Mark Metcalf joined the McIntire School in 2020 as a Lecturer in Global Commerce. He teaches Doing Business in China, a seminar that investigates the roots of PRC business practices and norms from anthropological, sociological, historical, and political perspectives. During the preceding six years he taught courses on traditional Chinese literature in UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences, including a semesterlong seminar on Sunzi’s Art of War. Prior to UVA, Professor Metcalf spent over 25 years as a contractor working as a signals analyst, systems engineer, project manager (PMP), translator (Russian and Chinese), and intelligence analyst in support of the Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies. This career was preceded by service in the U.S. Navy, initially as a Surface Warfare Officer and ultimately as a Cryptologist, and retiring at the rank of Commander.

Professor Metcalf’s current research is focused on contemporary Chinese views regarding military strategy, military ethics, and political warfare. He enjoys translating and analyzing Chinese military and political texts to better appreciate the PRC’s approaches to decision-making. He is particularly interested in identifying and understanding actions taken on the basis of unique cultural perspectives that can be misinterpreted in the West. Professor Metcalf has published his research in academic and professional journal articles and book chapters. He has given presentations on these topics at the U.S. Naval War College, the U.S. Naval Academy, the Institute of World Politics, Florida State University, Academia Sinica, and the University of Edinburgh. From 2017 to 2019, he participated in the annual Regional Security Working Group at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. He was recently a guest on the "Hindsight" podcast, produced by the Army Foundry Platform, to discuss how the People's Liberation Army reads and understands the Sunzi.