Biography
Dr. Marckwardt is a scholar-practitioner whose work bridges diplomacy, defense policy, and academic leadership. He serves as Faculty Co-Lead for the Americas at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he teaches graduate-level courses and directs the regional programming focused on the Western Hemisphere. He is also the Founder and Director of the SAIS Latin America Studies Initiative (LASI), a dynamic research community dedicated to advancing scholarly knowledge and fostering policy discussions on Latin America affairs.
In addition, he serves as Professor of Strategy and Defense Policy at the Inter-American Defense College, the premier senior military institution for defense leaders across the Western Hemisphere. Prior to that he was an Associate Professor and Faculty Lead for Institutional Capacity Building at the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU), where he developed and delivered curriculum on defense governance and institutional reform for U.S. officials.
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. Prior roles include Defense Strategic Intelligence Planner for the Americas at the Defense Intelligence Agency; Political-Military Advisor and Liaison Office Director at the U.S. Embassy in Honduras for Joint Task Force–Bravo; and Senior Leader Engagement Officer for Mexico at U.S. Army North. He is a graduate of Argentina’s Escuela Superior de Guerra.
Earlier in his career, he deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Armor Officer in command and staff roles. While in Iraq, he co-authored the book The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa, the premier tactical primer on counterinsurgency. His research and writing have appeared in Joint Force Quarterly, Small Wars Journal, and other outlets focused on regional security, institutional reform, and military diplomacy.
Dr. Marckwardt is a recipient of the Johns Hopkins 2024 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award. He holds a Doctor of International Affairs and a Master of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins SAIS, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Florida International University.