Barry Strauss Named 2026-2027 Giles-O’Malley Distinguished Visiting Professor at School of Public Policy

The School of Public Policy (SPP) is pleased to announce that respected military historian Barry Strauss will serve as the 2026-2027 Giles-O’Malley Distinguished Visiting Professor. Strauss joins a lineage of scholars in this annual role, following previous visiting professors Lee Ohanian and Victor Davis Hanson.

Strauss is the Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he also teaches. Before his time at Hoover, Strauss taught at Cornell University for several decades as the Edith M. Bowmar Professor of Humanistic Studies. At SPP, Strauss will teach a class on public leadership and offer a series of lectures both on- and off-campus during this yearlong appointment.

Recognized as a leading voice on military and naval history, Strauss has authored numerous award-winning books, including The Battle of Salamis (2004), Masters of Command (2012), Ten Caesars (2019), and The War that Made the Roman Empire (2022). His latest book, Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire, was published by Simon & Schuster in August 2025. In addition to his writing, he is the Series Editor of Princeton’s Turning Points in Ancient History and previously served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale and a B.A. from Cornell.

“As a program committed to preparing public leaders, hosting scholars like Prof. Strauss will be a tremendous benefit to both our students and our community,” said dean Pete Peterson. “In just a few short years, the Giles-O’Malley Distinguished Visiting Professorship has welcomed terrific scholars to Malibu. Professor Strauss certainly continues this young tradition,” he added.

Strauss noted his excitement in the appointment: "I'm delighted to join the faculty and students at Pepperdine's School of Public Policy as the 2026-2027 Giles-O'Malley Distinguished Visiting Professor. I know the program has uniquely considered the importance of military history in teaching public leadership. I look forward to teaching these lessons to future policymakers."

Terry Giles, whose support makes the professorship possible, also welcomed the appointment. “For Kalli and me, the purpose of our visiting professorship has been to bring America's top public leadership scholars to Malibu,” Giles said. “I'm delighted to see Professor Strauss join the august group of Giles-O'Malley Distinguished Visiting Professors.”

Strauss will officially assume the role at the beginning of the next academic year starting August 1, 2026.