Abokouamekro, Côte d’Ivoire
Welcome
I am an Assistant Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University and the assistant director of the Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS). My research focuses on civil wars, international security, and the politics of weak states, with a regional focus on western and southern Africa. I received my PhD in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I have worked and conducted research in Côte d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, and Tajikistan.
My first book, Strong Commanders, Weak States: How Rebel Governance Shapes Military Integration after Civil War (forthcoming, Cornell University Press) explores why effective wartime governance by armed groups can later disrupt state consolidation after rebel—military integration, drawing on original field research in Côte d'Ivoire and other cases.
Outside of my professional life I enjoy rock climbing, backcountry camping, and NFL football. My hometown is Elmira, Ontario, Canada.