Louis M. Wasser

Louis M. Wasser is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Unconventional and Asymmetric Threats Division of START, working in the Geospatial Research Unit. Trained as a political scientist (PhD, Yale 2019), Dr. Wasser’s doctoral work and related research focused on the interplay between violent conflict, nonviolent resistance, and institutional politics including elections, exploring trade-offs and synergies between related strategies for both center-seeking and secessionist movements. (A co-authored piece presenting the corresponding dataset of secessionist strategies was published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution.)

In addition to continuing to pursue his own research interests, Dr. Wasser is currently involved in several projects at START, including one on the security implications of climate change in North and West Africa and another on the potential malign uses of geospatial technologies. As a Lecturer at Yale (2019-20), Dr. Wasser taught courses on both the Arab Spring and political violence, and he will be teaching graduate courses at START on topics including research methods in terrorism and counterterrorism.

Prior to graduate school, Dr. Wasser lived in Cairo from 2007-10, where he worked as a journalist and freelance writer. Before joining START, he also worked in research and policy consulting. Outside of work, Dr. Wasser enjoys spending time with his dog, woodworking, and playing tennis, among other things.

START Projects/Courses

• Current and Emerging Malign Use of Geospatial Technologies to Threaten Critical Infrastructure and Crowded Targets -- Qualitative researcher conducting interviews and desk research, contributing to deliverables
• Climate Security, Great Power Competition, and Adversarial Politics -- Qualitative researcher conducting desk research, contributing to deliverables
• Global Responses to Asymmetric Threats (GRAT) – Quality control support for GRAT data portal
• BSST633: Research Methods in Terrorism and Counterterrorism – Primary instructor, Spring 2025