Tricia Bacon

Tricia Bacon is a Professor jointly appointed at the School of Public Affairs and School of International Service at American University. She directs the Policy Anti-Terrorism Hub (PATH) and has authored two major books: Terror in Transition: Leadership and Succession in Terrorist Organizations (2022) and Why Terrorist Organizations Form International Alliances (2018). Her career includes over a decade of counterterrorism work at the U.S. Department of State, focusing on South Asia and Africa.

• Education: PhD (Georgetown University, 2013), MA (University of Florida, 2002), BA (Stetson University, 2000)

Her research examines terrorist and insurgent groups' behavior, U.S. counterterrorism policy, and intelligence's role in national security. She analyzes topics such as terrorist alliances, leadership transitions, safe havens, and regional security challenges. Recent publications focus on ISIS-K, Al-Shabaab, and the Taliban, with keywords spanning proxy warfare, foreign fighters, and regional conflict dynamics.

Dr. Bacon holds non-resident affiliations with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and the Transnational Threats Project at CSIS. She serves on advisory councils for the Middle East Institute and editorial boards of leading journals like Studies in Conflict and Terrorism and Perspectives on Terrorism.