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

After a nearly four-decade long career in the military, retired U.S. Navy Adm. Craig S. Faller will join FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs 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, 60, 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, 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.

A 1983 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a native of Fryburg, Pennsylvania, Faller earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering and a master’s in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School.  

“I am honored to join the FIU team,’’ Faller said after meeting with President Mark B. Rosenberg on Wednesday. “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.”

Senior fellows at the Green School devote their residence at FIU to research, teaching and creation of new engagement opportunities for students. Previous fellows include former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Kimberly Green of the Green Family Foundation and European historian Peter Reill.