Albert S. Willner, Ph.D.

email: awillner@ggc.usg.edu

Al Willner is the Associate Dean, School of Liberal Arts, Georgia Gwinnett College. Prior to this position, he was assigned as the Chief (U.S. Defense Attaché equivalent), Liaison Affairs Section, American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan. He has served as the Deputy Head, Director of International Relations and National Security Studies, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point. Willner has taught courses in international relations, U.S. foreign policy, Chinese politics and government and American politics and government. He has co-edited a book, China’s Nuclear Future (Lynne Rienner, 2006) and has authored or co-authored numerous papers.

He holds a Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs (East Asian Certificate) from the University of Virginia and is a 1981 graduate of James Madison University. His military education has included rotary wing aviator courses, airborne, air assault and ranger schools, Chinese-Mandarin language and joint specialty officer training. He has also completed the United Nations Civil Military Coordination and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army National Defense University’s International Symposium courses.

Having recently retired as a Colonel following a 26-year U.S. Army career, Willner has served in numerous foreign area officer and aviation duty positions in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, and multiple locations throughout the United States. His previous duties required extensive foreign travel throughout East Asia and Europe. He and his family currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia.