Michael Rubin

Michael Rubin serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut, jointly appointed by the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute and the Department of Political Science.

His research examines civil wars and political violence through dual lenses:

• Insurgent territorial control and governance dynamics, emphasizing civilian agency in shaping belligerent conduct
• International dimensions of civil conflicts, particularly third-party state interventions and their geopolitical consequences

Fieldwork spans the Philippines (2014-2015) and South Africa (2024), with case studies including the Philippine communist insurgency, 1948 Mandate Palestine War, Syria's civil war, and South Africa's anti-Apartheid resistance.

Research funding secured from:

• National Science Foundation (Law and Social Sciences Program)
• Institute for the Study of Human Rights
• Earth Institute
• Weatherhead East Asian Institute

Academic credentials:

• Ph.D. in Political Science, Columbia University (2018)
• M.Phil. in Political Science, Columbia University (2014)
• M.A. in Political Science, Columbia University (2012)
• B.A., Emory University (2010)

Prior to UConn, held a postdoctoral position at UCSD's Center for Peace and Security Studies (cPASS).