Randy Pestana

Biography

Randy Pestana serves as Assistant Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives at FIU’s Gordon Institute for Public Policy, where he manages the institute’s partnerships with U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, and State. Mr. Pestana also serves as Director of Workforce Development and Capacity Building at Cybersecurity@FIU, a designated Emerging Preeminent Program. Additionally, Mr. Pestana serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs and Honors College. His technical specialization is in International Relations with focuses on U.S. foreign policy, security studies, and cybersecurity. The majority of his work has been linked to governance and security in Latin America and the Caribbean and cybersecurity workforce development issues broadly stated. Mr. Pestana has published and assisted on various publications for both academic and defense audiences related to U.S. foreign policy and national security. He has also appeared on local and national news outlets as a political commentator and supported the U.S. national security community through academic discourse. Prior to joining FIU, Mr. Pestana attended the Platoon Leader’s Course in Quantico, Virginia for the United States Marine Corps where he received a favorable evaluation and top five ranking by his peers as a Candidate Platoon Sgt., and served as a recruiting assistant in Miami, Florida where he helped train recruits prior to their departure to basic training. Mr. Pestana holds a M.A. in Latin American and Caribbean Studies with a Graduate Certificate in National Security Studies from FIU.