Rachel Whitlark

Rachel Whitlark is an Associate Professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on international security, nuclear proliferation, and executive decision-making in foreign policy. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University, a master’s from Stanford University, and a B.A. from George Washington University.

• Affiliations: Nonresident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center, Fellow of Bridging the Gap Project, and former fellowships at Harvard’s Belfer Center and MIT’s Security Studies Program.

Her work examines leaders’ roles in nuclear policy, including preventive war strategies, targeting of nuclear scientists, and arms control negotiations. Key geographic focuses include the Middle East and East Asia. Her 2021 book All Options on the Table analyzes preventive military force against adversarial nuclear programs using archival research.

• Recent Research Trends: Emphasis on nuclear latency, presidential beliefs about coercion, and the interplay between technology and proliferation.

Awards and Grants: Recipient of Defense Threat Reduction Agency grants, Stanton Foundation funding, and multiple fellowships at leading institutions. Her work bridges academia and policy, influencing national security discourse.

• Grants & Labs: Research supported by DTRA and Stanton Foundation grants. Collaborations include the Sam Nunn School’s Global Nuclear Security initiatives and Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense practice.

Teaching & Engagement: Teaches courses on international security, nuclear proliferation, and U.S. foreign policy. Publications appear in Security Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.