Meet Phillip Livingston, a recent graduate from the START MPS program who brings a wealth of experience from both military service and government positions, including roles at the Department of Defense and the U.S. Secret Service. He reflects on how his career shaped his academic journey and how START’s MPS program helped him achieve his personal and professional goals.
Tell me a little about your background.
I’m originally from Texas. For my undergrad, I started at a community college in Hartford County before transferring to UMD, where I studied political science and economics.
I joined the army in 2006 and was there until 2011, at which point I took a position at the Department of Defense. I did weapons and armor testing for DoD, particularly for vehicles- vehicle armor and a lot of weapons for the various types of vehicles the Department of Defense utilizes. In 2019, I took a position as a Weapons Specialist with the United States Secret Service, which is where I am now. After that, I started the MPS program with START, which I just finished this year.
What branch of the military were you in? Can you tell me more about your experience?
I joined the army and worked as an EOD technician, which was a unique experience in that it’s one of the only joint-service programs that’s left. So I was in EOD school with sailors and marines and airmen, which is not very common any more. It’s also one of the few positions in the military that still carries out stateside missions. There was a lot of response to IEDs, and supporting organizations like the Secret Service in their protective operations.
Why did you choose START? What aspects of our program appealed to you?
I had already used START’s Global Terrorism Database in my position at the Secret Service to research various incidents. Mainly bombing incidents and things like that. The database proved quite useful, and I was very impressed with the overwhelming amount of data that was available from the various reports in the database. It was incredible and one of the more fantastic things about it, especially in my current position, is that it is all open-source, so I don’t have to worry about any classification issues that might come with other resources. I was impressed enough that it led me to apply for the MPS because of the high quality of the work that was being done.
What are your professional or academic goals?
I had spent most of my career- well, all of my career, really- in this kind of kinetic violence or terrorism world, but through a very zoomed-in lens. So everything I had experienced, between my time in the army and working for the DoD as a civilian, and even my time with the Secret Service, has been focused on things like one specific bombing, or a particular assassination, or the technical aspects of a particular weapon used in a particular event. I was looking for something to help me zoom out more and have a more comprehensive understanding of these types of events. The MPS program at START really helped me with this- to gain a better understanding of why these types of violent or terrorist events occur and what generates a person’s perceived need to engage in that type of violence. I wanted to round out my understanding of these types of events and the people who commit these acts.
Where are you now? How has START helped you achieve your goals?
So there is a two-part answer to this, personal and professional. On the personal side, I am just super interested in this content. Before I began with START, I was reading some of the same course material and other information already, so START really helped me learn more about my interests. That being said, on a professional level, an MPS in terrorism studies has lent credibility to my work and what I do that I did not previously have. My experience at START lends me the justification to make certain suggestions about the way that organizations like the Secret Service operate. While my background as a veteran and my previous professional roles certainly help, the academic understanding I developed through START has given me a real advantage. It has elevated my standing and enabled me to engage with an organization like the Secret Service at a decision-making level—which is incredible.
What was it like going through the MPS program as someone with a full-time job and family?
The online format was incredibly helpful. By the time I started at START, I was already accustomed to online learning from my undergraduate experience. For a demanding program like the MPS, being able to study online was ideal—it worked out really well. I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not attending physical classes. In fact, it was much more convenient, especially after my wife and I had our daughter. Being able to complete the program from home made it much easier to balance everything. The professors were very accommodating, and there were times when I attended class with my newborn in my arms. It was great to have that flexibility while managing all my responsibilities.
What was your favorite or most memorable moment at START?
I think there is just an amazing feeling of success when you finish your capstone project in this program—both personally, in terms of accomplishment, and professionally, in terms of credibility. It's a significant achievement to finish something on such a large scale. Even after submitting it, when I reread my work, I was truly impressed by what I had created.
What advice would you give to someone in the military looking to advance their professional or academic goals?
My advice would be to do this type of academic program as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more responsibilities you may have, both professionally and personally, that might conflict with the time commitment of a Master’s program. Once you know graduate school is in your future- go for it!