Max L. Gross retired from the Federal Government in December 2005. Prior to his retirement, he was for eleven years Dean of the School of Intelligence Studies at the National Defense Intelligence College. Before that, he was Professor of Intelligence (Middle East) at the same institution. He also served as an Intelligence Research Specialist in the Middle East Branch of DIA’s Directorate of Research. Dr. Gross served as a military intelligence officer in the United States Air Force, with three consecutive overseas assignments in Turkey, West Germany and South Vietnam.

In addition to his work at the Joint Military Intelligence College, he also has served as adjunct professor at George Washington University, American University, Georgetown University and the University of Virginia. He also lectures several times each year at federal institutions in the Washington, DC area and around the country.

His current research interests focus on the relation between religion and politics in the Islamic world. He also has been especially interested in Ottoman history, especially its military history and its period of rule in the Arab world.