COL Zachary F. Miller

Associate Professor

Program Director - Portuguese

English and World Languages

Personal Website
zachary.miller [at] westpoint.edu

COL 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