David Polatty

Senior Fellow in International and Public Affairs
Director, Military Fellows Program

Dave Polatty is a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute teaching undergraduate courses, conducting impactful research, and directing the Military Fellows Program. He spent over 40 combined years in U.S. government service in multiple leadership roles as both a civilian professor at the U.S. Naval War College and Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He has also worked as a senior executive and strategic advisor for humanitarian nongovernmental organizations and his professional experiences focus on humanitarian response, national and human security, strategy development, crisis planning, and climate change.

Dave is a fourth-generation U.S. Navy officer and served for 30 years, retiring as a Captain. From 2009 to 2019, he was the commanding officer for five different Navy Reserve units that supported multinational and U.S. military operations around the globe. While on active duty from 1992 to 2003, he served as a Surface Warfare Officer and Naval Flight Officer.

From 2008 to 2022, he served as a civilian professor at the Naval War College where he founded and directed the Humanitarian Response Program, and designed and taught numerous postgraduate courses on strategic planning, crisis response, and humanitarian response.

He holds a BS in History from the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated with the highest distinction from the U.S. Naval War College, earning an M.A. in National Security Strategic Studies and receiving the Navy League William S. Sims Award. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Joint Forces Staff College. He was awarded two Legions of Merit and numerous other personal and unit awards while in uniform. He is a proud recipient of the Brown University Class of 2024 ‘Barrett Hazeltine Citation for Excellence in Teaching, Guidance and Support’.