Preston C. De Jean

CAPT Preston C. De Jean is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marine Transportation at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He joined in 2011 and has held roles including Assistant Dean for Academic Support Programs, Interim Academic Dean, and currently serves as Acting Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. His expertise spans maritime law, business law, and logistics, with research interests in maritime bankruptcy and taxation.

Education:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.), Southern University Law Center (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
• Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation, Golden Gate University (San Francisco, California)
• Bachelor of Science, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• Harvard Kennedy School certificate in Leadership

Professional Background:

• Former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with service in logistics, including deployments to Iraq and Kuwait
• Practice as a licensed attorney specializing in tax, contracts, and bankruptcy
• Higher education administration experience as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Southern University System

Contributions: Founded the Maritime Law Society, led the 2016 Decennial Reaccreditation Self-Study Steering Committee, and contributed to numerous academy-wide committees.