News
Christopher McKnight Nichols appeared on the Speaking Freely With Annette Newell Podcast to talk about elections, midterms, mail voting and more.
Ryo Sawayama published an article, which examines how the United States and Japan can strengthen economic resilience against Chinese coercion by developing interoperable mechanisms that help…
Christopher McKnight Nichols and Kaveri Sarkar published an article in The Conversation about US strategic ‘credibility’ – from Vietnam to Iran.
There was something unsettling about gathering peacebuilders in Northern Ireland to ask what peace means today - and watching the past return almost literally to the doorstep.
We were…
As a result in part of Mershon support, Governing reconciliation: Metagovernance, alignment, and sustainable peace in Northern Ireland was published in Peace and Sustainability …
Peter Mansoor was interviewed by NewsNation on various topics including Iran, Ukraine, and the Pentagon.
View the NewsNation segment.
Nowshin Sharmila’s Mershon-funded research project is a steppingstone for creating new models for ground-level problem-solving. A graduate student in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies who…
Danielle Fosler-Lussier published an article about Ohio State’s Career Allies Academy in Inside Higher Ed.
Sarah Van Beurden co-authored the article Arts across Africa before 1600: An Ever-Growing Void? for the journal African Arts.
Manuscript written…
Peter Mansoor spoke with CNN about the trilateral agreement with the leaders of the US, Denmark and Greenland, which formalized a new Greenland security agreement.
Co-directors Teri Murphy and Derek Congram talked to NBC4 about Mershon Search Lab and our collaboration with Colombia’s Unidad de Búsqueda de Personas dadas por Desaparecidas (UBPD).
We are thrilled to share an Ohio State News story featuring our Mershon Search Lab and our Colombian collaborators Unidad de Búsqueda de Personas dadas por Desaparecidas (UBPD).
Just Security published a contribution from Dakota Rudesill, professor of law and Mershon affiliate, on their online symposium on 9/11 that includes essays by national security…
Peter Mansoor, Mershon Center's Mason Chair in Military History, recently appeared on CNN as one of the military experts unpacking Hegseth's purges of U.S. military leadership.
Madhumita Dutta published an article in The Wire about Jahlma Nallah, a glacial stream that floods in the sun. This phenomenon, affecting thousands of rural mountain households, local…
The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is pleased to announce that Fiona S. Cunningham has been selected to receive the 2025 Edgar S. Furniss Book Award for Under the Nuclear…
Bart Elmore appeared on All Sides with Amy Juravich to talk about whether climate change and affordability are drawing people back to Midwest states.
Dakota Rudesill, professor of law and director of the Mershon Center National Security Simulation, delivered a keynote and led The Ohio State University delegation of seven at the 2026…
Hannah Kosstrin recently published a new book entitled Kinesthetic Peoplehood: Jewish Diasporic Dance Migrations (Oxford University Press 2026), which examines Jewish diasporic dance…
Redemption: MacArthur and the Campaign for the Philippines by Peter R. Mansoor, professor of history and Mershon Center Major General Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History, won…
Brooks Marmon, former Mershon Center postdoctoral scholar currently at the University of Arkansas, edited a new book, Edson Sithole: Law, Liberation and the Cost of Dissent (Voices of…
Margaret Newell spoke to NBC Washington about what George Washington smelled like. Spoiler alert: he used a citrusy personal fragrance still available today.
Jennifer Mitzen is quoted in a Global Policy article discussing "China's Ontological Advantage". Mitzen argues that states need "to experience oneself as a whole, continuous person in…
Through support of two new initiatives, the Mershon Center is enhancing the scholarship relevant to national, international, and human security. The Mershon Center is proud to announce that we are…
Peter Mansoor was interviewed on NewsNation about a range of topics including Iran, Ukraine, and the Pentagon.
Peter Mansoor is quoted extensively in a Military Times story about how the US military will retain the lessons of recent wars as combat veterans retire. Doctrine can capture many…
What has been, is, and should be U.S. grand strategy?
