Jonathan Nelson, MSSI, USAF (RET)
Professor of Practice
Jonathan Nelson is a Professor of Practice in The Citadel’s Department of Intelligence and Security Studies. A retired U.S. Air Force senior noncommissioned officer and former Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, he brings experience in counterintelligence, investigations, and mental health counseling to his teaching and research.
His military career included assignments in Europe and the Pacific and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He served as a regional program manager for Air Force counterintelligence operations in Europe and Africa and as a supervisory special agent overseeing forensics, polygraph, counterintelligence, and technical services in the Pacific.
His academic interests center on cognitive warfare and the psychological dimensions of intelligence analysis, human source operations, deception, and influence. He teaches courses in counterintelligence, intelligence collection, homeland security, surveillance, and military and political deception. His teaching integrates case studies, practical exercises, and simulations to help students develop sound judgment and make decisions under uncertainty.
Degrees
- M.S., Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Walden University
- M.S., Strategic Intelligence — National Intelligence University
- B.A., Intelligence Studies — American Military University