Serena Simoni

Serena Simoni serves as Professor and Director of the International Relations Program within the Department of Political Science at Samford University's Howard College of Arts and Sciences. Her career includes teaching positions at California State University Long Beach and the University of Pennsylvania, alongside consultancy for the Italian Department of State and fieldwork with the OSCE in Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Her academic credentials include:

• BA from Universitá degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza
• MA in Political Science from California State University Long Beach
• PhD in International Relations from the University of Southern California

Simoni's research integrates constructivist theory with critical analysis of security paradigms. Early work examined transatlantic identity formation and its impact on security policies, while recent scholarship pioneers gender analysis in transnational crime—investigating how women subvert hierarchies in Mafia and narco-trafficking organizations. This evolution reflects broader shifts from state-centric security to human-centric and gendered perspectives in global politics.

Publication trends reveal a decisive pivot from transatlantic relations (2008-2013) to transnational organized crime (2018-2019). Her current manuscript Queenpins of Organized Crimes: Gender Hierarchy in Context extends this trajectory by analyzing women's leadership in criminal networks through economic and political agency frameworks.

As program director, Simoni oversees curriculum development and student mentorship in international relations. Professional affiliations include the International Studies Association's Women’s Caucus and International Security Studies Sections, European International Studies Association, American Political Science Association, and Canadian Political Science Association.