A nationally recognized expert in U.S. foreign policy, international law, and the Middle East will be the next guest of the Midwestern State University's Speakers & Issues Series. Josh Lockman, Lecturer in Law at the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law, will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, in Dillard 101.

Lockman's topic, "U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities," will address key issues related to the U.S. in the Middle East including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Iranian nuclear accord, and the crisis in Syria.

In addition to teaching at USC, Lockman is the Southwest Regional Director at J Street, an organization that advocates for policies that advance shared U.S. and Israeli interests as well as Jewish and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He has appeared on CNN, BBC, and other media outlets regarding U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also has been interviewed by Al Jazeera and the Los Angeles Times, and has been published in HuffPost and Foreign Policy Digest. Lockman is currently conducting research on the impact of the rise of Iran on Israeli-Arab relations.

He received a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 2004 and graduated from USC Law in 2008.

Lockman is a fellow with the Truman National Security Project, whose members are policy experts, academics, and other thought leaders who anticipate and articulate new global challenges and opportunities. He is also a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

The Speakers and Issues Series began in 2001 with the idea of bringing informed and creative speakers to the academic and municipal communities. Since then, more than 20 speakers have come to MSU from all corners of the country. It is supported by the Libra Foundation, MSU's Prothro-Yeager College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Wichita Falls Times Record News, KCCU-FM NPR Radio, and KFDX-TV3. Admission is free; donations are welcome. Contact Assistant Professor of English Greg Giddings at greg.giddings@msutexas.edu for information.