That was the question explored at Rethinking American Grand Strategy, an America250 conference, hosted by the…
Laura Dugan talked to ABC 6 about the alleged White House plot unraveled by Knox County mom.
Christopher Gelpi's Opinion piece "Operation Epic Fail: We aren't done paying for Trump- created Iran crisis" was featured in this week's Columbus Dispatch.
Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to the New York Times about the world’s first billionaire and the world’s first trillionaire.
Haifeng Huang and his research were quoted in an Opinion piece in The Guardian about the president’s image and name proliferating in Washington and beyond.
Laura Dugan spoke on JUSTUS podcast about our government’s uneven and counterproductive responses to jihad terrorism.
Peter Mansoor, Mershon Center Mason Chair, was interviewed live by CNN's Jim Sciutto on the latest developments in the Ukraine War. CNN recording here.
H-Diplo recently released a roundtable for Lydia Walker's States-in-Waiting on the Robert Jervis International Security Studies Forum. This forum is one of the most important venues for…
A recently published article in The New Yorker by Ruth Marcus discussed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ speech and views against Progressivism and Progressives. Christopher…
Lydia Walker, Assistant Professor, Myers Chair in Global Military History, and Mershon Center affiliate, has been selected as one of five finalists in the History category for the 2026 American…
Teri Murphy is a co-author of the recently published "How Local Rituals Support Social Healing in Conflict-Affected Societies" (University of Notre Dame, 2026).
Yiğit Akin, Associate Professor, Carter V. Findley Chair of Ottoman and Turkish History, received a 2026 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. Ohio State’s Alumni Award for Distinguished…
On April 26, Geoffrey Parker, Distinguished University Professor, Andreas Dorpalen Professor of European History, and Mershon Center affiliate,…
Starting in 2023 and led by Associate Director for Peacebuilding Research Dr. Teri Murphy, the Mershon Center partnered with International Alert Nepal on a three-year research initiative examining…
The Ohio State University, including the Mershon Center, welcomed an Angolan government delegation to campus on April 10, 2026. Dorry Noyes and affiliates Sarah Brooks, Ricardo Cardoso, and Joe…
More than two dozen scholars from renowned institutions across the globe gathered for The Decline of the Liberal International Order workshop held March 21-22 at The Ohio…
On April 6, we hosted an interdisciplinary Mershon Monday conversation about one of the most pressing issues in the sphere of security studies: the shifting landscape of technology and innovation…
Mershon is proud to recognize faculty affiliates who received 2025-2026 endowed and college-wide awards from the College of Arts and Sciences for research, teaching, mentoring and service.
…
Dakota Rudesill talked to NBC4 about how the Iran ceasefire may impact Ohio gas prices.
The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is pleased to announce the recipients of awards from the Spring 2026 grant cycle.
Faculty AwardsSix faculty members from six…
Congratulations Dr. Zickafoose! Alexis Zickafoose, Mershon Center student affiliate, successfully defended her dissertation, Sowing Success: How Women’s Agripreneurship Cultivates…
Peter Mansoor, Mershon Center Major Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair of Military History, spoke to News Nation talking about the Strait of Hormuz and the war in Iran.
Professor Mitch Lerner is the next Director of the Mershon Center for International Security Studies. His appointment will begin on July 1, 2026, for a four-year term.
“I am pleased to…
Peter Mansoor spoke to the Sri Lanka Guardian about whether the Iran War will be America’s next Middle East quagmire.
Dakota Rudesill, Mershon Center affiliate and professor of law, talked to WOSU All Sides with Amy Juravich about the reactions of the American public, lawyers, and lawmakers to the US-Iran war.
