Defense and strategic studies

Dr. Quackenbush is associate professor of political science at the University of Missouri. He received his PhD in 2003 from the University at Buffalo, SUNY. He is the director of the strategic studies program at the University of Missouri, and he served as president of the International Studies Association – Midwest from 2016–2017. His research focuses on international relations, specifically three areas of international security: deterrence, recurrent conflict and strategic studies.

Dr. Reeder is an assistant professor of political science and an affiliate of the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs. He earned his doctorate and master’s from the University of Illinois, and his bachelor’s from Boise State University. His research centers on political violence, conflict management and the consequences of wars for civilian populations.

Dr. Ba’s interests include international political economy, U.S. foreign policy and the American presidency. Within the field of international political economy, her research focuses on systemic causes of financial crises, as well as the politics of global finance, and the role of credit and debt as a dimension of countries' structural and financial power. Her research on U.S. foreign policy examines the linkages between international relations theory and the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, as well as U.S. foreign policy crisis management, and the role of presidential advisory systems in U.S. foreign policy decision making.

Susan Brockhaus is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice in the Defense and Strategic Studies program at the University of Missouri. She earned an MS in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University in Washington D.C. in 2017, and an MA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2001. She has worked as an analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 2002, with extensive experience in counterterrorism and foreign influence. She was selected to serve as Senior Duty Officer in the White House Situation Room, worked in the 2012 London Olympics Threat Integration Center, and has personally briefed senior US government officials to include the President, Attorney General and FBI Director. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member for the FBI Academy at Quantico. She received Meritorious Citations from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in 2012 and 2015.

LTC (Ret) Rob Boone is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice in the Defense and Strategic Studies program at the University of Missouri. He also serves as Associate Vice President for Columbia College Global Military. He holds a BA in History from Sam Houston State University and an MA in Military History from American Military University, with a focus on Special Operations in Low Intensity Conflict. He is also a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the Joint Advanced Warfighting School. His assignments the United States Army included Rifle Platoon Leader, 25th Infantry Division, Hawaii; Service Detachment Commander, 3rd Special Forces Group; Company Commander, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC; Deputy Brigade Commander, 198th Infantry, Ft. Benning, GA. His final assignment was the Professor of Military Science at the University of Missouri. His deployments include Egypt, Tunisia, Haiti, and two tours in Iraq.