Samuel Seitz

Samuel Seitz is a Stanton Nuclear Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT's Security Studies Program and a recent PhD graduate from the University of Oxford's Department of Politics and International Relations. His research focuses on military procurement, status-seeking in international relations, alliance politics, and nuclear weapons. He holds a BS and MA from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Core research interests include the interplay between security pressures, status concerns, and military force design. He has published in Contemporary Security Policy and The Washington Quarterly, with work also appearing in Foreign Affairs. His dissertation examines how great powers' military procurement decisions are shaped by external threats and domestic status concerns.

Professional experience includes roles at the British Embassy to the U.S., editorial board membership at the Georgetown Security Studies Review, and research positions at RAND Corporation. His work bridges IR theory with policy relevance, emphasizing practical implications of academic findings.

Additional activities include teaching courses on NATO-Warsaw Pact military competition, international security, and 20th-century international relations. He is affiliated with Balliol College, Oxford, and actively contributes to policy discussions through media outlets.