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Thursday, September 13, 2007

There's a Delicious Irony...

...in so many polygraph experts having lied about their university degrees. Here's an example Brian, a reader, sent to UD, from antipolygraph.org:


'Samuel L. Braddock, director of the new Troy University Polygraph Center in Atlanta, Georgia appears to be the latest in a series of polygraph "professionals" to have held themselves out to the public as possessing a Ph.D. degree despite never having earned such from a regionally accredited university. (Other faux Ph.D.s we've exposed include prominent polygraph operators Ed Gelb, Michael Martin, and James Allan Matte.)

Until recently, Braddock was the director of the now defunct Skyhawk Polygraph Institute, an American Polygraph Association "accredited" school associated with Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Illinois. While at Skyhawk Polygraph Institute, Braddock described himself thus in his on-line biography, as cached by Internet Archive's WayBack Machine in 2005:




About the Director

Samuel L. Braddock, Ph.D., MS, MA, BS

Dr. Braddock has over 30 years in law enforcement/counterintelligence with over 20 years experience in the field of forensic psychophysiology (polygraph Science). He is retired from the U.S. Army and early deferred retirement from civil services. Dr. Braddock has worked for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Office of Special Investigation (OSI), National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI), and the National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO). In the private sector, he has been a polygraph school curriculum coordinator and Director.


Similarly, a page from the Axciton International Academy archived in 2000 also describes Braddock as a Ph.D.:

Dr. Samuel Braddock (Instructor) has a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Management, M.S. in Polygraph Science (Forensic Psychophysiology), M.A. in Administration of Criminal Justice and a B.S. in Behavior Science. He is a retired Army Officer having served with The Special Forces and the Criminal Investigation Command. He served with the Office of Special Investigation, US Air Force, National Security Agency, Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. He has 26 years experience in Criminal and Counterintelligence investigations. He was an instructor at DoDPI for eight years and has lectured to various State, DoDPI, Federal and International Agencies. Dr. Braddock has been involved in numerous research projects and has developed advanced training programs in the field of polygraph. He is a member of the American Polygraph Association and numerous other professional associations.


The website of the Illinois Polygraph Society still describes Braddock as a Ph.D. in its list of directors for 2006:


2006 Elected Directors and Board Members

President Roy Derby
Vice President Michael Kelmer
Secretary Deanne Theodore
Treasurer Chuck Holm
Board Member Thomas Ivey
Board Member William Straughn
Board Member Dr. Sam Braddock
Board Member Michael Campise
Consul Sergio Parisi


However, a search of ProQuest's authoritative list of doctoral dissertations awarded by accredited degree-granting institutions in the United States includes no dissertation by a Samuel Braddock.

Perhaps tellingly, it appears that Braddock has ceased describing himself as a Ph.D., at least on the Troy University website, where his official biography reads:



MR. SAMUEL L. BRADDOCK

Mr. Braddock (M.S., M.A., B.S.) has over 35 years in law enforcement/counterintelligence with over 28 years involved in the field of forensic psychophysiology (polygraph science). He is retired from the U.S. Army (Special Forces/CID) and early deferred retirement from civil service. Mr. Braddock has worked for the U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID); Office of Special Investigation (OSI), U. S. Air Force; National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI); and the National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO). In the private sector, he has been a polygraph school curriculum coordinator and school director. Mr. Braddock retired as a Professor of Criminal Justice from Sauk Valley Community College and now is the Program Coordinator/Lecturer at Troy University - Atlanta.'


Braddock represents a high-risk variant of the fake diploma purchaser. He doesn't seem to have purchased one at all. Note that he never anywhere lists the name of his doctoral institution. This strategy is high-risk because you figure eventually someone's gotta ask.