Jeffrey A. Engel

Jeffrey A. Engel is the David Gergen Director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a Senior Fellow at the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has taught at institutions including Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government & Public Service. His academic focus centers on American foreign policy, Cold War history, and presidential decision-making.

Engel has authored or edited 13 books, including When the World Seemed New (2017), which won the Transatlantic Studies Association Book Prize, and Cold War at 30,000 Feet (2007), honored with the Paul Birdsall Prize. His current project, Seeking Monsters to Destroy: How America Goes to War, examines military decision-making from George Washington to Joe Biden.

• Education:
• Bachelor’s from Cornell University
• Studied at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford University
• M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from University of Wisconsin-Madison

Engel’s research bridges academic and public spheres, with frequent media contributions to CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He has received prestigious teaching awards, including the 2019 HOPE Professor of the Year at SMU. His work emphasizes the intersection of presidential leadership, geopolitical strategy, and historical narrative.