Melissa Graves

Dr. Melissa Graves serves as Department Head and Associate Professor in the Department of Intelligence and Security Studies at The Citadel. She specializes in national security legal issues, US presidential intelligence relations, and intelligence analysis. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary policy challenges, particularly focusing on FBI institutional dynamics and crisis management.

Education includes a Ph.D. and M.A. in History from The University of Mississippi, a J.D. (The University of Mississippi), and a B.A. in English and Communication (Hardin-Simmons University, summa cum laude). She retains inactive bar status in Texas.

Her research examines presidential oversight of intelligence agencies, legal frameworks in intelligence operations, and FBI historiography. Notable works include Nixon’s FBI: Hoover, Watergate, and a Bureau in Crisis and co-authorship of Introduction to Intelligence Studies (2nd Ed.).

Professional experience includes roles at The University of Mississippi’s Center for Intelligence and Security Studies, including Interim Director. She has presented at Five Eyes Analytic Workshop and serves as an American Council on Education evaluator for military programs.