CV
eleni.ekmektsioglou@american.edu @Eleni_Ekmek
202-600-5564 elenaekmek.art
CURRENT POSITION
PhD Candidate in International Relations, School of International Service, American University, Washington DC
Dissertation Title: Promising but Clouded with Uncertainty; Explaining the Determinants Behind Military Organizations' Reactions to Emerging Technologies
Committee Members: Dr. Boaz Atzili, Dr. Sharon Weiner, Dr. Ji young Lee
Fields: International Relations, International Security, Strategic Studies
Research Affiliate, CSINT (Center for Security, Innovation and New Technology), School of International Service, American University.
EDUCATION
2009-2010: MA, International Conflict Studies, War Studies Department, King’s College London, UK
Final Grade: Second Class Honours
Major: Military Strategy, Conduct of Contemporary Warfare
MA Thesis: Nuclear Strategy in South Asia: Coercion, Escalatory Dynamics and the Impact of Bush’s Policy of ‘De- Hyphenation’ on the Regional Stability
2005-2009: BA, International Relations and European Studies, Panteion University of Athens, Greece
Final Grade: First Class Honors
Major: IR and Strategic Studies
Minor: International Law and International Political Economy
BA Thesis: Air Force as a Coercive Instrument; Case Study: Operation ‘Allied Force’, Kosovo
2007-2008: Exchange student, one year at IEP/Sciences Po Lille, France
July 2018: Summer Workshop on Military Operations and Strategy (SWAMOS), Cornell University
April 2018: Bridging the Gap Workshop, American University
March 2015: American Academy for Strategic Education (AASE) with Professor Stephen Rosen
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
“Inadvertent Signaling and the Security Dilemma in Asia: The U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Policy and China”, with Ji young Lee, Pacific Review (2020): pp.1-29
“Hypersonic Weapons and Escalation in East Asia”, Strategic Studies Quarterly (Summer 2015): pp. 43-68
BOOK CHAPTERS
“Through a Crystal Ball Dimly: Nuclear Modernization’s Anticipation Effects on International Relations Theory”, with Balazs Martonffy in Aiden Warren and Philip M. Baxter, eds. Nuclear Modernization in the 21st Century: A Technical, Policy, and Strategic Review. Routledge, 2020.
"Congress and national security", with Nina Serafino in The Oxford Handbook of US National Security. 2018.
COMMENTARY
“How Hypersonic Missiles Push America and China towards War”, The National Interest, June 28th, 2015
“AirSea Battle and Escalation”, The Diplomat Magazine, New Leaders Forum, July 28th, 2011
“Chinese Submarines and U.S. Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities”, with Matthew Hallex, e-IR (August 2011)
“Strategic Stability in U.S.-China Relations”, with Brad Glosserman, ISPI Policy Brief, No 210 (May 2011)
WORKING PAPERS
"Military Technologies and Alliance Entrapment: the case of the US-Japan joint BMD development and enhanced interoperability" In preparation
"Italy and the Aircraft Carrier Before World War II: A Story of Rejection, Regrets, and Bitter Inter-Service Rivalries" In preparation
"Paper Tigers and Iron Tigers: China’s Limited Nuclear Arsenal and the Drivers Behind Its Nuclear Doctrine" Under Review
"The Fear of Fighting Blind: Anti-Satellite Weapons, Signaling and Escalation Control" In preparation
GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS
APSIA Junior Faculty Grant (submitted with Professor Joseph Torigian) 2019-2021*
Smith Richardson Foundation World Politics and Statecraft Fellowship 2019
George Washington University ISCS Pre-Doctoral Fellowship 2019-2021
SIS Summer Grant for Archival Research 2018-2020
William C. Olson award for outstanding teaching by a PhD student for the academic year 2016-2017
AU SIS travel grant for research and conference presentations 2013-2018
Pacific Forum CSIS, Handa Fellowship, Honolulu HI 2011-2012
Greek Government Award for Academic Excellency for 6 consecutive years 2004-2010
*The grant will fund the first workshop organized by the "Emerging Scholars on Emerging Technologies" group, which I founded in Summer 2021.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
IS-International Security Studies Section (ISSS) 2015
American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Conference 2016
CHAIR (China And International Relations) conference at UPenn 2016
International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference 2016, 2019
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
American University, Washington DC
Research Assistant, Professor Ji young Lee 2014-2017
Research Assistant, Professor Sharon Weiner 2015
European Union Institute for Security Studies, Paris, France
Project Coordination and Head of Research 2012-2014
Pacific Forum CSIS, Honolulu HI
Research Fellow 2011-2012
European Institute for Asian Studies, Brussels, Belgium 2010-2011
Research Assistant
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Instructor, American University SIS
Planning, Forecasting and Decision Making, MA in International Relations 2016
National Security and Intelligence, Pre-College Summer Programs, NSLC 2017-2021
Teaching Assistant, American University SIS 2015-2016
Head TA for World Politics with Professor Jim Goldgeier Fall Semester 2016
DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE, UNIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT
Founder of the "Emerging Scholars on Emerging Technologies" Network 2021
Member of the SIS PhD Mentorship Program 2017-2021
PhD Representative to the AU SIS Senior U.S. Foreign Policy Search Committee 2015
PhD Representative to the AU SIS New Technology and Security Search Committee 2019
LANGUAGES & COMPUTER PROGRAMS
STATA, WordStat, R, NVivo
Proficient in French
Conversational Spanish, Turkish and Chinese
Native Language: Greek
REFERENCES
Dr. Boaz Atzili
School of International Service
4400 Massachusetts Ave
NW, Washington, DC 20016
atzili@american.edu
202-885-1648
Dr. Sharon Weiner
School of International Service
4400 Massachusetts Ave
NW, Washington, DC 20016
skweiner@american.edu
(202) 885-1634
Dr. Ji young Lee
School of International Service
4400 Massachusetts Ave
NW, Washington, DC 20016
Jiyoungl@american.edu
(202) 885- 1639