Instructor in Political Science
Most people only have time for one career in their life, but Dr. Greg Young couldn鈥檛 stop at just one. 鈥淵ou could say I鈥檝e had two careers. I did 24 years in the Navy and now 20 years as an academic or as a teacher鈥� he said, reflecting on his busy life.
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My dad was in the military and my mom was a teacher鈥� Young said, 鈥渟o I鈥檝e kind of followed in both of their footsteps.鈥�
While flying for the Navy, he spent his time "flying P3s chasing Soviet submarines all over the world"聽where he became 鈥渧ery interested in International Relations.鈥�
For Young, academia was not the initial goal;聽his 鈥減riorities were to study political science, maybe go to flight school, and then maybe go to law school.鈥澛營t wasn鈥檛 until the Navy sent him to Postgraduate School --聽where he was challenged by its prestigious faculty --聽that he thought 鈥渢his is ok, I kind of want to be an academic.鈥�
It was during this first stint in graduate school where he got his first 鈥�15 minutes of fame.鈥澛燞is master鈥檚 thesis uncovered a mutiny in the Soviet Navy and聽became the basis for Tom Clancy鈥檚 first novel, The Hunt for Red October and later his own book, The Last Sentry.
One thing Young reiterates in each of his classes is that 鈥渢here is no one variable to explain anything in the world.鈥澛燦owhere is this truer than Young鈥檚 annual trips to Turkey.
鈥淚 went to high school there鈥� he said, which contributed to the decision to travel to Turkey every summer. But also, the International Affairs department 鈥渞eally encourages faculty towards speaking another language.鈥�
鈥淚 was at a point in my academic career and my kids were gone which allowed me to travel,鈥� said Young. Having some background in French, Turkish, and Russian, the decision to go to Turkey came down to his wife. 鈥淪he had been to Russia with me a couple times and didn鈥檛 like it. She loved France, but I didn鈥檛 think that would help me out teaching Middle East Politics. She really loves Turkey and the Turkish people.鈥�
鈥淔or the first several summers, in the mornings, I would go to language school, and in the afternoons I taught a class at Bo臒azi莽i University,鈥� he described about his daily routine in Istanbul.
He keeps going back because 鈥渢he country is beautiful, the culture is incredible, the food is wonderful, the shopping is good, the politics are like a traffic accident and despite the political unrest, we feel safe there.鈥�
Young has seen his fair share of Turkish politics gone wrong. 鈥淲e were there during the protests at Gezi Park. Then subsequently we were there during the big bombing at the Istanbul airport.鈥� Luckily, they managed to avoid the coup. 鈥淲e were in Italy on our way home when the coup happened,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t was important for my credibility in teaching about revolution to get tear gassed鈥� he quipped, describing how both he and his wife have been tear gassed twice in Istanbul on the periphery of the Gezi park demonstrations.
To avoid the "chaos of Istanbul鈥� every summer, he聽moved to Ka艧 on the southern coast. 鈥淎ll I鈥檓 doing now is going to language school鈥� he said, 鈥渟o聽I must confess it is more of a vacation.鈥�
For Young, teaching at CU is something he is incredibly proud of. 鈥淚鈥檓 teaching faculty鈥� he says, and 鈥淚 do some research and write a little bit, but I鈥檓 about teaching.鈥�
鈥淚 had opportunities to do some other things,鈥澛爃e said. 鈥淚 could have gone off and got a tenure track position but the idea of 1) living in Boulder and 2) being able to come back here and teach鈥� kept him at CU.
鈥淭his is a good gig鈥� he said, 鈥渨hy would I want to do anything else?鈥