Dr. Layne Hancock is the Rossetti Associate Professor and Website Senior Editor at the Institute for Future Conflict. Hancock teaches a military ethics course at the United States Air Force Academy that provides cadets with the intellectual tools to critically think about life and apply moral philosophy to the unique challenges of military service. The first half of the class surveys classic approaches to ethics, giving the cadets tools and concepts needed for the second half, which focuses on just war theory and real-world challenges of military command.

Hancock earned his Ph.D. in ethics and philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in 2024. He also holds master’s degrees from Yale University and Southern Seminary, as well as a B.A. from Baylor University. He was awarded the Mary Cady Tew Prize for exceptional ability in philosophy, ethics, and history during his first year of study at Yale. Hancock manages the IFC website and is the chief editor for Future Conflict. Hancock studies topics relating to just war theory, the ethics of war, and the moral aspects of great power competition.