معرفی
James J.F. Forest is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he serves as Director of Security Studies and teaches undergraduate, master's, and doctoral courses on contemporary security studies, terrorism and counterterrorism, homeland security, and weapons of mass destruction. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed scholarly journal Perspectives on Terrorism. Previously, he served as a Senior Fellow for the U.S. Joint Special Operations University (2010-2019) and as a faculty member at the United States Military Academy (2001-2010), where he was Director of Terrorism Studies at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point for six years and Assistant Dean for Academic Assessment for three years.
Dr. Forest's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College (1998), an MA in International Development Education from Stanford University (1994), a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University (1993), and an AA in Liberal Arts from De Anza College (1991).
His research focuses on international security, terrorism & counterterrorism, national security, military & defense policy, weapons of mass destruction, homeland security, critical infrastructure protection, and transnational organized crime. His recent work has increasingly emphasized digital influence warfare, information operations, and the intersection of social media, propaganda, and political warfare in the modern security landscape.
Dr. Forest's scholarly output shows a clear evolution from traditional terrorism studies toward understanding the digital information environment as a critical domain for contemporary security challenges. His recent publications focus on how state and non-state actors leverage social media platforms for influence operations, with particular attention to disinformation campaigns, cognitive warfare, and the strategic manipulation of online information ecosystems.
- Superior Civilian Service Award (2010), Leadership - Department of the Army
- America's most esteemed terrorism and national security expert (2006), Service, Community - Foreign Policy Magazine
- Commander's Award for Public Service (2005), Leadership - Department of Army
- Commander's Award for Civilian Service (2004), Leadership - Department of Army
- Achievement Medal for Civilian Service (2003), Service, Community - Department of the Army
- Mary T. Kinnane Award for Excellence in Higher Education (1998), Scholarship/Research - Boston College
Dr. Forest has provided expert testimony and briefings to the intelligence community and U.S. Senate committee hearings. He has served as an expert witness in terrorism-related court cases and has been involved in significant research projects including grants from the Ford Foundation, Department of Defense, and FBI Counterterrorism Branch. His work with the Center for Terrorism & Security Studies at UMass Lowell has established it as a prominent research hub for contemporary security challenges, particularly focusing on the evolving nature of terrorism in the digital age.
