Mr. Flaherty is currently a PhD Candidate in Political Science with concentrations in Public Policy and International Relations. His dissertation research in Public Policy is focused on non-incremental policy change, through the integration of the Multiple Streams Framework and Advocacy Coalition Framework. In International Relations, his research is focused on conflict with regional specializations in Europe and Africa. Mr. Flaherty employs both qualitative and quantitative methods in his research. He has received research grants from the U.S. Intelligence Community and was selected to attend the Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR) at Syracuse University in 2023. Prior to joining the department, Mr. Flaherty was a senior intelligence officer in the Department of Defense. He conducted extensive field work in East and West Africa, and in Europe, during which time he worked closely with international organizations and foreign partners. He was also a member of three different U.S. Embassy Country Teams as a Special Operations Liaison. Mr. Flaherty was previously awarded a graduate degree in National Security Studies from the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., and an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.

During the summer of 2023, Mr. Flaherty will be a Public Policy Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute. For the 2023/2024 academic year, he will also be a Fellow at the UNM Center for Regional Studies. Mr. Flaherty is scheduled to teach International Organizations (POLS 340) during the Fall 2023 semester.