Derek O’Leary, grew up in Boston. He studied French and Political Science at Amherst College and then received an M.A. in International Relations and Conflict Resolution at Tufts University and a PhD in U.S. and World History from the University of California, Berkeley. Derek, a practicing historian with a focus on 19th century U.S. history, is the Academic Director of the Archer Center, the Washington, D.C. campus of the University of Texas System. He believes that negotiation is an essential skill set and mentality that we can all apply in different aspects of our lives. Derek taught with the Georgetown Pivot Program in 2020-2021. He enjoys learning from his students who sometimes see situations differently from how he sees them.