Meghan Garrity

Meghan Garrity is an Assistant Professor of International Security & Law at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania (2022) and was previously a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Peace Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Education:

• PhD in Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, 2022

Her research lies at the intersection of international security, political violence, and forced migration, with a focus on government-led ethnic violence and mass expulsion. She employs cross-regional comparative methods, with deep expertise in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Her work bridges academic scholarship with policy relevance, aiming to inform both theoretical debates and humanitarian practice.

Her recent publications span journals such as Journal of Peace Research, Security Studies, Political Science Quarterly, and British Journal of Sociology, as well as public commentary in The Washington Post and The Conversation. Her research trends indicate a strong focus on the politics of forced population removal, state behavior in ethnic conflicts, and conceptual challenges in measuring political violence. She is currently completing a book titled Mass Expulsion: The Politics of Forced Population Removal, under contract with Oxford University Press.

Scientific Awards and Fellowships:

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
• Peace Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace

She has over ten years of experience as a humanitarian and development practitioner, engaging in consultancies with international organizations. This informs her interdisciplinary approach and commitment to policy-relevant research. She advises on conflict dynamics, forced migration, and human rights, and her work has implications for grant-funded research in security, governance, and refugee protection. She is actively involved in bridging academic and practitioner communities.

While no specific lab or research team is mentioned, her affiliations with the Schar School, Harvard’s Belfer Center, and USIP suggest strong collaborative networks in international security and conflict studies.