Christopher J. Ferrero received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 2011, where he focused on the US-Iran relationship. His primary research concerns US foreign policy formation toward Iran and Iran’s role in the Middle East. Prior to earning his Ph.D., Chris pursued a professional Master’s Degree in security studies at Georgetown University. He worked as a weapons intelligence analyst for the Departments of State and Defense from 2002-2006, and thus enjoys bridging functional/regional divides on security issues and gearing his teaching and scholarship for “real world” application.