Dr. Matthew S. Arbogast, Ph.D.

Dr. Matt Arbogast serves as the Character Integrator for the Military Program at the United States Military Academy, where he leads efforts to align military training and character development initiatives with West Point’s mission to graduate commissioned leaders of character. From 2018-2024, he served as Deputy Director of the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic (SCPME), overseeing programs that educated, trained, and inspired over 4,000 cadets to live honorably and lead ethically in accordance with the Army Ethic. 

A retired Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Arbogast was commissioned as an Army Officer in 1999 and concluded a 25-year military career marked by multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as command and staff assignments at every echelon. His research and teaching focus on moral leadership, character development, trust, and ethical decision-making within complex organizations, with publications in West Point Magazine, the Journal of Military Learning, and Routledge’s Teaching and Learning the West Point Way. 

He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida and an MBA from The College of William & Mary. Bridging battlefield experience and applied behavioral science, he remains dedicated to cultivating leaders who embody character, competence, and commitment in service to the Nation. 

His awards include the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters); Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters); Army Commendation Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster); Joint Service Achievement Medal; and the Army Achievement Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters). He has earned the Combat Action Badge and the Air Assault Badge.

Dr. Arbogast has been happily married to his wife, Vickie (Mikesic), for more than 24 years, and they are the proud parents of four children.