As the conflict between the United States and Iran has unfolded over the past weeks, Mershon Center affiliates across multiple disciplines have been called on to give expert opinions and analysis…
Peter Mansoor talked to the Christian Science Monitor about the US-Iran war. “We’re winning tactically and operationally,” says Professor Mansoor, who was the executive officer for Gen. David…
Peter Mansoor talked to the Wall Street Journal about the US-Iran war. "When Peter Mansoor, an ex-U.S. Army colonel who did two long tours in Iraq, considers the unfolding war in Iran, he worries…
Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to The Post about the US-Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz, and achieving US aims.
Christopher McKnight Nichols was featured in Greece’s leading newspaper, Kathimerini, offering expert analysis on recent U.S. Middle East policy and U.S.–Iran relations.
The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is pleased to announce that Carlin Evans and Lara Teri have been awarded Chadwick F. Alger Peace and Conflict Resolution Undergraduate Student…
Dorothy Noyes, a world-renowned folklorist and director of The Ohio State University's Mershon Center for International Security Studies, received the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award from…
Retired Colonel Peter Mansoor, former Executive Officer to General Petraeus, and Mershon Center Chair of Military History; Writer for The New Yorker Robin Wright; and MS NOW Senior Reporter Josh…
In today's episode of NucleCast, Professor Dakota Rudesill, Esq. examines the legal boundaries that govern the use of military force, with a particular focus on the United States and Iran. Drawing…
Dorothy Noyes, Mershon Center director, published an article on ritual and international order in Global Studies Quarterly.
Dakota Rudesill, law professor and Mershon affiliate, appeared on NPR WAMU 88.5 this morning with Phil Stewart talking about the Iran War, US Constitution, and secret law.
Fresh vegetables. Food processors. Specialized dairy startups. These businesses are all examples of the agripreneurship that is enhancing rural livelihoods and food security. Alexis Zickafoose, Ph…
Dr. Erin Lin, associate professor of Political Science and Mershon Center affiliate, has been honored by the International Studies Association (ISA) with two prestigious awards for her book
Peter Mansoor, Professor and Mershon Center Mason Chair in Military History, spoke to the AP about the fight over Trump’s Iran war powers. "The Constitution gives war powers to two different…
Mershon Center Mason Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor talked to CNN's Erin Burnett about the war with Iran on March 2, 2026.
At our Mershon Monday on February 23, Kevin McClatchy, Associate Professor of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts and 2024-2025 Ohio State Artist Laureate, shared his experiences of incorporating…
Ivan Kurilla, Mershon Visiting Scholar, was recently quoted by The New York Times in an article featuring a small Russian town that sent the majority of its residents to war. "The state…
Teri Murphy, Mershon Center Associate Director, and Derek Congram, Mershon Center Research Associate, witnessed the dignified return of Father Torres in Bogotá, Colombia on February 15, 2026…
Seiba Issifu and Max Woodworth published the article “Formalization from above, resistance from below: Voices of struggle and survival in Ghana’s contested…
Mershon Hayes Chair Christopher McKnight Nichols and Cameron Givens, former Mershon affiliate now at Southern Methodist University, published a review on H-Diplo of State of Silence: The…
Joel Wainwright recently published "The End: Marx, Darwin, and the Natural History of the Climate Crisis", which examines how Marx provides new insights into our environmental crisis when read…
Erin Moore, the Dr. Carl F. Asseff Assistant Professor in Anthropology and the History of Medicine in the Department of Anthropology at Ohio State, is a sociocultural and medical anthropologist…
Christopher McKnight Nichols discusses the Monroe Doctrine, a two-hundred-year-old presidential speech still shaping the role of the US in the world, on American History Hits, a top 25 history…
Mehr Mumtaz published an article on Afghan Refugees in Pakistan in The Conversation that centers the experiences she had during her fieldwork in Pakistan, which was supported by a grant from the…
A fully booked conference – with a wait list – is a great way to kick off celebrations in Ohio for the United States’ semiquincentennial, or America 250. At “New Perspectives on the Northwest…
A January 15, 2026 panel "The Operation in Venezuela: Law, Oil, Geopolitics," featuring Mershon Center affiliate experts and organized by the Mershon Center for International Security Studies was…
Christopher McKnight Nichols, Mershon Hayes Chair and Professor of History, appeared on the Council on Foreign Relations' popular televised podcast "The President's Inbox" talking about the best…
More than 350 members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) responded to a survey that asked them to identify and rank what in their judgment were the 10 best and 10…
Christopher McKnight Nichols, Mershon Hayes Chair, spoke to WOSU's All Sides with Amy Jurvich about US-Venezuela and broader international relations implications.
