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Group of people inside a room with wooden beams
By Teri Murphy

There was something unsettling about gathering peacebuilders in Northern Ireland last week to ask what peace means today - and watching the past return almost literally to the doorstep.

We…

Peace N Ireland, Colombia, Basque

As a result in part of Mershon support, Governing reconciliation: Metagovernance, alignment, and sustainable peace in Northern Ireland was published in Peace and Sustainability …

TV screen with newscaster and Peter Mansoor

Peter Mansoor was interviewed by NewsNation on various topics including Iran, Ukraine, and the Pentagon.

View the NewsNation segment.

Nowshin Sharmila

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

Danielle Fosler-Lussier published an article about Ohio State’s Career Allies Academy in Inside Higher Ed.

Manuscript written in sorabe text, Madagascar, undated

Sarah Van Beurden co-authored the article Arts across Africa before 1600: An Ever-Growing Void? for the journal African Arts.

Manuscript written…

Leaders of USA, Denmark, and Greenland hold signed trilateral agreements

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.

Gravesite with photos of people on a hill of dirt

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).

People and bones on tables at a genetic identification laboratory in Colombia

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).

American flag, 9/11 memorial, airplane

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…

All the military leaders that have been recently fired by the Trump administration

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.

A brownish green mountain with a forked glacial stream at its base

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…

Fiona Cunningham

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…

Ohio the Heart of it All road sign

Bart Elmore appeared on All Sides with Amy Juravich to talk about whether climate change and affordability are drawing people back to Midwest states.

Erik Ackroyd, Laurie Georges, Anneliese Schenk-Day, Cameron Macaskill, Felicity Risca, Ryo Sawayama, Dakota Rudesill

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 and the book cover of Kinesthetic Peoplehood

Hannah Kosstrin recently published a new book entitled Kinesthetic Peoplehood: Jewish Diasporic Dance Migrations (Oxford University Press 2026), which examines Jewish diasporic dance…

Peter Mansoor and an image of Douglas MacArthur

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 with the cover of his Edson Sithole book

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

Margaret Newell spoke to NBC Washington about what George Washington smelled like. Spoiler alert: he used a citrusy personal fragrance still available today.

Red flag with Chinese characters painted on the side of a white building

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…

Mitchell Lerner and Ellen Arnold

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 being interviewed on NewsNation

Peter Mansoor was interviewed on NewsNation about a range of topics including Iran, Ukraine, and the Pentagon.

Soldiers in combat in Afghanistan

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…

Scenes from the 2026 Rethinking American Grand Strategy Conference

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 on ABC 6

Laura Dugan talked to ABC 6 about the alleged White House plot unraveled by Knox County mom.

Christopher Gelpi

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.

John Rockefeller surrounded by people and flanked by police officers

Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to the New York Times about the world’s first billionaire and the world’s first trillionaire.

A banner depicting Donald Trump hangs outside the Department of Justice building in Washington DC.

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.

Two men in shadow next to photo of Laura Dugan

Laura Dugan spoke on JUSTUS podcast about our government’s uneven and counterproductive responses to jihad terrorism.

Pete Mansoor with map of Ukraine

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.

Medieval battle scene

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…

Clarence Thomas

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 and cover of States in Waiting book

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…

Orange, brown, and teal design of sad woman embracing another woman

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).

Yigit Akin

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…

Geoffrey Parker

On April 26, Geoffrey Parker, Distinguished University Professor, Andreas Dorpalen Professor of European History, and Mershon Center affiliate,…

People watching presentation in conference room

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…

Members of a delegation from Angola and Ohio State representatives

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…

2 dozen people sitting at desks

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…

Globe with bytes and computer graphics

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…

spring tulips

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.

…

Margaret Newell giving a lecture

Margaret Newell discussed the Virginia constitution of 1776 on C-SPAN.

Hand on a gas pump

Dakota Rudesill talked to NBC4 about how the Iran ceasefire may impact Ohio gas prices.

