Joseph W. Westphal
Joseph W. Westphal (born 1948) is the United States Under Secretary of the Army in the United States Department of the Army.
Joseph Westphal served as Chancellor of the University of Maine System and Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. He also served as the Provost, Senior Vice President for Research and Professor of Environmental Studies at The New School in New York City. He stepped down from this position to serve as a member of President Obama’s Transition Team for Defense matters in December 2008[1].
Westphal spent his first 12 years in academia as a faculty member of Oklahoma State University, where he worked as a Professor of Political Science, later becoming head of the Department. During his many years of public service, Westphal has lectured at numerous universities around the world and taught public policy as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University while working in Washington DC[1].
In addition to a distinguished academic career, Westphal has led a prestigious and varied career in public service as well. In 2001, he served as the Acting Secretary of the Army and earlier, he served as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works from 1998 to 2001[1].
Westphal has had extensive experience working in the United States Congress and other departments within the executive branch. He served as the Senior Policy Advisor for Water Resources at the United States Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton Administration. He also worked in the United States Congress in various capacities, from directing a bi-partisan congressional caucus in the House and Senate, as a budget analyst and assistant to the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget to working on Members’ staff. Earlier in his public service career, Westphal worked as a policy advisor to the Secretary in the Department of the Interior[1].
Westphal received his Bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University, his Master’s degree from the Oklahoma State University and his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri[1].
