US Military and Genocide: Perpetration, Liberation, Witness, and Prevention
Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Kevin Wooldridge, Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
Kevin Wooldridge
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Elisabeth Hope Murray
Abstract
The integration of U.S. military veterans as facilitators in university classrooms presents a transformative approach to teaching genocide and security studies. Drawing from an NEH-sponsored initiative at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, this presentation examines how veterans’ firsthand experiences, leadership skills, and analytical abilities enrich student engagement, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary discourse. By incorporating real-world perspectives—such as combat deployments, counterinsurgency operations, and collaboration with international forces—veteran facilitators provide students with nuanced understandings of conflict, decision-making, and humanitarian crises. The program's success highlights the reciprocal benefits of veteran involvement: while students gain deeper insights into security and genocide studies, veterans find renewed purpose and professional development in academia. This presentation calls for expanded institutional support to harness veterans' potential as educators, fostering a more dynamic, inclusive, and practically engaged learning environment.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
Yes, Spark Grant
US Military and Genocide: Perpetration, Liberation, Witness, and Prevention
The integration of U.S. military veterans as facilitators in university classrooms presents a transformative approach to teaching genocide and security studies. Drawing from an NEH-sponsored initiative at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, this presentation examines how veterans’ firsthand experiences, leadership skills, and analytical abilities enrich student engagement, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary discourse. By incorporating real-world perspectives—such as combat deployments, counterinsurgency operations, and collaboration with international forces—veteran facilitators provide students with nuanced understandings of conflict, decision-making, and humanitarian crises. The program's success highlights the reciprocal benefits of veteran involvement: while students gain deeper insights into security and genocide studies, veterans find renewed purpose and professional development in academia. This presentation calls for expanded institutional support to harness veterans' potential as educators, fostering a more dynamic, inclusive, and practically engaged learning environment.