Katherine Barbieri

Katherine Barbieri serves as Associate Professor of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina, specializing in International Relations and International Political Economy.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Political Science from Binghamton University, with prior faculty appointments at Vanderbilt University and the University of North Texas. In 2010, she received a Fulbright Research Scholarship for work in Israel.

Professor Barbieri's research centers on the intersection of international political economy and conflict, with particular emphasis on economic incentives in warfare, counterinsurgency operations, and war's disruptive impact on trade and global supply chains. She investigates trade between hostile states and the complex geopolitical dimensions of international commerce, serving as host of the Correlates of War (COW) Project's Trade Data Set to enhance historical and contemporary trade data accuracy for conflict analysis.

Her publication trajectory reveals consistent focus on the trade-conflict nexus, evolving from foundational critiques of liberal peace theory in her 2002 monograph The Liberal Illusion to contemporary analyses of economic statecraft in conflict zones. Recent work demonstrates methodological sophistication through quantitative analysis of large datasets, particularly within the COW framework.

Her scholarly contributions have earned significant recognition:

• Helen Dwight Reid Award from the American Political Science Association for best doctoral dissertation in international relations
• Fulbright Research Scholar award for 2010 research in Israel

Professor Barbieri has supervised graduate research in political economy and conflict studies while securing competitive funding including the Fulbright award. Her work with the COW Trade Data Project involves ongoing collaboration with international researchers to maintain critical resources for conflict analysis.