Albert J. Marckwardt

Dr. Albert J. Marckwardt is the Founder & Director of the Latin America Studies Initiative (LASI) and Faculty Co-Lead for the Americas at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). A retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and Foreign Area Officer, Dr. Marckwardt served for over 29 years in a range of policy and security cooperation positions, including as Country Director for Colombia and Venezuela in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2017 to 2021. Earlier in his career, he deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Armor Officer in command and staff roles where he also co-authored the book “The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa”, the premier tactical primer on counterinsurgency.