Bio
Dr. Damon Coletta is Professor of Political Science at the United States Air Force Academy. He edits the Eisenhower Center peer-reviewed journal, Space & Defense, and, with several articles and book chapters, authored a monograph on technology and international security, Courting Science: Securing the Foundation for a Second American Century (Stanford University Press, 2016). He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University; a Master’s in Public Policy (S&T) from the Harvard Kennedy School; and a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.
Education
PhD, Duke University (1999)
Master of Public Policy, Harvard University (1993)
Master of Science, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University (1989)
Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University (1988)
Professional Experience
U.S. Air Force Academy
Center for Peace and Security Studies, U.C. San Diego
NORAD/NORTHCOM Science & Technology
Institute for Defense Studies (IFS), Norway
Naval Postgraduate School
North Carolina State
Duke University
Think Tank Internships @ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation/UCSD
RAND
Institute for Defense Analyses,
NASA – Goddard, American Enterprise Institute, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Delco Systems Operations – C-17 Avionics
Honors & Awards
Director, Eisenhower Center for Space & Defense Studies (2022)
Armed Forces & Society, Charles Moskos Prize selection board (2021-2022)
Scowcroft Professor (DFPS) (2020-2021)
Minerva (DoD) Research Grant-$1800, Cooperative Missile Defense Research (2015)
U.S. Dean of Faculty Team of the Year—Nuclear Education Team (2014)
Workshop Sponsor, Merrill Center for Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins U (Summer 2009)
Research Sponsor, Defense Innovation, U.S. Office of Naval Research (London, UK) (2007)
Alumni Invitation, U.S.-East Asia Relations, Salzburg Seminar (Summer 2007)
Fellowship, Transatlantic Relations, Salzburg Seminar (Summer 2006)
Outstanding Researcher in the Social Sciences and Humanities, U.S. Air Force Academy (2005-06)
Outstanding Academy Educator, U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Political Science (2003-04)
Nomination, APSA-Best Dissertation in IR, Duke University (Spring 2000)
General Motors Scholarship (Two Years at Stanford)
Research and Scholarly Interests
Politics of Technology and National Security in Emerging Domains
Civil-Military Relations
Game Theory
International Relations
Publications
Coletta, Damon (2023), “Deterrence” in NATO Research Handbook, Part IV Fields of
Action. Sebastian Mayer, ed. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, pp. 222-36.
Coletta, Damon (2023), “Civil-Military Relations,” in Understanding the U.S. Military.
Katherine Carroll and William B. Hickman, eds. London, UK: Routledge, pp. 25-42.
Coletta, Damon and Thomas Crosbie (2022) “Janowitz and Huntington—Better Together: A Response.” Armed Forces & Society Vol. 48, No. 3 (July): 723-29.
Feaver, Peter and Damon Coletta (2022) “The United States: Politicians, Partisans, and Military Professionals,” in Oxford Encyclopedia of the Military in Politics Vol. 3. W. Thompson and H. Nassif, eds., pp. 2051-62.
Coletta, Damon and Thomas Crosbie (2021) “The Virtues of Military Politics.” Armed Forces & Society Vol. 47, No. 1 (January): 3-24.
Coletta, Damon and Mark Zachary Taylor (2017) “Critical Dialogue on Politics of Innovation and Courting Science.” APSA Perspectives Vol. 15, No. 3 (September): 807-811.
Moore, Rebecca and Damon Coletta, eds. (2017) NATO’s Return to Europe: Engaging Ukraine,Russia, and Beyond. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.
Coletta, Damon (2016) Courting Science: Securing the Foundation for a Second American Century. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Coletta, Damon and Peter D. Feaver (2016) “Civilian Control of the Military.” In American Governance, First Edition, Stephen Schechter, et al., eds., Farmington, Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2016, pp. 299-302.
Coletta, Damon, Editor (2017-2012) Space & Defense Vols. 6-10. Online journal of the Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies, U.S. Air Force Academy:
http://www.usafa.edu/df/dfe/dfer/centers/ecsds/defense_journal.cfm.
Coletta, Damon and Paul Carrese (2015) “America’s Machiavelli Problem: Restoring Prudent Leadership in US Strategy.” Strategic Studies Quarterly Vol. 9, No. 4 (Winter): 18-43.
Coletta, Damon (2013) “Principal-Agent Theory in Complex Operations.” Small Wars &
Insurgencies Vol. 24, No. 2 (May): 306-21.
Coletta, Damon (2013) “Deterrence Logic and NATO’s Nuclear Posture.”
Strategic Studies Quarterly Vol. 7, No. 1 (Spring): 69-92.
Coletta, Damon and David Garcia (2013) “Willing and Able? Spanish Statecraft as Brokerage.” In NATO’s European Allies: Military Capability and Political Will. Eds. Janne Matlary and Magnus Petersson. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 178-204.
Coletta, Damon (2012) “The U.S. Civil-Military Problematique and New Military Missions.” In Civil-Military Relations in Perspective: Strategy, Structure, and Policy. Ed. Stephen Cimbala. Farnham, UK: Ashgate Publishing, pp. 83-100.
Coletta, Damon and Sten Rynning (2012) “NATO from Kabul to Earth Orbit: Can the Alliance Cope?” Journal of Transatlantic Studies Vol. 10, No. 1 (March): 26-44.
Coletta, Damon (2010) “Venezuelan Civil-Military Relations as a Coordinate System.” Armed Forces & Society Vol. 36, No. 5 (October): 843-63.
Coletta, Damon (2009) “Space and Deterrence.” Astropolitics Vol. 7, No. 3
(September-December): 171-92.
Coletta, Damon and Frances Pilch, editors (2009) Space and Defense Policy. London, UK: Routledge.
Coletta, Damon (2008) Trusted Guardian: Information Sharing and the Future of the
Atlantic Alliance. Hampshire, UK: Ashgate Publishing.
Coletta, Damon (2007) “Unipolarity, Globalization, and the War on Terror: Why Security Studies Should Refocus on Comparative Defense.” International Studies Review Vol. 9, No. 3 (Fall): 385-406.
Coletta, Damon (2007) “Courage in the Service of Virtue: The Case of General Shinseki’s Testimony before the Iraq War.” Armed Forces and Society Vol. 34, No. 1
(October): 122-37.
Coletta, Damon and Peter Feaver (2006) “Civilian Monitoring of U.S. Military
Operations in the Information Age.” Armed Forces and Society
Vol. 33, No. 1 (October): 106-26.
Coletta, Damon (2006) “North Korea and Crisis Dynamics.” In Perspectives on U.S. Policy Toward North Korea: Stalemate or Checkmate? Ed. Sharon Richardson. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, pp. 65-84.
Coletta, Damon (2005) “Managing the Transatlantic Gap: The Rise of Spain.” Foreign Policy Analysis Vol. 1, No. 2 (July): 229-47.
Bolt, Paul, Damon Coletta and Collins (“Skip”) Shackelford, editors (2005) American Defense Policy, Eighth Edition. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.