Research & Publications

Abstract In recent years, the world has faced a rapid rise in humanitarian needs and an increasing risk of famine. Given the potential threats posed by conflict, climate change, economic shocks, and other issues, it is important to be prepared for the possibility of new crises in the future. Drawing on key informant interviews and a literature review, this paper assesses the state of the art in famine prevention, examining a range of technical and political approaches and analysing emerging lessons. Based on the findings, it identifies five levels of famine prevention: (i) averting famine; (ii) anticipating famine; (iii) reducing famine risks; (iv) altering famine risks; and (v) preventing famine risks. The paper argues that the current focus only partially addresses a relatively narrow set of levels. It concludes that a more comprehensive approach that engages all five levels simultaneously could contribute to a global famine prevention framework for the twenty-first century and beyond.

Abstract I remember being an undergrad math major, knowing that math was a simultaneously fun and powerful tool, but not quite understanding how I could be a “professional mathematician,” or what that even meant. Sure, math is everywhere, but at the time I needed something a bit more concrete than a vague gesture in the direction of everywhere. Today, I still don’t know everywhere that math is, but I’ve found a few interesting places. This is a story about those places. It’s the story of life on the tenure track, around the newsroom, and in industry. It’s also the story of some of the meaningful people and ideas I met with along the way. But mostly, this is the story of how I became a data scientist.

Abstract How do semi-authoritarian regimes manage dissent and how does their protest management repertoire deter and spark contention? This paper looks at Lebanon’s post-war system as an instance of authoritarian rule that relies on various techniques of power, including political performances, to manage contention. Building on a dramaturgical approach, I focus on three performances that government players have deployed to govern dissent during the 2019 uprising: Enacting unresponsiveness, staging ‘spectral dangers’, and scripting alternative crises. Research on how these performances shape contention is crucial to exploring how the regime re-engineers its resilience while activists wrestle with the politics of sectarian power-sharing.