Courtney Burns

Courtney Burns serves as Associate Professor of Political Science at Bucknell University, specializing in gender dynamics within international relations and executive leadership.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Political Science (International Relations), University of Missouri (2015)
• M.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies, University of Wyoming (2010)
• B.A. in Political Science, University of Wyoming (2007)

Research focuses on Gender and Leadership, Women in Executive Politics, and Conflict Studies, analyzing how female leaders navigate counterterrorism, human rights enforcement, and post-war reconstruction. Her work critically examines systemic barriers like the "political double bind" where women executives face contradictory expectations in security policy.

Recent publications (2017-2019) reveal consistent thematic threads: the intersection of gender representation with international security outcomes, disproportionate impacts of conflict on women's rights, and policy trade-offs in executive decision-making. These studies employ quantitative methodologies across diverse geopolitical contexts, contributing empirical evidence to gender-inclusive foreign policy frameworks.