The Academy's Scholar-Practitioners

At The Academy, our faculty are more than educators — they are active leaders and seasoned experts from the front lines of intelligence, defense, policy, technology, and the private sector. Our students learn from those who have shaped national strategy, led in complex global environments, and driven innovation across disciplines.

This unmatched blend of academic depth and real-world experience ensures that every lesson bridges theory and practice — equipping students not just with knowledge, but with the insight and judgment needed to lead.

Beyond the classroom, our faculty provide personalized career guidance and résumé support to help students advance confidently into the next stage of their professional journey.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Shane McNeil

Dr. 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.