Senior Advisor, Extractive Industries and Human Development Center
Robert C. Pittelli is an expert on socio-economic and political drivers of violent extremism, with a special focus on countering the social narratives that fuel recruitment by extremist organizations. His regional expertise is in Africa and the Middle East. Bob has engaged in CVE research for the U.S. Department of Defense and private sector clients.
Bob has written extensively on the rise of violent extremism in northern Mozambique in the context of significant international investments in mining and petroleum, offering recommendations on how international investors can engage local communities to produce better human development and human security outcomes. He has also coauthored articles on international geopolitical rivalries in the post-Cold War period.
Until 2014, Pittelli worked for the U.S. Air Force and the Department of the Army Civil Service as an all source Intelligence and Information Operations Analyst. He organized and managed small unit work teams that conducted analysis of a range of potential threats and opportunities to peace and security.
Pittelli earned an M.A. in Personnel Management and Administration from Central Michigan University, and a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Cultural Anthropology, from Long Island University. He also earned a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Intelligence from the U.S. Defense Intelligence College.