Eugene Gholz

Eugene Gholz is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in national security, economic policy, and defense innovation. He has held faculty positions at the University of Texas at Austin, Williams College, the University of Kentucky, and George Mason University. From 2010–2012, he served as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy. He co-authored the fourth edition of U.S. Defense Politics: The Origins of Security Policy (2021) and Buying Military Transformation: Technological Innovation and the Defense Industry.

Research Interests

• National Security Policy
• U.S. Grand Strategy
• Defense Management
• Innovation Systems
• Business-Government Relations
• Political Economy

Publications demonstrate expertise in defense innovation, economic sanctions, energy security, and military-industrial dynamics. His work spans analysis of rare earth elements, defense procurement, and strategic restraint in foreign policy.

Leadership Roles:

• Chair, International Security Section of the International Studies Association (2019–2021)
• Member, Council on Foreign Relations

Education: Ph.D. from MIT.

Current Status: On leave during Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.