Lee Feinstein
President of McLarty Associates and Board Member of The International Center
Before he was the President of McLarty Associates, Lee Feinstein was the Founding Dean of the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies from 2014-2022, where he oversaw the rapid growth of the institution.
In 2014, Lee A. Feinstein was named the inaugural dean of the IU School of Global and International Studies. Indiana University has long been committed to bringing the world to Indiana, while preparing students for careers across the globe. But with the new school still in its infancy, they needed a leader who could maintain and strengthen their reputation in the world of international studies.
With decades of experience in foreign affairs and several years spent teaching international law at prestigious universities, Lee Feinstein was unanimously approved for the position. His qualifying experience included senior positions at the Departments of Defense and State. He also served on the presidential transition team for President Barack Obama, as Principal Deputy Director of the Department of State’s Policy Planning Staff, and as U.S. Ambassador to Poland from 2009 to 2012. He was appointed by President Obama to serve as a trustee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 and is presently Vice Chair of the Committee on Conscience, which advises the work of the Museum’s Simon Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide.
During his time as ambassador, Feinstein signed an agreement to establish a U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment in Poland—the first continuous presence of U.S. forces in the country. In recognition of his service, he was even awarded the Commander’s Cross of Merit with Star from the Polish President.
Lee Feinstein served as Founding Dean of the IU School of Global and International Studies from 2014-2022, where he oversaw the rapid growth of the institution. Under his leadership, they implemented flagship programs in Arabic and Mandarin and established joint degree programs in cybersecurity and international law. Feinstein played a key role in re-naming it the Hamilton Lugar School in honor of two Hoosier statesmen: former Representative Lee H. Hamilton and the late Senator Richard G. Lugar.
“Dean Feinstein has been an exemplary leader of the global school, which has grown to national prominence since he assumed the role of founding dean,” said Representative Lee Hamilton. “He has set a tone that fosters in our students a commitment to global engagement and the principles to which our country aspires, filling a need that has never been more important.”
In December 2021, Dean Feinstein announced that he would be stepping aside from his position to become President of McLarty Associates—a D.C.-based firm that helps navigate strategic and diplomatic challenges around the world. He was awarded the Provost’s Medal in 2023 for his outstanding contributions to the university.
Feinstein reflected on his time as dean, saying: “I am deeply grateful to the university leadership for this opportunity and for their support. I am immensely proud to have played a part with HLS’s dedicated faculty and staff—and our polymath and polyglot students—to deepen and extend our university’s remarkable, two-century tradition of excellence in global studies.”
Feinstein has also served on the Board of Directors for The International Center since 2020. He has maintained that position even after his deanship, continuing to help The Center promote their vision of a more global Indiana, where he continues to maintain his Bloomington home. Through these years of service, Feinstein has truly made an impact on the next generation of global citizens—and demonstrated his own deep commitment to advancing Indiana’s international presence.
