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Biography - John D Harrington

Georgetown University 1996
Ph.D. in Government

Dr. John Harrington is an Adjunct Faculty member for the School of Security and Global Studies. He holds a Ph.D. from Georgetown University in International Relations. He also has two Masters Degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations and Public Administration. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy class of 1980.


Before joining APUS, Dr. Harrington served in the Air Force for 24 years as an educator and pilot, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2006. During his military career, Dr. Harrington served two three year tours on the faculty of the U.S. Air Force Academy. His first tour, from 1988-91, he was an Instructor of Political Science and served as Executive Officer for the Department of Political Science. His second tour, from 1996 to 1999, he was an Assistant Professor of Political Science and served as Division Chief for International Relations and Defense Policy.


A Command Pilot, during the course of his Air Force flying career, Lieutenant Colonel Harrington amassed over 5,000 flying hours in the C5 Galaxy, C141 Starlifter, VC9 Nightingale, UV18 Twin Otter, T38, T37 and T41. Career highlights included flying one of the first C141 combat support airlift missions into Beirut following the terrorist bombing of the Marine Headquarters in 1983 as a First Lieutenant aircraft commander. From 1991 to 1993, Major Harrington flew high level government dignitaries, including the Vice President of the United States on Air Force Two, and served as Executive Officer to the Commanding General of the 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews Air Force Base. In 2003, Lieutenant Colonel Harrington culminated his Air Force flying career by flying the C5 into Baghdad on a combat airlift mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.


After retiring from the Air Force, Dr. Harrington returned to academe at the University of Pennsylvania for two years, where he taught International Politics and served as Associate Director of Executive Education at The Wharton School. Specializing in multinational defense, aerospace, electronics and automotive corporations, he was responsible for all aspects of a portfolio of customized executive education programs, including their design, development, implementation and evaluation. He consulted with corporate clients and Wharton faculty to develop curricula and create appropriate learning experiences, based on the targeted objectives of his clientele. His major clients included BAE Systems, DHL, Northrop Grumman, Philips Electronics, Toyota, and Tyco Electronics.


Today, John is a commercial pilot for a major U.S. airline. He has an FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and holds type ratings in Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed and Embraer commercial jet aircraft. He resides with his family in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.