Congratulations to everyone who received funding during the Mershon Center’s Autumn 2025 grant cycle!
Faculty members from nine departments are pursuing research projects related to national…
Julia Marino and Madhumita Dutta had a critical analysis of semiconductor workforce training programs in the US published in Contemporary Social Science.
Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to WOSU on January 6 about the operation in Venezuela and what comes next.
Peter Mansoor was quoted in a Business Insider story about US troops guarding Venezuela's oil.
Dakota Rudesill, Professor of Law & Mershon affiliate, was quoted in Newsweek.
Mershon Hayes Chair Christopher McKnight Nichols was quoted in a USA Today story about Venezuela.
Nichols said “the Trump administration’s activities overall appear to signify a real departure from post-WWII traditional American leadership in the trans-Atlantic alliance and US-Europe…
The Journal of Populism Studies published an article by Helen Murphey, Mershon Postdoc, on civilizational populism and migration diplomacy.
The protest chant “no drones in Ohio” rang through the Fawcett Center October 24-25, 2025, during the biennial National Security Simulation (“Sim”) presented by the Mershon Center for…
Mershon Postdocs Nicholas Nyachga, Helen Murphey, and Julia Marino review the expert panel discussion of nuclear politics.
Hayes Chair Christopher McKnight Nichols spoke about the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the U.S. President to The News on Sunday.
For the first time, the Mershon Center welcomed the Institute for Cybersecurity and Digital Trust (ICDT) to the National Security Simulation (Sim). Photo: Maj. Gen. Mark Bartman and Freddy…
Erin Lin, assistant professor of Political Science and Global Food Politics and Mershon affiliate, received two 2025 Organized Section awards from the American Political Science Association (APSA)…
Check out two new resources developed for community leaders by the Divided Community Project (DCP).
During a trip facilitated by Dayton educators, the Mershon Center, and Law Professor Dakota Rudesill, students from Dayton Public Schools experience the National Security Simulation.
Nerissa Young interviewed Michael McCord, former Chief Financial Officer at DOD and practitioner in last week's National Security Simulation.
On October 20, 2025, Humza Azgher, Joseph Barlage, Emma Guess, and Hayden Price presented their Diplomacy Lab projects at the "Enhancing General and Health Literacy in the Age of Misinformation"…
Mershon Postdocs Nicholas Nyachga, Helen Murphey, and Julia Marino review the environment and security panel and discussion.
Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to CBS News about American billionaires, past and present.
Jennifer Eaglin, Associate Professor of History and Mershon affiliate, published an article on nuclear energy in Brazil’s clean AI campaign in The National Interest.
New Forensic Anthropology lab helping Teri Murphy and Nick Passalacqua assist with forensic training and casework related to the disappeared in Colombia.
Christopher Gelpi, professor of Political Science and former Mershon director, published an article, co-authored with a former Mershon GRA Victoria Gurevich, which came out this week in the…
Peter Mansoor, Mershon Mason Chair in Military History, was on C-SPAN's Washington Journal discussing the recent meeting in Quantico with the President and Secretary of Defense and senior military…
Peter Mansoor, Mershon Mason Chair in Military History, is quoted in The Christian Science Monitor story "From LA to Portland: Tracking Trump’s expansive use of the National Guard."
Congratulations to Erin Lin, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Global Food Politics & Mershon affiliate, who will receive the Yale H. Ferguson Award for her book When the Bombs…
Christopher McKnight Nichols, Mershon Hayes Chair for National Security, talked to Spectrum News about TikTok and national security.