Miriam Barnum

Miriam Barnum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Purdue University and a faculty member in the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program. Her research focuses on state arming choices, economic factors influencing security outcomes, and computational measurement models. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California (2022) and was a Stanton Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation.

Her current book project examines how internal and external security threats drive states' pursuit of chemical and biological weapons. Additional research interests include international conflict, arms control, and applying computational methods to enhance security studies. Her work has produced datasets on military spending, historical GDP/population trends, and institutional power-sharing mechanisms.

Barnum’s methodological contributions include innovations in handling missing data and historical reconstruction. She maintains an active research website (https://www.miriambarnum.com) and has published in venues addressing both substantive and methodological advancements in political science.