Gary Ackerman

Gary Ackerman
Associate Professor, SUNY Albany
University at Albany, State University of New York
Investigator
Phone
518-442-5251
Biography:

Gary Ackerman is an Associate Professor with the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at SUNY Albany. Prior to taking up his current position, Ackerman held the posts of Research Director and then Special Projects Director at START and the Director of the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies, a private research and analysis institute. He has also served as the Director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Research Program at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif., and chief of operations of the South Africa-based African-Asian Society. Ackerman possesses an eclectic academic background, including past studies in the fields of mathematics, history, law and international relations. His research encompasses various areas relating to terrorism and counterterrorism, including terrorist threat assessment, motivations for using chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons, radicalization, the relationship between terrorism and technology, and the modeling and simulation of terrorist behavior. He is the co-editor of Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction (CRC Press, 2009), author of several articles on CBRN terrorism and has testified on terrorist motivations for using nuclear weapons before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security. Ackerman received his BA and BA (Hons) degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and his MA in International Relations from Yale University. He completed his PhD in War Studies at King’s College London, dealing with the impact of emerging technologies on terrorist decisions relating to weapons adoption.                      

Background

Education:
  • King's College London, Ph.D., War Studies
  • Yale University, M.A., International Relations
  • University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, B.A., Law and International Relations
  • University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, B.S., Mathematics
Professional Experience:
  • Associate Professor, SUNY Albany, 2017-Present
  • Director, Unconventional Weapons and Technology Division, START, 2014–2017
  • Director, Special Projects, START, 2011–2014
  • Research Director, START, 2006–2011
  • Associate Fellow, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, King’s College London, 2009–Present
  • Director, Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies, 2005-2008
  • Adjunct Faculty, California University of Protection and Intelligence Management, 2002-2008
  • Co-director and Research Director, Monterey Terrorism Research and Education Program, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2006
  • Director, Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Research Program, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2004-2006
  • Deputy Director, Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2003-2004
  • Adjunct Faculty, Graduate School of International Policy Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 2004-2006
  • Manager: International Markets, Workpad Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, 1998
  • Chief of Operations, African-Asian Society, 1996-1997

 

Lead Investigator on START Research Projects

Researcher on START Projects

Selected Publications

CBRN Terrorism (Journal Article)
Single-issue Terrorism (Book Chapter)
Gauging the Threat (Journal Article)
Research Review 2009 (Research Review)

News References