WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 11, 2026) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University today issued the following statement from Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas reflecting on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks:
“Today our nation remembers and honors the souls we lost 25 years ago on September 11, 2001. We will never forget the innocent lives taken that day and the heroic sacrifice of the first responders, volunteers, passengers on Flight 93, and countless others who ran toward the danger. In the days that followed, Senator McCain praised the way Americans came together in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Today, we echo his call for unity. As we remember those lost, we also honor the enduring American spirit of courage, service over self, and compassion that makes us a beacon of hope for the world.”
Dr. Farkas worked at the U.S. Capitol at the time of the September 11, 2001, attacks and was forced to evacuate on that day. She had been scheduled to meet that morning with the Pentagon’s counterterrorism policy office. She was a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, responsible for oversight of counterterrorism and special operations policy and the Special Operations Command from 2001 to 2008 under Senators Carl Levin, John Warner, and John McCain. In this role she traveled to Guantanamo with Senators Levin and McCain, and to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other global war zones and hotspots with McCain staff colleagues.
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs defend democracy, advance human rights and freedom, and empower character-driven leaders. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
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