Joseph Shelzi

Joseph Shelzi is a Research Fellow at The Soufan Center, focusing on military affairs and operational analysis, conflict resolution, climate security, and the proliferation of non-state armed groups. He has written on the role of cyber power in geopolitics and war, climate security in the Middle East and the Sahel, East Asian security, and cultural geography in Africa.

Prior to joining The Soufan Group, Joseph served as a decorated U.S. Army Intelligence Officer. He has worked and led teams at the tactical and strategic levels, analyzing both conventional and asymmetric threats to U.S. Army operations. While deployed to Iraq, Joseph worked closely with Iraqi security forces as an intelligence advisor and received a Bronze Star for his service there. While stationed in Japan, he commanded an intelligence collection company and worked on alliance and security cooperation issues at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

Joseph attended Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and was awarded a Master of International Affairs degree with a concentration in International Security Policy and specializations in International Conflict Resolution and European Affairs. During his studies at SIPA, Joseph conducted in-depth research on a variety of international security topics, including Russian security policy, particularly the role of Wagner Group in Africa, international peacekeeping operations and conflict analysis, and cyber conflict. While completing his graduate studies, Joseph worked as a Research Associate at The Soufan Center.

Joseph is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Human Geography. While completing his undergraduate thesis he conducted field research on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal, studying the impacts of rapid urbanization on the physical and cultural landscape.