William M. LeoGrande is an American political scientist and Professor of Government at American University, where he served as Dean of the School of Public Affairs. A leading expert on US foreign policy and Latin American politics, LeoGrande has authored books, including Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana and Our Own Backyard: The United States in Central America, 1977–1992. He has advised the US Senate Democratic Policy Committee and the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Central America. Currently a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute, he shapes diplomacy through media commentary and strategic policy analysis. LeoGrande earned his PhD from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.