I am an Assistant Professor at Leiden University's Institute of Security & Global Affairs at The Hague as part of the Terrorism & Political Violence and War, Peace & Justice research groups.
My research explores the instrumentality of political violence and how dissident-government interactions effect tactical and strategic evolution, conflict processes, and international & national security - primarily protests and terrorism.
I lead the European Research Council funded project Terrorist Group Adaptation & Lessons for Counterterrorism (TERGAP), which offers insights into terrorists’ uses of violence, attack target selection, and tactical and strategic decision-making in response to counterterrorism. At the core of his research is investigating and analyzing complex socio-political phenomenon and threats of violence using a variety of statistical and big-data analytical tools.
I have done fieldwork in Iraq and Egypt. My research is published by International Organization, Terrorism and Political Violence, ​Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Conflict Management and Peace Science, Research & Politics, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, and is applied for understanding current events and contextualizing policy debates by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, on Political Violence @ a Glance & Monkey Cage, in The Conversation. I also have several foreign policy and political analysis pieces published by Diplomatic Courier: A Global Affairs Magazine.
One of my goals is to contribute to social scientists' efforts to bridge gaps between research, public policy, and diplomacy. In working towards this goal, I have served as an Academic Primary Investigator at the World Bank analyzing the 2018 protest crisis in Nicaragua, the Ortega administration's response, and potential impacts of different economic & development interventions. I attended the annual Joint Training and Education Academic Workshop (JTEAW) at NORAD/ USNORTHCOM where we develop & propose solutions for the commander's most urgent missions. And, to help build the next generation of national security leaders, I have been a co-PI on a Defense Intelligence Agency grant establishing my university as a consortium member in Rutger's University's Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (IC-CAE).
I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from Binghamton University and an MA in International Peace & Conflict Resolution from American University. And was an Assistant Professor in the Professional Security Studies Department at New Jersey City University from 2016-2020.
