Dr. John Callahan
Adjunct Professor
Institute of World PoliticsDr. John Callahan, PhD, is an adjunct professor with the Institute of World Politics (IWP) who teaches courses in the Joint Master of Science (MS) in Cyber Intelligence and Security program with Capitol Technology University.
Since May 2017, Dr. Callahan has served as Director of International Relations and Homeland Security Programs at New England College. He was Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies from September 2019 to August 2022. He has taught at NEC since 2010.
His research focuses on foreign policy decision making, framing, and strategic communication. John is a contributor to the UK Defense Forum’s Defense Viewpoints, focusing on EU enlargement issues. He is also a Co-Convenor for the Political Science Association of the UK German Studies Group, focusing on the rise of populism in Europe.
From 2007 to 2017, Dr. Callahan served as a consultant to the Joint Public Affairs Support Element, U.S. Transportation Command, and the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. In this role, he has worked as a strategic communications planner as well as a Joint public affairs and media trainer for all of the U.S. Regional Combatant Commands.
Dr. Callahan served as Deputy Spokesman at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, helping the Director, Ambassador John Negroponte, to communicate key messages of intelligence reform to the American people. Prior to this, Dr. Callahan was honored to be selected by the Department of Defense and the Department of State to serve as a Public Affairs Officer at the American Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. His missions there included working as an information officer for the Iraq Commission on Public Integrity and working as a portfolio press officer at the embassy.
Dr. Callahan is a President of the International Ambassador Club, a global networking and humanitarian affairs organization. He received his Ph.D. in International Studies from Old Dominion University in 2015. His chapter on the information environment was published in April 2017’s Future of U.S. Warfare by Palgrave, and his first book, Explaining Wars of Choice, was published by Academica Press in February 2018.
Areas of Expertise
- Public Affairs/Strategic Communication
- Exercise and Wargame Development
- Operations and Interagency Planning
Biography:
Education
- Ph.D., International Studies, Old Dominion University
Dissertation: Examination of U.S. foreign policy and strategic communication in humanitarian interventions
Courses Taught