I loved asking—and answering—feminist questions at Fletcher, whether in the classroom, at student conferences and activities, or among friends. I am now a Lecturer (UK parlance for Assistant Professor) at the University of St Andrews, where I focus on various dimensions of feminist peace and conflict studies. Fletcher’s interdisciplinary training, the focus on applications of theory in policy and practice, and the sense of community travel with me every day.
The decision to pursue a PhD at Fletcher has turned out to be one of the most impactful of my professional life, perhaps second only to my decision to enter military service in the first place. The experience has helped put my prior operational experience into strategic context and equipped me going forward with the necessary tools to contribute at the highest levels of U.S. national security.
I am so grateful to Fletcher not just for a world-class education and the soft skills I learned -- which have served me immeasurably across my years of experience in national security, the aerospace & defense industry, and consulting -- but also for the deep relationships that I've carried forward with me to this day. In every single organization I've worked in, I have always found fellow alumni, and the immediate connection and deep bond that comes from having attended Fletcher is a testament to how special of a place the School is.
As a capital markets and corporate lawyer, I wanted to understand the role of policy and politics behind articulations of the law, including in terms of foreign investment and company strategy. While addressing client needs and market demands obviously remains important, the rough-and-tumble of everyday practice tends to insulate legal practitioners from regulatory complexities and the interface of law and policy making, especially in the global arena. Working with several foreign clients made me want to study international business laws along with their implications on international and organizational relations, investment, developmental outcomes and the political economy. Fletcher proved to be an ideal choice in this regard.
| Name: | Description: |
|---|---|
| Polina Beliakova ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Explaining Erosion of Civilian Control: A Policy-Focused Theory First post-PhD position: Rosenwald Postdoctoral Fellow, Dickey Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth College. Current position: Paul and Melonie Brophy Research Fellow, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Aaron Melaas ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Business Associations and Government Policy for Innovation in Middle-Income Countries First and current post-PhD position: Associate Director for Research & Innovation at University of California Alianza MX |
| Deborshi Barat ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: The Legitimacy of Investor-State Dispute-Settlement: A Framework of Analysis First post-PhD positions: Senior Associate, AQUILAW(an Indian law firm); Trade & Economy Advisory, Intueri Global; Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University; Associate Professor, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, India Current position: Counsel, S&R Associates(a Indian law firm) |
| Lydia Sizer ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Should I Stay or Should I Go?: How the State Department Decides Whether to Keep Diplomats in Dangerous Places First and current post-PhD position: Researcher, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) |
| Julie Zollmann ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Are New Jobs Good Jobs? Digital Driving and Labor Markets in Nairobi First and current post-PhD position: Independent Development Consultant, Nairobi, Kenya |
| Arun Sukumar ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Experts and the Death of Discipline: What Rules for International Cybersecurity Mean for International Law First post-PhD position: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Leiden, Netherlands Current position: Assistant Professor, University of Leiden, Netherlands |
| Name: | Description: |
|---|---|
| Robert Bell ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: NATO Nuclear Burden-Sharing: What Constitutes "Free-Riding"? First and current post-PhD position: Distinguished Professor of the Practice and Diplomat in Residence, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Neha Ansari ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: "God's Wrath" to "Miracle Birds": The Evolution of the American Drone Program and Public Opinion in FATA First post-PhD position: Consulting Scholar, Sandia National Laboratories Current position: Analyst, Afghanistan War Commission, U.S. Congress |
| Frances Burke ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: "Why We Went": A History of the Decision to Invade Iraq in 2003 First post-PhD position: George P. Shultz Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (Washington, DC) Current positions: Operating Partner, Leadership & Strategy, Exactus Advisors (management consulting); Adjunct Professor of the Practice of National Security, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University |
| Ana De Alba ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Essays on the Politics and Electoral Implications of Targeting First post-PhD position: Regional Chair, Department of Government and Social Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey Current position: Assistant Professor of International Relations, Department of Government and Social Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey |
| Frank Sobchak ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Lost in Translation? Assessing the Importance of Language Skills and Cultural Awareness in Special Forces Advisory Efforts First post-PhD position: Adjunct at Joint Special Operations University Current position: Chair of Irregular Warfare at the Modern War Institute at the U.S. Military Academy. |
| Name: | Description: |
|---|---|
| Thomas Burke ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Anatomy of Dissent: Senior U.S. Military Leader Resistance to the Use of Force in the Post-Cold War Era First post-PhD positions: Deputy Commander, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA; Director, House Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs Current position: Deputy Commanding General, 11th Airborne Division (Arctic), Fort Wainwright, Alaska |
| Benjamin Spatz ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: Cash Violence: Sanctions and the Politics of Power, and Peace First post-PhD positions: Visiting Research Fellow, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame; Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship, working in the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Current position: Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor, tenure-track), Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa |
| Bretton McEvoy ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: White Reckonings: The Possibilities for Transformative Justice Contributions from Ant-Racist White Activists in the United States First position: Fritz Thyssen Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, The Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany Current position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Bayreuth, Germany |
| Jeremy Gwinn ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ | Dissertation title: By, With, and Through: Explaining Effectiveness in U.S. Unconventional Warfare First post-PhD position: Director, Army and Special Missions, Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq (Baghdad, Iraq), U.S. Army Current position: Chief of Staff, Army Strategic Operations (The Pentagon), U.S. Army |
