Earlier this month, several START researchers presented at the International Studies Association (ISA) 63rd Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
The theme for this year’s convention was “A wider discipline for a smaller world,” which aimed to explore a greater inclusivity in the field of international studies, to understand the challenges and opportunities presented in a world more interconnected than ever before.
In one panel on private military and security companies, START Associate Research Scientist Elizabeth Radziszewski presented her paper titled “Does the Military Background of CEOs of Private Military & Security Companies Deter Human Rights Abuses and Fraud? Insights from the Iraq War.”
Unconventional Weapons and Technology (UWT) Assistant Research Scientist Tom Guarrieri presented during a panel on “The War on Terror and Middle East Politics.” Guarrieri offered a presentation titled “Beyond the Battlefield: Relative Strength, Momentum, and ISIL Terrorism in Iraq,” with University of Kansas Assistant Professor Brittnee Carter and Ohio State University doctoral candidate Daniel Smith.
Finally, START Founding Director Gary LaFree also presented during a panel on “Insurgents, Terrorists, Extremists: Perspectives on the Agents of Violence.” LaFree presented a paper titled “A Comparison of Political Violence by Left-wing, Right-wing and Islamist Extremists in the United States and the World,” which he co-wrote with Jagiellonian University Institute of Psychology Researcher Katarzyna Jaśko, The Pennsylvania State University Professor James Piazza and American University doctoral candidate Michael Becker.