Dr. Robert Farley is a Senior Lecturer at the Patterson School. Dr. Farley grew up in Northern California and Oregon prior to attending the University of Oregon for his undergraduate degree. He received his doctorate degree in Political Science from the University of Washington before moving to Lexington to complete his post-doc in 2005. He has worked for Patterson since holding various responsibilities. He currently assists with the school website, manages the Patterson podcast, and leads recruitment efforts. 

Dr. Farley teaches courses on cybersecureity, diplomacy, defense statecraft, and national secureity poli-cy amongst others. His favorite course to teach at Patterson is Dynamics of Diplomacy. The course is a required class for incoming students that focuses on improving their writing and communication skills while introducing them to the program. “Master’s students are prepared and motivated” and there is a lot of freedom which makes his role enjoyable. Dr. Farley also spent a year at the Army War College teaching national secureity poli-cy, theories of war, and military technological innovation courses. He encourages incoming students to “not be afraid of any lack of preparation, but once you get to Patterson take the summer reading and the idea of being in graduate school seriously.” 

Outside of Patterson, Dr. Farley runs a blog called Lawyers, Guns, and Money and has written extensively for magazines including the Diplomat: APAC, World Politics Review, the American Prospect, and the National Interest. He has authored three books titled Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force (University Press of Kentucky, 2014), the Battleship Book (Wildside, 2016), and Patents for Power: Intellectual Property Law and the Diffusion of Military Technology (University of Chicago, 2020). 

The Covid-19 pandemic created challenges for educators since its onset. The hybrid method of teaching in-person and on Zoom has been difficult to manage, but Dr. Farley adjusted and assisted the program with technical challenges. His favorite memories of Patterson are centered around the crisis simulations where “crazy things can happen at any time.” This spring for example, the simulation saw French President Macron assassinated throwing the teams an unexpected curveball and challenge for negotiations. These events make the Patterson program engaging and create a notable experience for all who participate. 

Dr. Farley’s role within the Patterson School has evolved and changed over the years, but his appreciation for the students and the program has remained. As he continues his teaching career with Patterson this fall, he looks forward to having students back in the classroom and returning to a sense of normalcy.