John will receive his PhD from The Australian National University’s Department of International Relations (IR) in 2024. With more than 25 years of experience across the public, non-profit and private sectors, since 2009 John has worked in the global energy sector.

Previously, he served in a variety of humanitarian and development roles across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa, where he worked with the United Nations and several non-governmental organizations. John also previously served with the US Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the US Defense Intelligence Agency in policy support, operational coordination, and analytical roles.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (International Studies) from the Virginia Military Institute and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (Political Economy, International Security Studies) from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

His thesis focuses on how resource dependency, elite strategies to gain or maintain control, and the role of coercion shaped state cohesion in Iraq both before and after the US-led invasion in 2003. In addressing the question of this tripartite relationship, the aim is to provide insight as to whether Iraq can move beyond its multiple civil conflicts towards a stability that enables consolidation, or results in a reformation, including potential fragmentation, of the state. This thesis integrates different theories to allow for a richer discussion regarding how elite competition and international intervention can impact state development.