START Assistant Research Scientist Dr. Louis Wasser shares his journey from a PhD program at Yale to working at START’s Geospatial Research Unit (GRU). He reflects on his time in Lebanon as one of the most exciting research-related experiences and talks about his passion for learning, collaboration, and pursuing new challenges.
- How did you first get involved with START?
While getting my PhD in political science at Yale, taking courses, and attending workshops on different aspects of political violence, START was a name that I heard a lot – but my own personal involvement with START is a much more recent development based on multiple strokes of luck, in the form of happy accidents and the kindness of strangers and near-strangers. A former START researcher recommended I subscribe to the newsletter (yes, this one!) to keep my eye out for employment opportunities. Some time later, I saw a job posting in the newsletter and applied, and a current START researcher saw my resume and recommended that I apply to a different START position in the Geospatial Research Unit… and now, here I am!
- How did you become interested in your field of study?
I was a junior in high school on 9/11, living three blocks north of the World Trade Center. Like a lot of people my age, I became intensely interested in the causes and consequences of terrorism as a result of that day’s events and all that followed. Over the years, this narrower interest in terrorism grew into a broader focus on the study of different kinds of political conflict — including not just terrorism, but other forms of violent and nonviolent extra-institutional strategies adopted by nonstate actors around the world, as well as institutional strategies for pursuing power such as contesting elections. This is a thread I have followed throughout my academic career, and one I am excited to continue exploring at START.
- Who has been the most influential person during your academic pursuits?
So many of my colleagues and teachers from grad school were highly influential on my intellectual development, but my dissertation chair (Elisabeth J. Wood) stands out. Her advice and guidance always combined intellectual rigor, hard questions, high expectations, and kindness in a way that pushed me to be a better scholar and a better person, and I’m extremely grateful for her support throughout graduate school and beyond.
- What’s been one of the more interesting projects you’ve worked on?
The appropriate stock answer here is my dissertation, but please do not ask any follow up questions.
- What are you currently working on?
Since I’m still somewhat new to START, I’m currently working on some pre-existing projects that began before I joined the organization, including one on the security implications of climate change and another on potential malign uses of geospatial technologies. Looking ahead, I'll be putting together funding proposals that reflect my own research interests, including tradeoffs and synergies between violent and nonviolent resistance strategies.
- Is there a specific research gap that you’re interested in studying?
My dissertation focused on the interplay between (violent and/or nonviolent) extra-institutional resistance strategies and institutional approaches including contesting elections. I firmly believe that you can’t study extra-institutional resistance without connecting it to institutional politics, and vice versa, and there remains a lot of work to be done in this area.
- What is the most exciting experience you’ve had due to your research?
I lived and worked in Egypt for three years (2007-10) before graduate school, and planned to conduct fieldwork there as part of my doctoral research. The 2013 coup in Egypt threw a wrench into my plans, so I adjusted my approach to do fieldwork in Lebanon, instead. This research into contemporary Lebanese politics ended up being an excellent substantive fit for my dissertation – but Lebanon is also an amazingly fun, beautiful, welcoming country. Plus, the food is excellent! I’d definitely chalk up my time there as among the most exciting and interesting research-related experiences I’ve ever had.
- What is your favorite part about your job?
Learning new things, collaborating with bright, interested, and passionate colleagues, and having the opportunity to pursue my own research interests.
- What are your plans for the future?
I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my research interests as a part of the START team, and to building a life in the DC area combining my career and personal pursuits.
- Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
I’m obsessed with my dog, but to a totally healthy, totally appropriate extent (his shelter name was Handsome, and I kept it because he earned it!). Beyond spending time with my dog, I also enjoy gardening, DIY stuff around the house, playing tennis, and woodworking, among other things.