Mosaic tiles in blue, gray, and burnt red

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is pleased to announce the recipients of awards from the Spring 2026 grant cycle.

Faculty Awards

Six faculty members from six…

Group of people in front of presentation screen

Congratulations Dr. Zickafoose! Alexis Zickafoose, Mershon Center student affiliate, successfully defended her dissertation, Sowing Success: How Women’s Agripreneurship Cultivates…

Newscaster and Peter Mansoor

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.

Mitchell Lerner

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…

Mershon Center Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor

Peter Mansoor spoke to the Sri Lanka Guardian about whether the Iran War will be America’s next Middle East quagmire.

People protesting in New York City

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.

A plume of smoke rises over an attack on Tehran, Iran on March 2, 2026

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…

Ben McKean

Benjamin McKean talked to NBC4 about the economic impact of the war on Iran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine

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…

A man surveys the damage following strikes in Tehran.

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…

Middle age man in suit

Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to The Post about the US-Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz, and achieving US aims.

Three children surrounded by bombed out cars looking up at the sky

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.

Two college age women

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…

Dorry Noyes speaking at a podium

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…

4 people talking on a TV screen

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…

split screen with man on each side

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

Dorothy Noyes, Mershon Center director, published an article on ritual and international order in Global Studies Quarterly.

Donald Trump

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.

Three women on a farm in Comilla District Bangladesh

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…

Erin Lin with palm tree in background

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

Mershon Center Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor

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…

Erin Burnett of CNN and Pete Mansoor

Mershon Center Mason Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor talked to CNN's Erin Burnett about the war with Iran on March 2, 2026.

Kevin McClatchy

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

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…

Artwork depicting Father Torres

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 Max Woodworth

Seiba Issifu and Max Woodworth published the article “Formalization from above, resistance from below: Voices of struggle and survival in Ghana’s contested…

Middle age man in suit

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

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 with Kampala, Uganda in the background

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…

American history icons

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…

Afghan migrants

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…

Chris Nichols, Annette Gordon-Reed, Margaret Newell, Maria Hammack

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…

U.S. President Donald Trump, CIA Director John Ratcliffe (L) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio monitor U.S. military operations in Venezuela, from Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club on January 3, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida.

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…

Black and white photo of soldiers and a helicopter

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…

US capital building

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…

Middle age man in suit

Christopher McKnight Nichols, Mershon Hayes Chair, spoke to WOSU's All Sides with Amy Jurvich about US-Venezuela and broader international relations implications.

tile mosaic in brick red, blue, and gray

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…

two women

Julia Marino and Madhumita Dutta had a critical analysis of semiconductor workforce training programs in the US published in Contemporary Social Science.

Middle age man in suit

Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to WOSU on January 6 about the operation in Venezuela and what comes next.

Mershon Center Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor

Peter Mansoor was quoted in a Business Insider story about US troops guarding Venezuela's oil.

Dakota Rudesill

Dakota Rudesill, Professor of Law & Mershon affiliate, was quoted in Newsweek.

Man in baseball hat at podium holding up one arm

Mershon Hayes Chair Christopher McKnight Nichols was quoted in a USA Today story about Venezuela.

Chris Nichols

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…

Woman with long, straight brown hair

The Journal of Populism Studies published an article by Helen Murphey, Mershon Postdoc, on civilizational populism and migration diplomacy.

Reporters in a simulated white house press room

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…

3 missiles against a gray sky

Mershon Postdocs Nicholas Nyachga, Helen Murphey, and Julia Marino review the expert panel discussion of nuclear politics.

US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping

Hayes Chair Christopher McKnight Nichols spoke about the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the U.S. President to The News on Sunday.

Freddy Luna and Mark Bartman at 2025 National Security Simulation

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

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)…

Dome of the capital building

Check out two new resources developed for community leaders by the Divided Community Project (DCP).

3 white men and 3 teenagers stand next to Australian flag

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.

People at a conference table during the National Security Simulation

Nerissa Young interviewed Michael McCord, former Chief Financial Officer at DOD and practitioner in last week's National Security Simulation.

