US President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated a top Defense Department official to become his ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Joseph William Westphal, the undersecretary of the Army since 2009 and a key member of Obama’s National Security transition team, has an extensive career in government and academia. He is the 30th undersecretary of the Army.

However, most of Westphal’s career is in academia with little diplomatic service. This is his first high-profile post.

Westphal received a Bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University and a Master’s from Oklahoma State University. He has a doctorate in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia.