Our Team
Dr. Patrick J. Christian, LTC, USA, SF (Ret). Founding Partner & Senior Social Scientist at Valka-Mir Human Security, LLC. Dr. Christian is a Psychoanalytical Anthropologist, with over 78 months of field experience in conflict zones across Africa, the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Latin America with the US Army’s Special Forces Regiment. Dr. Christian led joint, interagency special operations teams in Niger and Iraq. He completed his dissertation field research of psycho-historiography of the Kel Tamashek (Tuareg) of northern Mali and Niger. Dr. Christian holds a doctorate degree in ethnic and cultural conflict from NSU-DCAR, Masters degree in Communication, and a Bachelor degree in Psychology. Dr. Christian is currently a Senior Social Scientist at the US SOCCENT's MISTF-C team, a non-resident research fellow at the Joint Special Operations University (USSOCOM), and a visiting faculty and research professor at the US Army’s JFK Special Warfare Center of Excellence, where he develops and teaches new courses in the advanced interdisciplinary science of the human domain. Dr. Christian has one book, three book chapters, and over a dozen journal articles in print.
Dr. Aleks Nesic is a Founding Partner & Senior Social Scientist at Valka-Mir Human Security, LLC. Dr. Nesic is a Political Psychologist with extensive experience teaching and training civilian and military students, field work and research in conflict and post-conflict zones where she researchers underlying psychosocial conditions that give rise to civil and political violence and extremism. Her latest research is focused on developing effective measures to build resilience among communities vulnerable to state and non-state actors’ influence, recruitment, mobilization and weaponization. She holds a Doctoral degree in Conflict Analysis with specialization in Political Psychology of North Africa and East Europe, Master’s degree in International Education, Management and Communication, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and is a trauma certified counselor. Dr. Nesic is a Visiting Faculty in the Countering Violent Extremism and Countering Transregional Terrorism Fellowship Programs at the Joint Special Operations University (USSOCOM), and a Senior Social Scientist and visiting faculty at the US Army’s JFK Special Warfare Center of Excellence, where she develops and teaches new courses in the advanced interdisciplinary science of the human domain.
Dr. Carl Flanagan, CAPT, USN, NSW (Ret). Business Development Partner & Senior Social Scientist. Dr. Flanagan is a behavioral research scientist with a PhD from NSU-DCAR, dissertation from Ignita Veritas University on the susceptibility of Kenya tribal youth to Violent Extremist Organizations (VEO). His field research expertise is in understanding the VEO recruitment susceptibility of tribal youth from central Kenya. Dr. Flanagan has nearly four decades of Special Operations experience from every level. He has commanded Special Operations units in the field in a multitude of geographic locations globally and has directed operations from Special Operations staffs.
