Dr. John Hillen

Biography

John Francis Hillen is a Distinguished Lecturing Fellow at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University. He teaches courses on civil discourse, politics, leadership, strategy, diplomacy, and national security. Hillen is an affiliate faculty member of the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy. He previously served as the James C. Wheat Jr. Visiting Professor of Leadership at Hampden-Sydney College and as Executive-in-Residence at the business school of George Mason University, where he received numerous teaching awards. As a decorated Army combat veteran, Hillen served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs during the George W. Bush administration. He has extensive experience as a public company CEO and currently serves as Board Chairman for several companies. Hillen has authored critically acclaimed books on international security affairs and has published numerous articles in prestigious journals and newspapers including Foreign Affairs and The Wall Street Journal. He has made appearances as a policy expert on major television networks. He holds degrees from Duke University, King's College London, and the University of Oxford. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by Hampden-Sydney College in 2019.

Research Interests