Jesse Humpal is an Air Force officer and MQ-9 evaluator pilot. He currently serves as a strategy advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and is the designated federal officer for the Secretary of Defense’s Defense Policy Board. Prior to this role, he was the director of research for the Joint Special Operations Command, where he led their wargaming and lessons learned program.
Jesse’s research interests delve into the complexities of power dynamics, particularly surrounding state proxies. He also explores meta-rationality, emerging lethal violence, and the evolution of global norms. Academically, Jesse holds a BS from the University of Nebraska (2008). He furthered his education at Northwestern University, earning an MPPA (2014), an MS (2020), and a PhD in political science (2021).