About
Joseph Felter is a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution (Stanford University) and the William J. Perry Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. His career bridges academia, military service, and policy advising, with expertise in counterinsurgency, national security, and US-China relations. He coauthored the influential book Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution and Modern Conflict (2018) and developed the Hacking for Defense curriculum to connect military needs with Silicon Valley innovation.
- Military Background: Former US Army Special Forces officer with combat deployments in Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Served as commander of the COMISAF Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team.
- Academic Roles: Assistant Professor at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences, Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs, and current codirector of Stanford’s Empirical Studies of Conflict Project.
- Research Focus: Politically motivated violence, economic development in conflict zones, and defense innovation. His work appears in top journals like American Economic Review and Journal of Conflict Resolution.
- Policy Engagement: Key advisor on US defense strategy (2017–2019) and founder of BMNT, a Silicon Valley defense technology incubator. Currently serves on Spirit of America’s board.
Scientific Awards: Recognized as a William J. Perry Fellow and US Army War College Fellow. His empirical conflict research informs both academic and policy debates.
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