SIPA Senior Fellow

FIU names former head of U.S. Southern Command as senior fellow

Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller joins FIU’s Green School

Adm. Craig S. Faller meets with students and faculty at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy. After a nearly four-decade long career in the military, retired U.S. Navy Adm. Craig S. Faller joined the Green School as a senior fellow. He will lecture on national security and leadership, as well as mentor students through the university’s intelligence fellowship and global affairs programs.

As commander of U.S. Southern Command, Faller, 61, oversaw U.S. military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean from November 2018 until he stepped down in October 2021. At FIU, Faller will work closely with the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, the Master of Arts in Global Affairs Program, as well as the Center for Leadership.

“Admiral Faller has always highlighted the importance of engaging leaders in the Western hemisphere in strategic partnerships and maintaining peace,’’ said John F. Stack Jr., founding dean of the Green School. “He has also been a tremendous partner to FIU and the Green School and we are so pleased to have that partnership continue in this new role.”

Before joining Southcom, Faller served as senior military assistant to the secretary of defense and held numerous high-level positions at U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command. He served as a commanding officer in the Persian Gulf War, as well as operations New Dawn in Iraq and Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

At FIU, Faller has regularly headlined major events on national security issues including the Hemispheric Security Conference in May 2021, where his roundtable conversation with university leaders drew thousands of online viewers.

“Admiral Faller brings tremendous national security and leadership expertise that will undoubtedly educate and inspire our students while enhancing the quality of FIU’s national security-focused research and programming,’’ said Brian Fonseca, director of the Gordon Institute, which has had a robust academic partnership with Southcom since 2007.

“I am honored to join the FIU team,’’ Faller said. “FIU is a world-class organization. As commander of U.S. Southern Command, I saw firsthand the great work FIU does educating students, partnering with the Miami community and building security in our Western Hemisphere neighborhood.”