Shana R. Marshall

Shana R. Marshall is an Assistant Research Professor of International Affairs and Associate Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University. Her research focuses on Middle Eastern political economy, particularly the intersection of arms trade, military entrepreneurship, and clientelism in Arab states. She examines how transnational economic interests shape regional politics, including the role of Western PR firms in Middle Eastern governance and the influence of foreign investment on power distribution.

Dr. Marshall holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. Her work spans Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, and other Arab states, analyzing defense industries, military-business ties, and institutional power dynamics. She has contributed to prominent journals like Middle East Report and the Carnegie Endowment, with notable publications on Egypt’s ruling class, Gulf military activism, and Jordan’s neoliberal military reforms.

Her research highlights the militarization of foreign policy, the global military-industrial complex’s impact on regional stability, and how authoritarian regimes leverage arms deals to consolidate power. She previously held fellowships at Brandeis University’s Crown Center and Princeton University’s Niehaus Center, further cementing her expertise in Middle East security and political economy.