Research/Areas of Interest
Global Maritime Affairs
Maritime Security
Arctic Studies
Entrepreneurship
Leadership
Innovation
Technology
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Rockford Weitz
Professor of the Practice in Maritime Studies
Director of the Fletcher Maritime Studies Program
Contact Information
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(617) 359-4208
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160 Packard Avenue
- View the full faculty profile
Education
- PhD, Tufts University, Medford, United States, 2008
- JD, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States, 2003
- MA, Tufts University, Medford, United States, 2003
- BA, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, United States, 1999
Biography
Rockford Weitz, JD, PhD, is a Professor of Practice & Director of the Maritime Studies Program at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He has taught courses on Entrepreneurial Leadership, Jurisprudence, Maritime Security, and Global Maritime Affairs at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and has published op-eds in The New York Times, The Conversation, and The Straits Times (Singapore), among others. He has traveled to over 75 countries, and has lived in Colombia, Mexico, Spain, France, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.
In 2014, Rockford served as founding Executive Director at FinTech Sandbox Inc. From 2008 to 2013, he served as founding CEO at CargoMetrics, leading the effort to build a VC-backed financial technology business that started in his Cambridge apartment and grew in value to over $110MM during his tenure as CEO. Prior to co-founding CargoMetrics, he was a team leader of the Fletcher Abu Dhabi Project, a senior fellow at the Institute for Global Maritime Studies, a fellow at Fletcher's Maritime Studies Program, and a fellow at Fletcher's Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies. Since 2014, he has served as President of the Institute for Global Maritime Studies Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit seeking practical solutions to global maritime challenges. He is also President & CEO at Rhumb Line International LLC, a consultancy providing strategic advice to entrepreneurs and startups. Before co-founding Rhumb Line in 2005, he served as international counsel at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc., leading the effort to open 12 international subsidiaries and streamline global operations. He also worked at the U.S. Trade Representative and Securities America. In 1996, he co-founded and served as Program Director of the Borgenicht Peace Initiative, a social entrepreneurship venture in Bethlehem.
Rockford earned a JD from Harvard Law School, MA and PhD degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a BA in International Relations: Political Economy from the College of William and Mary. He is a fellow in the U.S.-Japan Leadership Program.
Executive Summary: Father. Professor. Serial Entrepreneur. Angel Investor. Startup Advisor.
In 2014, Rockford served as founding Executive Director at FinTech Sandbox Inc. From 2008 to 2013, he served as founding CEO at CargoMetrics, leading the effort to build a VC-backed financial technology business that started in his Cambridge apartment and grew in value to over $110MM during his tenure as CEO. Prior to co-founding CargoMetrics, he was a team leader of the Fletcher Abu Dhabi Project, a senior fellow at the Institute for Global Maritime Studies, a fellow at Fletcher's Maritime Studies Program, and a fellow at Fletcher's Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies. Since 2014, he has served as President of the Institute for Global Maritime Studies Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit seeking practical solutions to global maritime challenges. He is also President & CEO at Rhumb Line International LLC, a consultancy providing strategic advice to entrepreneurs and startups. Before co-founding Rhumb Line in 2005, he served as international counsel at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc., leading the effort to open 12 international subsidiaries and streamline global operations. He also worked at the U.S. Trade Representative and Securities America. In 1996, he co-founded and served as Program Director of the Borgenicht Peace Initiative, a social entrepreneurship venture in Bethlehem.
Rockford earned a JD from Harvard Law School, MA and PhD degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a BA in International Relations: Political Economy from the College of William and Mary. He is a fellow in the U.S.-Japan Leadership Program.
Executive Summary: Father. Professor. Serial Entrepreneur. Angel Investor. Startup Advisor.
Selected Publications
Weitz, R. (2018). Strategic Maritime Chokepoints: Perspectives from the Global Shipping and Port Sectors. In G. Gresh (Ed.), Eurasia's Maritime Rise and Global Security: From the Indian Ocean to Pacific Asia and the Arctic. Palgrave MacMillan.
Weitz, R. (2008). America’s Deep Blue Highway – How Coastal Shipping Could Reduce Traffic Congestion, Lower Pollution, and Bolster National Security.. Institute for Global Maritime Studies.
Weitz, R., & Reiter Neal, S. (2007). Preventing Terrorist Best Practices from Going Mass Market: A Case Study of Suicide Attacks ‘Crossing the Chasm. In S. Costigan (Ed.), Terrornomics. Ashgate.
Weitz, R., Perry, J. C., & Borgerson, S. (2007). The Deep Blue Highway. The New York Times.
Weitz, R. (2019). What is at stake in the Strait of Hormuz?. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/what-is-at-stake-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-120486
Weitz, R. (2018). Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-important-99496