Distinguished leaders and accomplished scholar-practitioners providing strategic guidance, curriculum insight, and the highest professional standards across The Academy. Their commitment to excellence ensures that every program remains rigorous, relevant, and grounded in real-world practice.
Dr. James Giordano
Dr. James Giordano is Head of the Center for Strategic Deterrence and Weapons of Mass Destruction Studies of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, Washington, DC, USA; and serves as Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (CBRN). His work explores the development and use of emerging scientific techniques and technologies as weapons of maximally targeted disruption; and the development and deployment of novel approaches to biosecurity, biodefense and strategic biodeterrence. Dr. Giordano is also Professor Emeritus of Neurology and Biochemistry, and Chair Emeritus of the Neuroethics Program, and Founding Chair Emeritus of the Project on Military Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, and served as a senior advisor to DARPA, NATO; UK Ministry of Defense; German Bundeswehr, Interpol, The European Union Human Brain Project Program on Dual-Use, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Health Organization. He is globally renowned for his work on the neurological effects and pathologic mechanisms of directed energies relevant to the anomalous health incidents (AHI) of the so-called Havana Syndrome; and he served from 2016-2019 as the consulting forensic neuroscientist on the original cases from the US Embassy in Havana, working with the Department of State, US Special Operations Command, and subsequently with the Department of Defense AHI Cross-Functional Team. Dr. Giordano was awarded a PhD in biological psychology from the City University of New York; a DPhil in digital sciences and technology from the University of Regensburg, GER, and completed post-doctoral fellowships in neuropathology and toxicology at the Johns Hopkins University; and bioethics and health policy at the Neiswanger Institute of Loyola University, IL. He is a Fellow of the Hastings Center for Ethics; the European Society for Science and Arts; the Royal Society of Medicine (UK); Royal Society of Public Health (UK), and was a Fulbright Professorial Fellow. A designated US Naval Aerospace Physiologist and Psychologist, he served with the US Navy and Marine Corps.
Dr. John A. Pennell
Dr. John A. Pennell is a contractor with the U.S. Department of Defense's Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) as Editor-in-Chief of PRISM: The Journal of Complex Operations and as an Instructor, Curriculum Developer, and Senior Practitioner. He’s a Research Fellow with Arizona State University’s (ASU) Future Security Initiative and Professor of Practice with ASU’s School of Politics and Global Studies; a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Global & National Security Institute (GNSI) at the University of South Florida (USF); a Non-Resident Fellow with the Irregular Warfare Institute (IWI)-Europe Program; and a Senior Diplomacy Fellow with Narrative-Strategies. Dr. Pennell is also a guest speaker and lecturer on information operations, hybrid warfare, post-conflict governance, and new technologies with U.S. and international universities, the U.S. State Department, and U.S. professional military education institutions. Dr. Pennell is a retired US Senior Foreign Service Officer with 20+ years of field experience including in active combat and hybrid warfare zones. He’s also a published author, including a 2024 book on Russia’s irregular warfare activities in Syria and Ukraine. He holds a PhD from King’s College London and masters degrees from the National War College and American University.
Dr. Brian L. Steed
Dr. Brian L. Steed brings more than 13 years of experience advising senior U.S. and international leaders, giving The Academy students direct access to insights forged at the intersection of strategy, military operations, history, and cross-cultural engagement. He spent eight and a half years living and serving abroad, including extensive work in and alongside foreign militaries. At The Academy, students learn from a scholar-practitioner who does more than study conflict—he understands how senior leaders navigate it. Dr. Steed is a Professor of Military History and Teaching Team Leader at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, where he leads multidisciplinary faculty and educates mid-career military professionals preparing to operate in complex strategic environments. He is also a Senior Fellow at Narrative Strategies, an esteemed member of The Academy’s Board of Advisors, and an honored Guest Lecturer at The Academy. An author, military theorist, and recognized proponent of maneuver in the narrative space, Dr. Steed examines how narratives shape the cognitive landscape, influence political and military behavior, and create strategic opportunities in competition and conflict. His work translates historical analysis into practical insight for contemporary decision-makers, helping leaders understand not merely what is happening, but why it matters and how the strategic environment can be influenced. His scholarship has produced original concepts in narrative warfare, cross-cultural competency, and the interpretation of modern conflict. He is the author of eight books, most of which apply the lessons of history to current and future strategic challenges. Dr. Steed holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Political Science and History from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, an M.A. in International Relations from Norwich University, and a B.A. in History from Brigham Young University.
David Taube
David Taube is a strategic business executive and values-driven operator with a career spanning private equity, management consulting, and C-suite leadership. He's passionate about building high-integrity organizations that scale with purpose and deliver lasting value—for customers, teams, and communities. David previously worked in Private Equity at L2 Capital, a top-decile middle-market investment firm, leading acquisitions, recapitalizations, and portfolio value creation initiatives. he built roll-up strategies, and drove results through a data-driven, operator-first approach. David spent over a decade during early career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as an expert consultant in value creation, M&A, and shareholder activism. He advised over 200 clients globally and received multiple firmwide awards for innovation and leadership. David is a CFA charterholder with dual degrees in Business Administration and Political Science from UC Berkeley. He is committed to impact beyond business—actively engaged in rapid-response global humanitarian efforts.
Dr. Shane McNeil
Dr. Shane McNeil is a national security scholar and practitioner specializing in strategy, counterintelligence, and the philosophical foundations of American statecraft. He completed his Doctor of Statecraft and National Security at the Institute of World Politics, where his research focused on strategic competition, counterintelligence as a warfighting function, and the defense of the “Idea of America” in an era of great-power rivalry. He is the Founding Director of the Sentinel Research & Policy Institute (SRPI), a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing innovative, non-governmental solutions to contemporary national security challenges. At SRPI, Dr. McNeil leads strategic research initiatives, mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers, hosts the Common Ground podcast, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Sentinel Journal. His work emphasizes whole-of-society approaches to counterintelligence, strategic competition with China, and the preservation of American legitimacy and moral leadership in global affairs. Dr. McNeil previously served in senior counterintelligence and policy roles within the defense and intelligence community, including as Counterintelligence Policy Advisor on the Joint Staff. During his government service, he contributed to the development of national counterintelligence strategy, authored foundational policy guidance, and helped integrate counterintelligence into joint operational planning. His career also included operational assignments overseas and leadership positions in counterintelligence instruction, policy reform, and strategic planning. Dr. McNeil is also an active lecturer and public speaker on counterintelligence, data privacy, national security strategy, and applied statecraft. He has delivered guest lectures at universities and professional forums, translating complex strategic concepts into practical insights for academic, private sector, and policy audiences. He holds a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology from the University of North Dakota and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Public Policy from Liberty University. His academic and professional publications appear in outlets including the American Intelligence Journal, the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, and other national security forums.