and counterterrorism cooperation. A founding member of the Boston office of Greenberg Traurig LLP, Sherman has long been active in international law and civic leadership.
Weinstein retired from the Air Force after a 36-year career that included serving as deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration at the Pentagon. He is currently a professor of the practice of international security at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies.
The conversation will offer students, faculty and community members a unique opportunity to gain insight into the balance of power, diplomacy and defense in shaping modern global security.
The event is presented by the UMass Lowell College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in collaboration with the Department of Political Science and School of Criminology and Justice Studies. It is free and open to the public.
For more information email Carolyn Brooks.