"He knows a lot about the subject he will be dealing with," said KSG Professor Matthew Bunn. "It will be great to have someone as energetic and committed to getting something done."
Bunn said the appointment did not surprise many at the Kennedy School.
In 1998, Falkenrath completed a three-year term as executive director of the Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He had previously served as a research fellow at the Belfer Center's International Security Program.
Falkenrath's research has concentrated on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons proliferation, arms control, ballistic missile defense, European and post-Soviet security, the Persian Gulf and terrorism.
While serving as a British Marshall scholar at King's College, Falkenrath
received his Ph.D. in War Studies.
He is also a graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles.