Abokouamekro, Côte d’Ivoire
Welcome
I am an Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. My research focuses on the causes and consequences of armed conflict and contentious politics, with a regional focus on western and southern Africa. I received my PhD in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I was affiliated with the MIT Security Studies Program. I currently serve as the Associate Director of the Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS) at George Mason, and the Director of the master’s program in Political Science.
My first book, Strong Commanders, Weak States: How Rebel Governance Shapes Military Integration after Civil War was published with Cornell University Press. Drawing on field research in Côte d'Ivoire, I explore how and why the governance practices of armed groups determine whether rebel commanders develop resilient regional power bases, which in turn shapes whether these commanders support or disrupt state consolidation after war’s end. My research has appeared or is forthcoming in World Politics, International Security, Journal of Peace Research, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Comparative Politics, Comparative Political Studies, World Development, African Affairs, Studies in Comparative International Development, Civil Wars, as well as the New Books Network podcast and the Irregular Warfare podcast.
Outside of my academic life I enjoy rock climbing, backcountry camping, and NFL football. My hometown is Elmira, Ontario, Canada.