The Portsmouth Abbey School 2016-17 Seton Lecture, a series that features conversations on American government, history and politics, took place on Monday, January 9.
This year's guest speaker Dr. Marc Genest spoke about, "When we were the Insurgents: The American Rebellion Against the British Empire." An expert on insurgency, in particular military operations in Afghanistan, Dr. Genest called upon his experiences in Afghanistan as a basis for understanding the 18th-century American insurgency against the British. Dr. Genest answered student and faculty questions about pressing global issues following his talk.
Dr. Marc A. Genest holds the Forrest Sherman Chair of Public Diplomacy in the Strategy and Policy Department and is co-director of the Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups (CIWAG) at the Naval War College. He is also the area study coordinator for the Insurgency and Terrorism electives program. In 2011, Professor Genest served as a civilian advisor at Division Headquarters for Regional Command – South in Kandahar, Afghanistan. In 2009, Genest received the Commander's Award for Civilian Service from the Department of the Army for outstanding service as a Special Advisor to the Commander of Task Force Mountain Warrior while stationed in Regional Command- East in Afghanistan.
Dr. Genest earned his Ph.D. from Georgetown University in International Politics. His books include, Negotiating in the Public Eye: The Impact of the Press on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Negotiations, Conflict and Cooperation: Evolving Theories of International Relations and Stand! Contending Issues in World Politics. He has also written articles dealing with international relations theory, strategic communication, American foreign policy and public opinion.