Welcome! I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania and former Research Fellow in the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. I received my PhD in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame.
My research addresses intersecting themes of environmental politics, international security, and human security. My current projects investigate the political origins of environmental displacement, how environmental shocks shape the dynamics of political violence, and how environmental cooperation is achieved in the context of volatility and fragility. Another facet of my work examines the relationship between territorial politics and political violence, with a focus on the causes and consequences of state violence against civilians. I am particularly interested in developing original cross-national datasets (such as the Environmental Displacement Dataset and the Territorial Autonomy Dataset) that open new avenues for analyzing urgent global challenges.
My projects have received support from the International Peace Research Initiative, Institute for Social Research, the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, the Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the Environmental Change Initiative, among others. I have published articles in journals such as International Studies Quarterly (forthcoming), Journal of Peace Research, Global Environmental Politics, Climatic Change, and Climate Policy, and I currently have articles under review in Journal of Politics and International Organization.
I received my MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University's School of International Service and my BS in Economics and International Affairs from Georgia Tech. Before doctoral study, I worked as a researcher at the United States Institute of Peace. When I am not teaching or doing research, I prefer to spend my time outdoors, ideally hiking or playing sports, especially soccer and badminton. A few times a week, I coach a youth girls soccer team. I'm also an avid animal lover and volunteer with the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society.
Contact: achesler@upenn.edu
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