Mary P. Callahan

Mary P. Callahan is an Associate Professor at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Her work focuses on Myanmar’s political dynamics, electoral processes, gender in conflict zones, and foreign aid politics. From 2011–2021, she conducted fieldwork in Myanmar while also teaching at UW, later relocating to Thailand post-2021 military coup. She co-founded Ava Advisory Ltd., offering political risk analysis in Myanmar during the 2010s.

Callahan holds a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University (1996), alongside advanced degrees from the London School of Economics, University of Queensland, and Pennsylvania State University. She teaches courses on Southeast Asian politics, human rights frameworks, and third-world state-society relations.

Her research intersects with practical consultancy for organizations including the Carter Center, World Bank, and UN agencies. She advises minority rights NGOs and contributes pro bono to civil society initiatives. Current research emphasizes Myanmar’s post-2021 junta governance strategies and humanitarian crises in conflict zones.