Dr. James R. Morton,

LTC, U.S. Army Reserve, Special Forces

219C Bunnell Building

2141 Koyukuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775
(907) 474-5396
j.morton@alaska.edu

• Assistant Research Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Member - Center for Arctic Security and Resilience
• Advisor to the Commander, Alaskan Command, Alaska Native Affairs
• Principal Investigator - U.S. Army Alaska Forces Mental Health Program

 

Currently, I’m an assistant research professor with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) within the Institute of Arctic Biology.  My scholarly focus is to better understand the health and wellness of veterans and military forces through behavioral and psychological lenses. In particular, my efforts center on understanding and addressing suicide prevention through strength-based approaches among Alaskan veterans and our service members stationed in rural and remote areas.

In addition to serving in CANHR, I support the Vice Chancellor of Research at UAF in its effort to foster research opportunities with the Department of Defense and other related national security agencies.

Being an affiliate of the Center for Arctic Security and Resilience (CASR), I look for opportunities to join conversations regarding national security and the Arctic. In particular, discussions and research efforts that consider special operations in the Arctic.

Another part of my professional profile is my military service. I hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves. I was on active duty as a Special Forces operator and then as an Intelligence Officer in various special operations forces organizations. Now I serve Alaskan Command out of JBER as a Native affairs advisor to the Commander.

My family and I love living in the Interior of Alaska! My twin daughters make me look good as a parent. My wife is an exceptional leader serving service members and their families while tolerating me.

Education

• PhD, Counselor Education and Educational Psychology, Southern Illinois University (CACREP Accredited)
• Master of Education, Mental Health Professional Counselor, University of Missouri – St Louis
• Master of Art, International Relations, University of Connecticut
• BA, Technologies for Developing Countries - Southern Hemisphere, UCONN

Recent Publications (peer-reviewed)

Morton, James R. Jr., Troy J. Bouffard, "Special Operation Forces and the Arctic: Meeting North America’s 21st
Century Security Needs", Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) program, Department of
National Defence, Ottawa, Quebec, August 2022. (North American Arctic SOF Report)

Morton, James R., Ryan Burke,  "Special Operations Forces and Arctic Indigenous People: Partnering to Defend the North American Arctic". Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, Vol 5 (5), 2022, (in print)