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Kristen Patel

Kristen Patel

(Pronouns: She, Her)

Contact Information:

kbpatel@syr.edu

315.443.2348

321 Eggers Hall

Kristen Patel

Professor of Practice, Policy Studies


Donald P. and Margaret Curry Gregg Professor of Practice in Korean and East Asian Affairs

Maxwell Advisory Board Member

Senior Research Associate, Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration

Courses

  • 2024 Fall
    • PAI 670 Experience Credit
    • PAI 485/685 Follow the Money: Key Issues in Illicit Finance
    • IRP 400 Selected Topics - Follow the Money
    • PST 400 Selected Topics - Intro to Intelligence Analysis
    • PSC 300 Selected Topics - US Intelligence Community
    • IRP/PAI 338 U.S. Intelligence Community: Governance & Practice, 1947-Present
  • 2024 Summer
    • PAI 670 Experience Credit
  • 2024 Spring
    • PAI 685 Follow the Money: Key Issues in Illicit Finance
    • PST 410 Practicum in Public Policy - Non-Profit&Gov Agency Pract.
    • PAI 400/700 Selected Topics - CrimSt Und NKorea Evol Ill Act
    • PSC 300 Selected Topics - US Intelligence Community
    • IRP/PAI 338 U.S. Intelligence Community: Governance & Practice, 1947-Present
  • 2023 Fall
    • PAI 485/685 Follow the Money: Key Issues in Illicit Finance
    • IRP 400 Selected Topics - Follow the Money
    • PST 400 Selected Topics - Intro to Intelligence Analysis
    • PSC 300 Selected Topics - US Intelligence Community
    • IRP/PAI 338 U.S. Intelligence Community: Governance & Practice, 1947-Present
    • PAI 738 US Intelligence Community: Governance & Practice
  • 2023 Spring
    • PST 499 Honors Capstone Project
    • PAI 700 Selected Topics - FollowtheMon:KeyIssuesIlicFin
    • PSC 300 Selected Topics - US Intelligence Community
    • IRP/PAI 338 U.S. Intelligence Community: Governance & Practice, 1947-Present
  • 2022 Fall
    • FYS 101 First Year Seminar
    • IRP 499 Honors Capstone Project
    • IRP/PAI 400 Selected Topics - Follow the Money
    • PAI 700 Selected Topics - FollowtheMon:KeyIssuesIlicFin
    • PST 400 Selected Topics - Intro to Intelligence Analysis
    • PAI 300 Selected Topics - U.S. Intelligence Community
    • IRP/PSC 300 Selected Topics - US Intelligence Community
  • 2022 Spring
    • PAI 700 Selected Topics - FollowtheMon:KeyIssuesIlicFin

Highest degree earned

M.A., Duke University, 1992

Bio

Kristen (Kris) Patel, a distinguished alumna of the Maxwell School (’90 B.A. in Econ, PSt) with more than 25 years of experience leading intelligence and analytics programs in the public and private sectors, is the Donald P. and Margaret Curry Gregg Professor of Practice in Korean and East Asian Affairs. In her role, Patel serves as a faculty member in the Policy Studies Program and teaches undergraduate courses in policy studies and graduate courses in public administration and international affairs. In addition, Patel is a research associate in Maxwell’s Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) and contributes to Syracuse University’s Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence.

Patel has extensive first-hand experience building and leading intelligence and research analytics programs within a national and international context. Over her 25 year career, Patel has developed and managed numerous large teams of high performing intelligence analysts focused on proactive intelligence and network analysis, particularly qualitative and quantitative analysis of large, transnational networks to identify a wide spectrum of financial crime and national security risks.

Patel most recently served as regional head of research & analytics in Asia-Pacific for HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, where her responsibilities included building and managing a regional financial crime intelligence capability based in Hong Kong. Prior to joining HSBC in 2017, Patel served as the deputy director of intelligence at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the U.S. Department of Treasury. In addition to directing strategic support for a wide range of US Government customers and foreign partners on high priority issues, she co-led the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units multilateral analytic effort against foreign terrorist fighters, including co-authoring analytic products with several international partners.

Patel has also served in a variety of senior management roles in Asia and Washington D.C., at the DNI Open Source Center (OSC) and Central Intelligence Agency. In addition to serving as OSC Bureau Chief in Seoul, South Korea, and managing day-to-day operations in the CIA/Sherman Kent School’s largest analytic program, she led U.S. government interagency initiatives related to counter-terrorism and proliferation issues and provided daily intelligence briefings for senior NSC staff and White House advisors.

Areas of Expertise

National security, intelligence issues, and illicit finance

Research Interests

Intelligence analysis and illicit finance

Research Grant Awards and Projects

"IC Center for Academic Excellence: Syracuse University Adaptive, Diverse & Ethical IC Professionals: Partnership for Educational Results (PER/SUADE)", Sponsored by Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)/DOD.

Selected Publications

Presentations and Events

Guest Speaker Series, Seoul National University , "The Global Illicit Finance Challenge" (March 13, 2024 - March 13, 2024)

2023 NASPAA Annual Conference, Maxwell School/PAIA Department, "Making the Classroom Safe Again: Approaches to Creating Safe and Welcoming Learning Environments" (October 12, 2023 - October 12, 2023)

"Lessons Learned: Perspectives on Law and Policy from the War in Ukraine" Symposium, Syracuse Law Review and the Institute for Security Policy and Law, "Lessons Learned: Sanctions" (September 21, 2022 - September 21, 2022)

Conversation in Conflict Studies - The War in Ukraine: A Special PARCC Panel Discussion, Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration, "The War in Ukraine: A Special PARCC Panel Discussion" (March 10, 2022)

Business in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities, Syracuse University Talks Business, "Business in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities" (November 17, 2021)

Honorary Members

Alwaleed bin Talal bin AbdulAziz Alsaud '85 M.S.Sc./'99 LLD
Founder and President, Kingdom Holding Co.

Mary Daly ’94 Ph.D./’19 Hon.
President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank - San Francisco

Susan C.V. Penny* '70 B.A.
Office Manager, Radomir D. Stevanovic MD PC

Howard G. Phanstiel* '70 B.A./'71 M.P.A.
Chairman and CEO, Phanstiel Enterprises LLC

Richard L. Thompson* '67 M.A./ '15 Hon.
Senior Counsel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP