Dr. Alfultis has more than 20 years of undergraduate teaching experience and 13 years of academic administrative responsibility at military and civilian institutions of higher education. His background includes service as an operations officer and navigator on a Coast Guard cutter; maritime safety and security; Coast Guard Academy faculty member and academic department chair; and senior administrator at a flagship university.

Dr. Alfultis graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1982 with a degree in Marine Science. He has a Master of Science degree from the University of Washington and a doctorate from the University of Rhode Island, both in Oceanography.