Dr Alan Tidwell serves as Professor of the Practice and Director of the Center for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. His research focuses on Australian–American relations, the geopolitics of Oceania’s smaller states, and conflict resolution.

Dr Tidwell’s recent work includes studies on sub-national actors in the Indo-Pacific, Australia's diplomatic interactions with the United States, Chinese influence in Oceania, and small state advocacy strategies. In 2023, he was honoured with the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching at School of Foreign Service.

Before joining Georgetown, he worked at the US Institute of Peace, focusing on conflict resolution in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia. A native of Washington DC, Dr Tidwell lived in Sydney from 1992 until 2001, working at Macquarie University and the University of Sydney.