Fort Bliss, TX – August 12, 2025 – Dr. Robert A. Nelson, assigned to the Sergeants Major Academy at the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence, Fort Bliss, has made history as the first faculty member at the Academy to be promoted to the rank of Associate Professor by the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC), effective August 12, 2025. The promotion recognizes Dr. Nelson’s sustained excellence in teaching, scholarship, and contributions to the field of NCO education.
The Associate Professor rank at CGSC signifies a significant achievement, requiring an earned doctorate and five years of demonstrably successful teaching experience at the Assistant Professor level. Alternatively, exceptional leadership, sustained outstanding teaching, and recognized subject-matter expertise may substitute for a graduate degree in cases of preeminent practical expertise critical to the NCOLCoE. Dr. Nelson’s promotion is a testament to his exceptional qualifications and dedication.
Dr. Nelson’s journey to this milestone is marked by a distinguished record of academic and professional achievement. He earned his doctorate from Vanderbilt University in Leadership and Learning in Organizations and is the only enlisted member in the Army selected as a MIT Seminar XXI Fellow. His commitment to instructional excellence is further evidenced by earning the Master Army Instructor Badge and graduating from COHORT 3 of the Fellowship program with Penn State.
Beyond his formal education, Dr. Nelson is a prolific scholar and forward-thinking leader, boasting an extensive publication record across various platforms. His work includes peer-reviewed articles, contributions to professional military journals, and engagement with online thought leadership forums. Notably, Dr. Nelson co-authored “Rethinking the andragogical effectiveness of discussion boards in an MBA program” published in The American Journal of Distance Education (Ross & Nelson, 2024). He frequently contributes to the NCO Journal (Army University Press) with articles such as “The epistemology of character” (Nelson, Russell, & Becker, 2025), “The ultima scholars: Enhancing NCO education through scholarly research” (Nelson, 2024), and “72 Hours” (Nelson, 2024). He has also published in Army Magazine, including “Quality time is being present” (Nelson & Russell, 2023) and “Put down that smartphone and show courage to learn” (Nelson & Arnold, 2023). His work extends to platforms like Harding Project Substack with “An update: The ultima scholars cohort” (Nelson, 2024) and numerous articles co-authored with Dr. Gabriel Arnold, covering topics from dysfunctional meetings (Nelson & Arnold, 2022) to the importance of strategic silence (Nelson & Arnold, 2022). He serves as a peer reviewer for the American Journal of Distance Education and the Online Journal of Workforce Development. As an editor for Military Review and a member of the Military Writer’s Guild – one of the first three at the Academy to be accepted – he actively shapes the discourse on military leadership. His influence extends to broader audiences through three podcasts, as well as contributions to the NCO Journal and Penn State’s “From Concept to Creation.”
Dr. Nelson’s dedication extends to innovative program development, exemplified by his leadership of the Ultima/Warrior Scholars Initiative for Class 75. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the College of Operations Management for Southern New Hampshire University and presented his research on reflective journaling at the 2024 Virtual Adult Higher Education Alliance Conference. Having contributed to the Sergeants Major Academy for over seven years in roles ranging from instructor to operations sergeant major and chair, Dr. Nelson’s commitment to NCO development is unwavering.
“Do it,” Dr. Nelson advises aspiring NCOs looking to become educators and leaders. “As an educator, you have the chance to impact far more Soldiers and NCOs than you could by yourself. If you are good, the impact you have on the Army will be exponential for a generation of leaders. Instructing is also a worthwhile and fulfilling profession.”
For Dr. Nelson, the most rewarding aspect of his work lies in the success of his students. “The thing I am the proudest of is the leaders I helped educate,” he shared. “Whenever I see one of my former students excelling, being selected for a higher position, or even applying to the fellowship, it warms my heart. I get this from conversations with former students as well, and it’s a great feeling to have someone tell you that you made a difference in their life.” He also highlighted the significance of his scholarly work, particularly a recently completed peer-reviewed article and an upcoming book with Army University Press, believing the latter “may end up being his most impactful” contribution.
Looking to the future, Dr. Nelson envisions a need for exceptionally adaptable and critically thinking NCOs. “The future holds threats that we have yet to imagine,” he explained. “The NCO of the future will have to solve problems in ways that we cannot conceive today. While the operational domain will have to shoulder the burden for the training associated with these things, I strongly believe that the institutional domain can help develop these skills though world class education.” He is actively contributing to this vision through the Class 77 curriculum redesign, focused on preparing the next generation of senior enlisted leaders. “Once complete we will educate the best senior enlisted leaders the world has ever seen, and they will make a significant difference in the Army…and we will do that over and over again, aiming to get better each time.”
The NCOLCoE congratulates Dr. Nelson on this historic achievement and looks forward to his continued contributions to the education and development of future Army leaders.