Joseph Derdzinski

Joseph Derdzinski is a senior international development and governance adviser, an associate professor of political science, and a member of organizations that promote the support of persons with developmental disabilities. Joseph earned his Doctor of Philosophy from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, a Master of Arts in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

His research and consulting interests center on the study of the political processes of post-authoritarian states, and how political institutions can be employed to reduce violence. Joseph served on observation missions for the recent, highly-fraught, elections in Egypt and Afghanistan, and conducted and published research to help the Ukrainian government develop an accountable national guard. During the 2016-17 academic year, he is teaching courses on international politics, the politics of Africa, and comparative politics.

Prior to entering academe, Joseph was a US Air Force officer, where he worked extensively with security service colleagues throughout northern Europe. He also led the first US military security detachment in Bosnia during NATO’s implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, where he worked with Bosnia’s security services in their post-conflict transition