ISU International Affairs Council to Host 55th Annual Frank Church Symposiu

Idaho State University’s International Affairs Council (IAC) will host the 55th annual Frank Church Symposium on April 2 and 3 in the ABC Rendezvous Suite located on ISU’s campus. This event is free to the public and will be held in-person and virtually. The theme for this year is “Our New Normal? Evaluating Global Futures.”

This year the 2026 keynote speaker for the Frank Church Symposium is Laura Galante, a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of cybersecurity, intelligence, and global policy. She will offer her perspective on global futures in cybersecurity by drawing on her experience as the former Director of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center and the Intelligence Community’s Cyber Executive at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Galante speaks frequently on global competition in the digital domain, shaping conversations around how cyber threats impact national security, economic stability, and international power dynamics. She regularly appears on Bloomberg and other leading media outlets and currently sits on multiple national security and corporate cybersecurity boards, where she advises public and private institutions on navigating an increasingly complex digital future.

The Frank Church Symposium is named in honor of former Idaho Senator Frank Church. He chaired the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations during the Vietnam War, and the Symposium recognizes this distinguished Idahoan, who was known for his leadership, intelligence, and sensitivity to diplomatic issues. The Frank Church Symposium is a student-led and student-funded multi-day event centering around educating the students and the local community.