Maria Ortuoste

Maria Ortuoste is a Professor of Political Science at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB), specializing in Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific security, Philippine and U.S. foreign policy, international law, and maritime security. She holds a PhD from Arizona State University, alongside MA (International Studies) and BA (Journalism) degrees from the University of the Philippines.

Her research focuses on strategic maritime disputes, ASEAN dynamics, and security multilateralism, with 20+ years of academic and policy experience. She previously led the Philippine Foreign Service Institute’s Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS), directing research on Philippine foreign policy and participating in high-level interagency policy discussions on the South China Sea, ASEAN, and UN peacekeeping.

Dr. Ortuoste’s recent publications emphasize cascading risks in the South China Sea, terrorist threats, and Philippine maritime strategy. Her work often bridges academic analysis with policy relevance, reflected in fellowships at prestigious institutions like the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies and Georgetown University’s Women in International Security program.

She advises CSUEB’s Model UN Club and has received awards including a 2022 Visiting Scholarship at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies and 2021-22 CSUEB Faculty Fellowship for Diversity Initiatives. Her career combines teaching (courses on international law, comparative Asian governments) with applied policy research, maintaining strong connections to both academic and governmental sectors.