4 young people create O-H-I-O with their arms

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"…

River with green mountains on either side

Mershon Postdocs Nicholas Nyachga, Helen Murphey, and Julia Marino review the environment and security panel and discussion.

Old man sitting in rattan chair in 3 piece suit

Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to CBS News about American billionaires, past and present.

nuclear facility in Brazil

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.

person in lab coat holding evidence bag

New Forensic Anthropology lab helping Teri Murphy and Nick Passalacqua assist with forensic training and casework related to the disappeared in Colombia.

Man with glass in blue suit and shirt

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…

Woman in blue suit talking to middle age man in suit

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…

Washington Monument and 2 soldiers at sun down

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."

Erin Lin and her book "WHEN THE BOMBS STOPPED: The Legacy of War in Rural Cambodia" overlaid.

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…

Spectrum news and TikTok

Christopher McKnight Nichols, Mershon Hayes Chair for National Security, talked to Spectrum News about TikTok and national security.

two men talking

Peter Mansoor talked to Paul Woodadge on WW2TV about his book "Redemption: MacArthur and the Campaign for the Philippines."

women outside in white sweater

Nationalities Papers published an article by Laurie Georges entitled Knowledges that Cannot Be Known: Structuring Azerbaijani Attachment to Nagorno-Karabakh.

soldiers in camo uniforms

Mershon Postdocs Nicholas Nyachega, Helen Murphey, and Julia Marino review conflict and peacebuilding panel and discussion.

US military ship

Kendra McSweeney was quoted in a story about the U.S. military strike on a vessel off Venezuela. Her comments stem from research conducted with Mat Coleman and supported by Mershon.

Call for Peace Chair Applications

The Mershon Center invites applications for a tenured position in peace and conflict studies at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. The selected candidate will hold the prestigious…

Now Accepting Postdoctoral Applications

The Mershon Center seeks to appoint up to three Post Doctoral Scholars to join our team. This will be a two-year appointment beginning August 24, 2026, through August 23, 2028.

Tyler Jost Edgar S. Furniss Book Award Winner

Tyler Jost is the recipient of the 2024 Edgar S. Furniss Book Award for his book “Bureaucracies at War: The Institutional Origins of Miscalculation” (Cambridge Studies in International Relations,…

Mershon Center Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor

Peter Mansoor's article chronicles academic military history in the United States during and after World War II, including The Ohio State University's leadership in the field.

People at a conference table during the National Security Simulation

Applications are now open for the Ohio State National Security Simulation (Sim), hosted by the Mershon Center for International Security Studies on October 24 and 25, 2025 at the Fawcett Center. …

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Mershon postdoc visiting scholar Eda Ayaydın co-wrote an essay exploring the complex relationship between Turkey and Russia for the London School of Economics.

Putin in fur hat

Mershon Hayes Chair Christopher McKnight Nichols and Postdoctoral Visiting Scholar Eda Ayaydin published an analysis of Arctic cooperation in Foreign Policy. Image credit: MAXIM MARMUR/AFP via Getty…

Army tank and men in soap bubbles

Mershon Center Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor was quoted in a story in The Atlantic on the Department of Defense. Image credit: Ben Kothe

American cars and chinese food

The Mershon Center Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies Christopher McKnight Nichols is quoted in a Semafor story on the information wars. Image credit: Al Lucca/Semafor

Steph Pedron

Steph Pedron is a Mershon affiliate and a Political Science Ph.D. Candidate concentrating in American Politics, Political Methodology, and Political Psychology. Steph is working on a dissertation…

Arctic Encounter Summit

Mershon Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow Eda Ayaydin will represent the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at the 2025 Arctic Encounter Summit (AES) in Anchorage, Alaska July 30 -…

Large round rock on a beach

Eda Ayaydin's article for The Arctic Institute critically examines the symbolic and discursive dichotomies embedded in the Arctic Council’s process for assessing non-Arctic states’ observer…

Map of Arctic Region

Mershon Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow Eda Ayaydin; and co-author Andreas Raspotnik, Director of the High North Center for Business and Governance at Nord University; published an article in E…

Understanding War to Peace Trajectories of Armed Actors Bogota July 2025

This July, Teri Murphy, Associate Director for Peacebuilding Research at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, travels to Bogotá, Colombia to host a workshop with co-hosts Roddy…

Peter Mansoor on CBC

CBC News Network's Andrew Nichols spoke to Retired U.S. Army Colonel and Mershon Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor on the Israel-Iran War and ceasefire on June 24,…

Humanities and social sciences in the USA and France: Crossed Perspectives

On April 28, the Mershon Center partnered with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Val de Loire (MSH) to present a webinar entitled “Franco-American Crossed Perspectives on Academic Freedom.” The…

Eda Ayaydin

Mershon Center postdoctoral visiting fellow Eda Ayaydin published the Op-ed "Arctic Exceptionalism: What It Was, What It Could Be - But Should It Be?" in the High North News.

Anderson Cooper and Peter Mansoor on air on CNN

Mershon Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 on June 17 with Ambassador Brett McGurk, whom he worked with in Iraq during the…

Moderator and 4 experts at Arctic Exceptionalism conference

On June 11, Mershon postdoctoral visiting fellow Eda Ayaydin, Ph.D. was invited to participate in a workshop on Restoring Arctic Exceptionalism, followed by a high-level conference on…

Anderson Cooper, Peter Mansoor, Ambassador Brett McGurk on air

Mershon Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN June 16 with Ambassador Brett McGurk to discuss the situation with Iran.

Federal Sentencing Reporter

In the latest issue of the Federal Sentencing Reporter, Ohio State Geography Professors Kendra McSweeney and Mat Coleman illuminate a profound justice policy story surrounding ‘boat defendants’. …

Eda Ayadin

Dr. Eda Ayaydin is a postdoctoral visiting fellow who is joining us at the Mershon Center this summer.

Dr. Ayaydin is a political scientist specializing in Arctic geopolitics, with a…

Dakota Rudesill

Read Dakota Rudesill's essay on extremist militias on federal duty in the Center for a New American Security.

Peter Mansoor on CNN International

See Mershon Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor on CNN International discussing Germany's lifting of range restrictions on the missiles it has provided to Ukraine.

Mountains and river

Water towers of the Indus Basin are featured in the newest story for River Ethnographies, part of the Indus River Basin Project funded by the Mershon Center.

Shepard with sheep at the rivers edge

The newest story for River Ethnographies, part of the Indus River Basin Project funded by the Mershon Center, features Sangam Chinar.

Mershon Mondays Postdoc Blog

At our Mershon Monday gathering on April 15, Christopher Leger, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History, examined Latvia’s rapidly evolving memory politics in the shadow of Russia’s full…

Alexander Wendt elected AAAS member

Alexander Wendt has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as a new member.

Peter Hahn distinguished university professor

Peter L. Hahn, a College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of History, has been named a 2025 Distinguished University Professor, the highest faculty honor at The Ohio State University.…

Diplomacy Lab

Ohio State students in the Mershon Center Diplomacy Lab program presented their project to Ambassador Oksana Markarova at the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA on April 18 in Washington, DC.

Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor

Mershon Center Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History Peter Mansoor was quoted in a Washington Post Opinion piece by Max Boot.

Theodora Dragostinova Awarded ACSL Fellowship

The Mershon Center is proud to announce that Professor Theodora Dragostinova has been awarded a 2025 ACLS Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS).

Mershon Mondays Postdoc Blog

At our Mershon Mondays event on March 31, Laurie Georges, a PhD candidate in Political Science, presented her research on the mechanisms of erasure: the intentional removal of peoples and their…

Carissa Garcia and Molly Hornberger 2025 Alger Scholarship Winners

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is pleased to announce that Carissa Garcia and Molly Hornberger have received Chadwick F. Alger Peace and Conflict Resolution Undergraduate…

Christopher McKnight Nichols

Christopher McKnight Nichols talked to USA Today about the history of US-Denmark relations, Wilson Administration and buying the Virgin Islands, Greenland.

Mershon Mondays Postdoc Blog

At the Mershon Monday event on March 24, Dr. Erin Moore, Assistant Professor in Anthropology, presented her Mershon-funded book project, Investing in Girls: Sex, Money, and the Deceit of…

Peter Mansoor and Dakota Rudesill

Listen to Peter Mansoor and Dakota Rudesill discuss how the Signal group chat leak will impact national security on All Sides with Amy Juravich.

Mershon Mondays Postdoc Blog

At our Mershon Monday event on March 17, Emily Hardick presented her Mershon-funded research on the relationship between the international mobility of performers and cultural diplomacy in the…

Edgar S. Furniss Lecture February 3 at 3:30pm Carly Goodman Dreamland America's Immigration Lottery in an Age of Restriction

Carly Goodman received the 2023 Furniss Book Award for "Dreamland: American’s Immigration Lottery in an Age of Restriction."

Mershon Mondays Postdoc Blog

Dr. Jacien Carr presented his research on the Poro (men’s power associations) history, folklore, and warfare during the First Liberian Civil War (FLCW) from 1989 to 1997 at the March 3 Mershon…

Mershon Affiliates and Fulbright Scholars Jennifer Eaglin and Margaret Newell

The Ohio State University recently announced that we are the top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year among all colleges and universities in the United States with 14…

Military dependent housing in Taiwan

On February 10, Professor Max Woodworth, Associate Professor of Geography, presented his ongoing research on Taiwan’s “military-dependent villages” (MDVs)—communities forged in the aftermath of…

UN Climate Conference in Baku Azerbaijan

The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP29) took place in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11–24, 2024. Climate change represents one of the most significant global security…

Teri Murphy and Pedro Valenzuela at Missing Persons Unit

In November 2024, Mershon Center for International Security Studies Associate Director Teri Murphy was invited to Bogotá, Colombia to learn more about the Unidad de Búsqueda de Personas dadas por…

Rush Doshi headshot next to book cover of The Long Game

Rush Doshi, Assistant Professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University, Director of the China Strategy Initiative of the Council on Foreign Relations, and former Deputy Senior Director for…

Two students pose in front of globes

Research, programs and events made possible by The Mershon Center impact our students, faculty, and community. Diplomacy Lab offers real-life research opportunities for students in cooperation…

Funding Opportunities over past grant awardee photos

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is pleased to announce its Spring 2025 funding cycle. All proposals are due on February 15, 2025. These are the grants reviewed in spring:

Christopher McKnight Nichols
By Christopher McKnight Nichols

Dear Colleagues, We hope you are all doing well as the semester winds down and the much-needed holiday season approaches. Below are some recent updates from the desk of Christopher McKnight Nichols,…

Text Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime over image of atomic bomb mushroom cloud

Our recent symposium on the nuclear non-proliferation regime brought together a diverse group of international experts to discuss the current state and future challenges of this critical global…

On Monday, November 25th, Professor Laura Dugan, PhD Student Jack Wippell, and PhD Student Taylor June (Sociology) introduced the Violence, Ideology and Extremism Working Group (VIEW). VIEW is an…

At our Mershon Monday event on November 18th, Professor Theodora Dragostinova (History) shared her new research project focusing on the cases of over a thousand children who became the unintended …

Dr. Njeri Kagotho

The Mershon Center supports faculty and student research through grant and scholarship opportunities and is home to programs and research initiatives with unique goals and perspectives on security…

2023 Edgar S. Furniss Book Award Winner Carly Goodman for Dreamland: America's Immigration Lottery in an Age of Restriction

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies at The Ohio State University is delighted to announce this year’s winner of the Edgar S. Furniss Book Award is Carly Goodman, for her book…

Logo of Mershon Monday Blog over image of Serbian Flag

On our Mershon Monday on October 21st, we had the pleasure of hearing Richard Herrmann, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science, discuss his recent research on national and…

Mershon Monday logo over image of US fighter jet in Serbia

American Air Power, Diplomacy, and Politics in the Bosnian War

At our Mershon Monday event on October 14th, Chuck Laubach, a doctoral student specializing in military history at The Ohio State…

Narrative, Simulation, & National Security text over image of action from simulation

Law 8896.11/English 7888.01

Spring 2025 Wednesdays, 4:30-6:30 PM

Team-taught by:

Dakota Rudesill (Moritz College of Law; Mershon National Security Simulation Director) Dorothy…

On our Mershon Monday event on September 30, we had the pleasure of hearing Rasel Ahmed speak about his ongoing project, I Remember a Place Called Dhaka, which was recently awarded a…

Students in desert forming the letters O.H.I.O. with hands over their head

Climate change is arguably the most serious global security threat confronting humanity, and Ohio State students are at the forefront of crucial climate negotiations. As part of an annual study…

We are thankful to have hosted José O. Pérez, our speaker at the September 23rd Mershon Monday event. José is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science whose research interests cover Latin America…

At our Mershon Monday event on September 16th, Professor Madhumita Dutta, Associate Professor of Geography and Faculty Affiliate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, presented her ongoing…

Diplomacy Lab

Diplomacy Lab Menu

Connect your spring course to real-world US government projects! The Spring 2025 Diplomacy Lab Project Menu has been released, with over 80 topics from embassies and…

Text Mershon Summer stories, Making Taiwan Home next to image of Max Woodworth

Mershon's faculty and graduate student grants funded some extraordinary research last summer! This week we highlight the work of associate professor in Geography, Max Woodworth, and…

Text of Transitional Justice title over images from Bilbao, Spain

Mershon's faculty and graduate student grants funded some extraordinary research last summer! This week we highlight the work of associate director, Teri Murphy, and the Mershon Center…

Text of Our Summer Stories: Comparative National Elections next to images of Paul Beck and Dick Gunther

Mershon's faculty and graduate student grants funded some extraordinary research last summer! This week we highlight the curatorial work of Political Science Emeritus Professors Paul…

Ashley Bigham next to text Mershon summer stores, Constructing Hope: Ukraine over images taken from galley exhibition

Mershon's faculty and graduate student grants funded some extraordinary research last summer! This week we highlight the curatorial work of Associate Professor of Architecture, Ashley…

Bear Braumoeller

Essays originally submitted as a discussion in H-Diplo's Robert Jervis International Security Studies Forum on July 31, 2024. Below are some excerpts to serve as a collective memory of the impact…

This image is a collage of ten faculty project grantees:  Top row, left to right: Paul Beck, Ashley Bigham, Nicholas Breyfogle, Theodora Dragostinova, Erin Lin. Bottom row, left to right: Jennifer Mitzen, Erin Moore, Scopas Poggo, Ahmad Sikainga, Max Woodworth.

The Mershon Center is proud to fund research from faculty at all levels in Architecture, African American and African Studies, Geography, History, and Political Science. Congratulations to Paul…

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies bids farewell to our recent cohort of postdoctoral scholars at the end of summer. Sefa Secen, Zaynab Quadri, and Brooks Marmon are set to…

Photo collage of Mershon funded gradaute students

The Mershon Center is proud to fund new graduate student projects in Anthropology, Geography, History, History of Art, Political Science, Social Work, and Sociology. Congratulations to Paromita…

An image featuring a book cover titled "STATES-IN-WAITING: A Counternarrative of Global Decolonization" by Lydia Walker with an abstract design, alongside a black and white portrait of a woman, set against a teal background with the Mershon Center logo.

Congratulations to Lydia Walker on the upcoming publication of her new book, States-in-Waiting, A Counternarrative of Global Decolonization. (Cambridge University Press, May 2024).

A photo of a woman with shoulder-length hair and a blazer, smiling in front of a turquoise background with the Mershon Center logo.

Kendra McSweeney, along with seven others at The Ohio State University, has been elected to the 2023 class of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows.

The AAAS…