Dana H . Born Dana H . Born ( born 1961 ) is a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a retired brigadier general in the United States Air Force and was the Dean of the Faculty at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs , Colorado . She is the first woman to hold that position . Biography . General Born was a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in 1983 with a degree in behavioral sciences . She holds a Master of Science degree in experimental psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio , Texas , a Master of Arts degree in research psychology from the University of Melbourne , Australia , and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Pennsylvania State University . Brig . Gen . Dana H . Born is Dean of the Faculty , United States Air Force Academy , Colorado Springs , Colo . She commands the 700 - member Dean of the Faculty mission element and oversees the annual design and instruction of more than 500 undergraduate courses for 4 , 000 cadets in 32 academic disciplines . She also directs the operation of five support staff agencies and faculty resources involving more than $ 250 million . Following her tours as an exchange officer with the Royal Australian Air Force and assistant professor at the United States Air Force Academy , she completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Pennsylvania State University . General Born ' s staff assignments include Assistant Director for Recruiting Research and Analysis in the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy , aide to the Secretary of the Air Force and Deputy Chief of the Personnel Issues Team in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel . She commanded the 11th Mission Support Squadron at Bolling AFB , Washington , D . C . , providing personnel , education and training , and family support to service members in the National Capital Region and around the world . Prior to her current assignment , the general was a permanent professor and head of the United States Air Force Academy ' s Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department . Controversies . In an interview with " Colorado Springs Independent " reporter Pam Zubeck on December 16 , 2010 , Born stated that " All the instructors we have , have graduate degrees in the areas they ' re teaching or a related field . " In concluding a year - long investigation of United States Air Force Academy faculty credentials , the Air Force Inspector General stated in a letter dated , February 10 , 2012 , that " Brig . Gen . Born was negligent in making an absolute statement to a local newspaper regarding the military faculty ' s specific academic credentials as they related to teaching disciplines without first confirming the accuracy of the supporting data . " Or in other words , her statement was factual but that she had not researched each individual instructors credentials before responding to the question . On February 17 , 2012 , the Pentagon released a statement : " Commanders are given broad latitude to administer punishment appropriate with the offense . United States Air Force Academy [ Superintendent ] Lt Gen Gould has reviewed the [ Air Force Inspector General ] report and will be the officer who decides what , if any , command action will be taken . " In a letter from the SAF / IGS to Mullin , dated Feb 10 , 2012 , it stated , " . . our investigative work found no evidence supporting any allegation or claim that the USAFA faculty is not " qualified " to teach at USAFA . . . The HLC accreditation report found USAFA ' s faculty to be fully qualified to teach an undergraduate curriculum that results in the awarding of Bachelor ' s Degrees . We found no evidence to dispute that conclusion . . " Born was deposed on December 9 , 2011 , as a respondent in an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission case of alleged disability discrimination filed by former United States Air Force Academy economics professor David Mullin , who was also a client of the U . S . Civil Rights organization , Military Religious Freedom Foundation ( MRFF ) . During the deposition , Born was asked if she ordered a subordinate , Colonel Thomas Drohan , to conduct counter - insurgency analysis against MRFF and its clients . Under oath she denied that she did . Mullin ' s lead attorney , Robert Eye , wrote , on both February 1 and 29 , letters to Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley requesting with acknowledgement a formal investigation into the matter . On March 15 , 2012 , Eye received a response from Air Force Deputy General Counsel W . Kipling At Lee Jr . . He said it would not be appropriate to comment about the status of any investigation , but “ I can advise you that the allegations . . . are being given appropriate consideration . ” On 8 Jun 2012 , Eye received a letter from SAF / GCM , Lee stating , " The Office of the Inspector General . . . has completed their inquiry in the matters addressed in your February 1 , 2012 letter to the Secretary of the Air Force . . . . the evidence indicated that she ( Born ) did not direct a counterinsurgency " Campaign " against the Military Religious Freedom Foundation . They also determined that her response , with regard to the counterinsurgency line of questioning during her December 9 , 2011 deposition , was factually correct . " In essence , Born was cleared of this allegation .