His doctoral thesis was entitled Scheduling military deployments and his advisors were Thom J. Hodgson and Russell E.

In the summer of 2010, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that President Barack Obama had nominated Trainor to become the next Dean.

[10] In the summer of 2016 Trainor was selected as Mount St. Mary's University's 26th interim president for a year and then permanently retained the position.

[6][11] During Trainor's leadership thus far, he has increased enrollment, championed three new academic programs, a variety of new academic leadership moves, an agreement with the local Frederick Community College, and secured a $1 million donation to create the Palmieri Center for Entrepreneurship.

[12][13] Trainor is married to his West Point classmate, Colonel (retired) Donna Marie Brazil and they have three children.