GRAND FORKS, N.D.—The University of North Dakota will host retired Air Force Col. Patrick “Mike” Shortsleeve, a national security and intelligence expert now working in the defense industry, for a campus presentation Nov. 5.
Shortsleeve, vice president of strategic development at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., will speak at 2:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union ballrooms as part of the university’s UND LEADS: Broad Perspectives on National Security speaker series.
The event will be hosted by UND President Andrew Armacost.
Shortsleeve has spent 35 years working in national security and intelligence, including 28 years in the U.S. Air Force. His military assignments included leadership positions in Iraq, Afghanistan, NATO and the Pentagon before his retirement as a colonel in 2019.
In Iraq, he commanded the Air Force’s only intelligence squadron operating in the country. He later directed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in Afghanistan and served as senior intelligence officer at NATO’s Air Command.
Following his military career, Shortsleeve joined General Atomics, a defense contractor specializing in unmanned aircraft systems and related technologies.
In his current position, he oversees business development strategies involving military drone programs and emerging technologies for U.S. government customers.
The company’s portfolio includes the MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-1C Gray Eagle, MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian aircraft, along with autonomous systems and next-generation unmanned combat aircraft.
Shortsleeve holds degrees from Texas State University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Air University. He also served as a National Defense Fellow at Georgetown University.
UND launched its national security speaker series in 2024 to bring military, intelligence and defense industry leaders to campus and to events in Washington, D.C.
Previous speakers have included retired Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson, former commander of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command; Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain; and Northrop Grumman Defense Systems President Benjamin Davies.
The series supports UND’s National Security Initiative, which focuses on research, technology development and workforce preparation in national security fields.
The Nov. 5 event will take place at the UND Memorial Union, 2901 University Ave., in Grand Forks. Registration is available through the university.