Expertise
Far-right extremism, jihadism, domestic violent extremism
Research Interests
Far-right terrorism, political violence, international relations, civil wars, military operations
Education
- Master of Arts (M.A.) in Security Studies - Georgetown University
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science - Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Biosketch
Luke is a first-year doctoral student in UMass Lowell's Criminology and Justice Studies Program, concentrating in Terrorism Studies. Before becoming a doctoral student, he served as a research fellow at a university think tank in Washington, D.C., where he researched domestic violent extremism in the United States, primarily focusing on the American far-right. His insights and commentary have been featured in numerous mainstream news outlets, such as CNN, MSNOW, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, C-SPAN, PBS NewsHour, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Newsweek, USA Today, WIRED, Business Insider, and others. Luke has also written for several online publications, such as Just Security, Lawfare, Instick Media, Liberal Currents, and GNET. Luke earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 2017 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Upon graduation, Luke commissioned as an Active Duty Field Artillery Officer in the United States Army. After receiving an honorable discharge in 2021, Luke enrolled in Georgetown University, where he earned his master's degree in Security Studies in 2023.