COL Zachary F. Miller
Associate Professor
Program Director - Portuguese
English and World Languages
Personal WebsiteCOL Zachary Miller graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1998 and received a B.S. in Latin American Studies. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a Military Intelligence officer and served in several overseas assignments, including Egypt, Kuwait, and South Korea. In 2007, then-CPT Miller earned an M.A. in Portuguese from the University of New Mexico and later served as a Portuguese instructor at West Point for three years.
In addition to foreign language instruction, he has worked as an English Department Advisor at the National Military Academy of Afghanistan and has taught intermediate English to South Korean military officers. In 2017, COL Miller received a Ph.D. in Second Language Studies from Michigan State University and transitioned into his role as academy professor of Portuguese at West Point. His awards and decorations include Army Parachutist’s Badge, Meritorious Service Medal, and Joint and Army Commendation and Achievement Medals.
He resides with his wife, Jung Lae, in New Windsor, NY.
Ph.D., Second Language Studies - Michigan State University
M.A., Portuguese - University of New Mexico
B.S., Latin American Studies - U.S. Military Academy
Research Interests
Second Language Acquisition, Portuguese Language Instruction
Current Research
Foreign Language Learning Motivation in a Military Context
Selected Publications
Miller, Z.F. & Crowther, D. (2024). Foreign language learning in a specialized institution: Opportunities and challenges. Foreign Language Annals, 57(1), 48-66. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12730