Tyler B. Parker

Tyler B. Parker serves as Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science at Mercer University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, joining the faculty in 2024 after postdoctoral research at the University of Idaho’s Martin Institute and Idaho Society of Fellows.

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Political Science (International Politics concentration) from Boston College
• M.A. in Islamic and Near Eastern Studies from Washington University in St. Louis
• B.A. in Arabic from The Ohio State University

Dr. Parker specializes in Middle Eastern international relations with emphasis on Gulf security dynamics, U.S. foreign policy in the region, and GCC alliance politics. His research examines how Gulf monarchies navigate shifting American authority while pursuing strategic autonomy, with particular attention to small-state diplomacy and defense diversification. He teaches courses spanning international relations theory, Middle Eastern politics, and Arabic language-politics intersections, reflecting his fieldwork experience teaching Modern Standard Arabic in Morocco.

Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals consistent focus on U.S.-Gulf partnership evolution amid perceived American decline, with recurring themes of strategic autonomy, small-state agency, and defense policy adaptation across six peer-reviewed works in top international relations journals. His scholarship bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis of GCC states' foreign policy recalibration.

Information regarding doctoral advisees, grant funding, or laboratory affiliations is not documented in available sources.