Our Team

Dr. Marckwardt is the Founder & Director of the Latin America Studies Initiative (LASI) and Faculty Co-Lead for the Americas at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He also serves as Professor of Strategy and Defense at the Inter-American Defense College. A retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and Foreign Area Officer, Dr. Marckwardt served for over 29 years in a range of policy and security cooperation positions. Earlier in his career, he deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Armor Officer in command and staff roles. While in Iraq he co-authored a book The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa, the premiere tactical primer on counterinsurgency.

Dr. Marckwardt earned his Doctor of International Affairs and Master of International Public Policy degrees at Johns Hopkins SAIS. He is also a graduate of Argentina’s Escuela Superior de Guerra. His research and writings have appeared in Joint Forces Quarterly, Small Wars Journal, and other outlets, focused on regional security, institutional reform, and military diplomacy. 

Dr. Michael L. Burgoyne is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona’s School of Government and Public Policy. He deployed twice to Iraq in command and staff positions and served as the Defense Attaché in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was a counterinsurgency trainer at the National Training Center and co-authored The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa, a tactical primer on counterinsurgency. He served in various policy and security cooperation positions in the Americas including assignments as the Army Attaché in Mexico, Andean Ridge Desk Officer at U.S. Army South, Senior Defense Official in Guatemala, and policy analyst at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Dr. Burgoyne holds an M.A. in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and a PhD in War Studies from King's College London. His research and writing focus on security in the Western Hemisphere, insurgency, transnational organized crime, alliances, and defense policy.