Welcome to my website. I joined the faculty of Tarleton State University-Central Texas in 2008, after receiving my Ph.D. in Policy History from Bowling Green State University.
My dissertation, entitled “Richard Nixon and Europe: Confrontation and Cooperation, 1969-1974” examined key elements in relations between the United States and its traditional postwar European allies, including Great Britain, France, and Germany. This multi-lingual research was based on the Nixon tapes, as well as sixteen government and historical archives in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. I have two book manuscripts in progress on Nixon foreign policy and the Nixon tapes, and I am also interested in research projects on the history of the National Security Council and NATO. Some of my research, including Nixon tape audio and transcripts, has been published on my website, http://www.nixontapes.org.
I teach in the areas of the United States and the World, including American diplomatic history and modern European and Asian history. Before earning my Ph.D., I completed prior post-graduate studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Oxford. I was also formerly a staff member at the U.S. House of Representatives and the British House of Commons, and worked as a management consultant based in Beijing.
In my spare time, I am a baseball fan, and I enjoy visiting new places, whether nearby or distant. Finally, I also take part in mountaineering expeditions when time permits, including an advanced base camp expedition to the north face of Mount Everest in 2000, and summits of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Rainier in 2003 and 2004, respectively.