Nina Tannenwald

Nina Tannenwald is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Brown University, affiliated with the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs. Her research focuses on international security, nuclear nonproliferation, arms control, and the laws of war. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Cornell University and a Master's from Columbia School of International and Public Affairs.

Her work explores how international norms and institutions shape global security policies, particularly regarding nuclear weapons and humanitarian law. Notable publications include her 2007 book The Nuclear Taboo, which won the 2009 Lepgold Prize. Recent research addresses the erosion of nuclear norms and compliance with the Geneva Conventions.

Tannenwald has held visiting professorships at Cornell and Stanford Universities, and served as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at Vienna’s Diplomatic Academy (2023). She has also advised the U.S. State Department and held fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation and Carnegie Corporation. At Brown, she directed the International Relations Program and Undergraduate Studies in Political Science.

Scientific awards include the Lepgold Prize, Carnegie Scholar distinction, and MacArthur Foundation support. Her advocacy emphasizes ethical constraints on warfare and multilateral disarmament strategies.