Sedef Topal

Sedef Topal is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ripon College, teaching courses such as Introduction to International Relations, Political Psychology, and African Politics. She holds a Ph.D. from Washington State University, an M.A. from the University of Szeged (Hungary), and a B.A. from Dokuz Eylul University (Turkey).

Her research focuses on civil conflict processes, rebel group behavior, and the politics of the Middle East and Africa. She has conducted fieldwork in Zimbabwe and Ghana, examining post-conflict social trust and armed group recruitment. Her work appears in journals like Political Psychology, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Civil Wars, supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Carnegie Foundation, and Thomas S. Foley Institute.

Current projects include co-authored manuscripts, solo-authored research, and a book based on her dissertation. She emphasizes active learning in her courses, integrating political theory with real-world case studies.