About Pat

Dr. Patrick J. Paterson is a Professor of Practice and Editor-in-Chief at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Studies at the National Defense University. A specialist in international security, national security affairs, foreign policy, conflict resolution, and Latin America, Pat lectures, publishes, facilitates conferences and workshops, and advises organizations throughout the U.S., the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. Through his work and his daily interactions with foreign and U.S. graduate students, government representatives, NGOs, and military officials, he has developed a passionate understanding and commitment to the issues of citizen security and democracy.

Pat has written four books and published more than two dozen articles. His most recent book, The Blurred Battlefield: The Perplexing Conflation of Humanitarian and Criminal Law in Contemporary Conflicts, examines the “grey areas” of international humanitarian law and the changing nature of contemporary warfare. It dives into U.S. defense strategy and security cooperation policy in significant depth and includes lengthy case studies on the security and defense strategies of four Latin American nations. The book also describes the operational challenges of U.S. military units in Afghanistan.

Pat is bilingual in English and Spanish. He earned a Ph.D. in conflict resolution from Florida’s Nova Southeastern University, where he wrote his dissertation on Post-Conflict Transition in Chile: Negotiation Techniques for Dealing With a Resistant Armed Forces. He also holds three master's degrees in his areas of expertise: a master's in political science from American University, a master's certificate in global strategic affairs from the Argentine Naval War College, and a master's in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. He received a bachelor's in history from the United States Naval Academy.

Pat lives in McLean, Virginia, with his wife, two sons, and dog. When he is not on the road for work or at home reading up on national security affairs, you'll find him outside with his family—hiking, sailing, or skiing, depending on the season.

To view Pat's CV, click here.