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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.

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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

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