Paul J. Angelo, PhD, assumed duties as Director of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies on June 21, 2022. His previous work at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) included roles as Fellow for Latin America studies and as an International Affairs Fellow. There he focused on US-Latin American relations, transnational crime and security assistance.

During his tenure as an International Affairs Fellow, he also represented the US Department of State at the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he managed the ambassador's security and justice portfolio.

His previous service in the Navy included tours in a United Kingdom-based NATO unit, on board a destroyer deployed to the Asia-Pacific region, and as an instructor at the US Naval Academy, where he taught Spanish and Latin American politics courses. During his naval career, Angelo deployed to Colombia on three occasions over the course of more than a decade. He was directly responsible for the planning of inter-agency missions focused on improving local governance, rule of law, and security in support of Plan Colombia.

Holding the rank of Commander, Angelo continues to serve as a foreign area officer in the US Navy Reserve. In this capacity, he has advanced US defense priorities across the globe in places such as Cape Verde, Colombia, Djibouti, Honduras, Italy, Mozambique, Panama and Uruguay. Angelo's written commentary has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Miami Herald. He is also the author of From Peril to Partnership: US Security Assistance and the Bid to Stabilize Colombia and Mexico (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Angelo holds a BS in political science (with honors) from the US Naval Academy, where he was awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship; an MPhil in Latin American studies (with distinction) from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar; and a PhD in politics from University College London. In 2022, the Guatemalan government awarded Angelo the "Monja Blanca" (White Nun Orchid) medal (second class) for meritorious service in support of the Guatemalan people.