John M. “Matt” Venhaus

John M. “Matt” Venhaus
ARLIS

Matt Venhaus is the Mission Area Director for Cognitive Security and Operations in the Information Environment at the University of Maryland’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS). His primary research interest is modelling the socio-technical complexity of the modern information environment to support meaningful training in the human domain of competition and conflict.

He is the Principal Investigator for the Information Competition Simulator (ICS). The ICS blends technology with social science, creating a training environment that replicates how information spreads and influences human behavior. It builds digital representations of specific populations, designed to mimic real-world behaviors, information consumption habits, and social interactions. This allows users to engage with simulated communities, bringing their own perspectives into the mix, which helps to illuminate how biases can impact decision-making in the realm of information warfare.

Matt has dedicated his professional life to influencing human behavior to achieve U.S. national security objectives. From tribal villages in sub-Saharan Africa, across Europe, throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, he sought to influence the attitudes, perceptions, and ultimately the behaviors of foreign audiences. In each endeavor, he found that successful national security-related influence combines an empathetic understanding of the drivers of human decision-making with an appreciation for the enabling advantages of technology.

Before joining ARLIS, Matt was a Senior Advisor for Mission Integration at the MITRE Corporation. He led, shaped, and managed MITRE’s support to USCYBERCOM by developing and overseeing the execution of cross-cutting technical strategies to increase MITRE’s impact in advancing the effectiveness of cyber operations. He has a deep and abiding passion for the practical application of influence and persuasion in competition and conflict as technological advancements drive new realities in how people consume and process information.

Matt served over 28 years in the U.S. Army, primarily in persuasive communications (PSYOP). He designed, implemented, and managed multi-media campaigns on four continents across the full spectrum of peace and armed conflict. Matt retired from the Army in 2014 after serving in the Pentagon as the principal staff advisor to the Secretary of Defense for information operations.

His published works include a special report entitled “Why Youth Join al-Qaeda,” which examined case studies of individuals who became foreign fighters to discern their behavioral motivations and seeks to establish a usable strategy to divert future generations from the path to extremism. He has also authored several classified reports on applying persuasive communications against malicious cyber actors and in competition below the level of armed conflict. He recently wrote the “Structured Process for Information Campaign Evaluation,” which offers an analytic framework and scoring rubric for Operations in the Information Environment.

A 1987 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Matt is a plank-holder in the PSYOP Regiment and a Life Member of the PSYOP Veterans Association. He is a Life Member of the Information Professionals Association. He has also been awarded a Master’s degree in International Relations from Troy University and a Masters of Professional Studies in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University. Besides his duties at ARLIS, Professor Venhaus is the Executive Director of the Information Professionals Association. When the weather is not conducive to sailing with Lisa, his wife of 31 years, and their dog, he lives in Savannah, Georgia.