ABOUT ME
I am the founding Chair of the Department of Geography and the Environment at Villanova University. I retired from the U.S. Army in 2007 as a Lieutenant Colonel, after 27 years of service with experience in tank and cavalry units. I served in numerous locations in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East--most recently at the United States Military Academy where I was an Academy Professor and Director of the Geography Program until 2007. I am a physical geographer with expertise in coastal geomorphology, military geography, and environmental security. I have published five books, three physical geography study guides, and more than 30 professional articles focused on geographic, environmental, and military subjects. In 2019, I published (as editor) a book titled The Environment–Conflict Nexus: Climate Change and the Emergent National Security Landscape (Springer). I have been invited to speak on the subject of environmental security and military geography at West Point, University of Maryland, Hofstra University, and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as by organizations such as the Pew Charitable Trust Foundation, The Naval Post-Graduate School, and Defense Intelligence Agency. I am currently researching topics such as the effects of climate change on regional stability, ungoverned space, environmental security, and abrupt climate change.
Formal Education
Research Interests
Military Geography
National Security Landscape
Violent Non-State Actors
Historical Case Studies
1976 - 1980
Lexington, Virginia
Bachelor of Science, Biology (May, 1980)
Virginia Military Institute
Environmental Security
States at Risk
Environmentally-Triggered Conflict
Abrupt Climate Change Scenarios
1987 - 1989
College Park, Maryland
Master of Arts, Coastal Geomoprhology (May, 1989)
University of Maryland
Governance and Ungoverned Space
Effective Sovereignty Doctrine
Maritime Piracy
University of Maryland
1995 - 1998
College Park, Maryland
Doctor of Philosophy (May, 1989)
U.S. Army Command & General Staff College
1992 - 1993
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas