Maria is a Lecturer at Leiden University’s Institute of Political Science. Her research focuses on how non-state actors, particularly rebel groups, make decisions during armed conflict. Her dissertation, “Stay the Course or Backout? Understanding Variation in Rebel Commitment to Peace Processes,” examines rebel decisions related to peace processes.
Mark is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. His research interests lie at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. He analyzes questions surrounding armed group behavior, civil war dynamics, militant leaders, ideology, cooperation between armed actors, and civilian victimization.
Sara is an evaluator at DEval (State Fragility, Conflict Prevention and Governance). Her research is situated within conflict and migration studies, focusing on non-state actor behavior, external involvement in intrastate conflicts, and diasporas' foreign policy preferences toward Germany. Her dissertation examined the causes and consequences of external diaspora support for rebel organizations.
Ilayda is an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University. Her research investigates political violence and civil conflict processes with a focus on the intersection of violent political behavior and the socio-organizational dimensions of rebellion. Her scholarship examines rebel-civilian interactions and rebel communication strategies, with emerging projects also exploring multi-party civil conflicts and rebel intra-group politics.
Josh is an incoming Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse. His research sits at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics. Much of his research is driven by two related questions: how armed groups determine the mix of funding strategies they use during conflict, and how armed group leaders, because of their past experiences or through networks, shape conflict dynamics.