Middle East Security Studies

Dr. Cihan Aydiner is an Assistant Professor and program director of Homeland Security at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide (ERAU-W). He has had prior academic and professional roles at Louisiana State University, Hybridcore (an AI-Powered Decision-Making Company), and Army.

Tim Pappa is a cyber deception theorist and practitioner with Walmart Global Tech’s Cyber Deception Operations team. Tim was previously a Supervisory Special Agent and certified profiler with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), one of the only FBI profilers in the world specializing in online influence and cyber deception.

Dr. Sedat Cevikparmak is an Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Lutgert College of Business. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors at the NATO Veterans Initiative (NAVI). He earned his Ph.D. in Logistics Systems from the University of North Texas. A 1997 graduate of USMA at West Point, he served in the Turkish Armed Forces until 2016, with his last role at the International Military Staff – NATO HQ in Brussels.

Dr. Rula Jabbour is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Nebraska Deterrence Lab, University of Nebraska. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, specializing in International Relations, Strategic Studies, and Middle Eastern Politics. Her research explores authoritarian governance, civil-military relations, counterterrorism, and post-conflict reconstruction in the Middle East.

Dr. Ibrahim Kocaman is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Security Studies & International Affairs at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science (with a focus on Comparative Politics and International Relations) from the University of North Texas in 2022.

Dr. Hasan Celik is an accomplished academic and professional with a distinguished military and academic career recognized with numerous awards and honors. Currently serving as an assistant professor of management at Robert Morris University, Dr. Celik is a logistics, operations, and supply chain management specialist with a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas.

As a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and a former senior civil servant, Mr. Umit Kurt is dedicated to advancing the field of international relations as a Ph.D. researcher at UCLouvain in international relations in Belgium. His research delves into the dynamics of International Institutions with their diverse members, the ethics of reconciliation, the complexities of migration, and the overarching governance of digital ecosystems.

Mustafa Kirisci is an adjunct professor at Moravian University. His research interests fall in terrorism, civil conflict, cybersecurity, interstate conflict and civil-military relations studies. His peer-reviewed papers appear in well-known journals of security studies, such as International Interactions, Terrorism and Political Violence, Government and Opposition, Critical Studies on Terrorism, Defense and Peace Economics, Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict.

Hamdi Kavak is an Assistant Professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, who blends his academic prowess with a diverse professional background that includes military service. With a focus on data science, he leads interdisciplinary research projects involving participants ranging from high school students to full professors.

Ilker Güler is a seasoned academic and defense professional with extensive experience in NATO, the Turkish Armed Forces, and the Turkish Naval Forces Command. He has contributed to key NATO initiatives such as the Defense Planning Process, Strategic Concept, and Strategic Foresight Analysis. He holds degrees and advanced training in Industrial Engineering, Operations Analysis, International Security, and Political Science, with further specialization in defense planning and advanced analytics.

Mehmet Calkayis is an IT Security professional specializing in cloud security. He served in the Turkish Army for 24 years, assuming technical and managerial roles at national and international levels. In addition to his voluntary administrative duties at the NAVI Research Institute, he contributes to academic research.

Dr. Saban Adana is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management and Mulwick Scholar at John Carroll University’s Boler College of Business. His research and teaching focus on supply chain resilience, performance-based contracting, analytics, and complexity. He earned his Ph.D. in Supply Chain Management from the University of North Texas and holds master’s degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School and the Turkish Army War College.

Ana is a consultant and analyst specializing in security and governance issues. She is a partner at SOTER4 and a lead researcher at the International Observatory for Terrorism Studies (OIET), where she also coordinates the Observatory of West Africa program. Ana leads multiple projects and research teams focused on defense, peace, and security, particularly in the Sahel, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Frederick Okello is a PhD student at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina. He holds graduate and postgraduate degrees from the University of Waterloo and Saint Francis Xavier University. His expertise spans international security, AI in the military domain, disarmament, peacekeeping, and African technology policy. A former research fellow at CIGI and Balsillie School, he has published on Africa’s digital transformation and security policy.

Julian Longoria is a meteorologist and defense policy professional specializing in climate-security challenges. His work explores how Arctic climate change reshapes NATO priorities, impacting infrastructure, supply chains, and domain awareness. He served as a U.S. Army meteorologist at White Sands Missile Range and as a DoD SMART Scholar at Johns Hopkins. He holds an M.S. in Environmental Science & Policy and a B.S. in Earth System Science, with certifications in defense acquisition.

Salimot Olawale earned her M.A. in Political Science (Comparative Politics & International Relations) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her B.A. from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a Grant and Development Specialist with ALARM, supporting peacebuilding and reconciliation programs. Previously, she served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in American Government at the University of Tennessee.

After earning his graduate degree from Stanford, Victor led the Stanford Existential Risks Initiative (SERI) at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. His work covered biosecurity, climate change, nuclear security, and AI alignment. Over time, he grew concerned about the potential for power-seeking behavior in future superintelligent systems. He later spent two years as an independent researcher studying how coherent value systems might emerge in such agents.

Angelia Keever is an experienced professional in the airline industry, with several years of service in roles ranging from in-flight operations as a flight attendant to management positions. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Security and Resilience at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, building on her bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security with minors in Security and Environmental Science.

Christopher Davis is a national security professional and emerging defense policy researcher with a background in military intelligence and international security cooperation. A former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst, he has supported joint and multinational operations alongside United States Africa Command and various NATO partners, gaining firsthand experience in intelligence integration, coalition operations, and strategic interoperability. Christopher holds a B.A. in Political Science and is currently pursuing a M.A. in International Affairs.