Rockford Weitz

Rockford Weitz is Professor of Practice, Entrepreneur Coach, and Director of the Maritime Studies Program at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He also serves as President of the Institute for Global Maritime Studies Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit seeking practical solutions to global maritime challenges, and President & CEO at Rhumb Line International LLC, a consultancy providing strategic advice to entrepreneurs and startups.

In 2014, Rockford served as founding Executive Director at FinTech Sandbox Inc. From 2008 to 2013, he served as founding CEO at CargoMetrics, leading the effort to build a VC-backed financial technology business that started in his Cambridge apartment. Prior to co-founding CargoMetrics, he was a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Global Maritime Studies, a team leader of Fletcher's Abu Dhabi Project, a fellow at Fletcher's Maritime Studies Program, and a fellow at Fletcher's Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies. He has taught courses in Jurisprudence, Maritime Security, and Global Maritime Affairs at The Fletcher School, and published op-eds in The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Straits Times (Singapore), among others.

Before co-founding Rhumb Line in 2005, he served as International Counsel at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc., leading the effort to open 12 international subsidiaries and streamline global operations. He also worked at the U.S. Trade Representative, and co-founded and served as Program Director of the Borgenicht Peace Initiative, a social entrepreneurship venture in Bethlehem.

Rockford earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School, M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from The Fletcher School, and a B.A. in International Relations: Political Economy from the College of William and Mary. He is a fellow in the U.S.-Japan Leadership Program, a member of the Fletcher School's Advancement Council, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Research/Areas of Interest:

• Global Maritime Affairs
• Maritime Security
• Arctic Studies
• Entrepreneurship
• Leadership
• Social Innovation
• Technology

Education

• PhD, Tufts University, Medford, United States, 2008
• JD, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States, 2003
• MA, Tufts University, Medford, United States, 2003
• BA, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, United States, 1999

Tufts University Appointments

• Professor of Practice
  Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 1 Aug 2022 - present
• Director of the Fletcher Maritime Studies Program
  Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 1 Aug 2022 - present
• Professor of the Practice
  Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 15 Mar 2017 - 31 Jul 2022

Academic Positions

• Professor of Practice
  The Fletcher School, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States 1 Jan 2015 - present
• Director, Fletcher Maritime Studies Program
  The Fletcher School, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA 2015 - present
• Entrepreneur Coach
  The Fletcher School, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA 1 Jan 2015 - present

Non-academic Positions

• President
  Institute for Global Maritime Studies Inc., Medford, MA, USA 1 Jan 2014 - present
• President & CEO
  Rhumb Line International LLC, Medford, MA, USA 1 Jan 2005 - present
• Board Director & Advisor
  Sustainable Agriculture for All Inc. 2019 - present
• Advisor
  OceanShield Pte. Ltd., Singapore 2019 - present
• Board Director & Advisor
  Blue Water Metrics Inc. 2016 - present

Selected Publications

Weitz, R. (2018). Strategic Maritime Chokepoints: Perspectives from the Global Shipping and Port Sectors. In G. Gresh (Ed.), Eurasia's Maritime Rise and Global Security: From the Indian Ocean to Pacific Asia and the Arctic. Palgrave MacMillan.

Weitz, R. (2008). America’s Deep Blue Highway – How Coastal Shipping Could Reduce Traffic Congestion, Lower Pollution, and Bolster National Security.. Institute for Global Maritime Studies.

Weitz, R., & Reiter Neal, S. (2007). Preventing Terrorist Best Practices from Going Mass Market: A Case Study of Suicide Attacks ‘Crossing the Chasm. In S. Costigan (Ed.), Terrornomics. Ashgate.

Weitz, R., Perry, J. C., & Borgerson, S. (2007). The Deep Blue Highway. The New York Times.

Weitz, R. (2019). What is at stake in the Strait of Hormuz?. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/what-is-at-stake-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-120486

Weitz, R. (2018). Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-important-99496