Dr. Melanie Richter-Montpetit is an Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of Sussex's School of Global Studies, where she also serves as UG Program Director. Previously, she worked as a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sheffield. Her academic journey includes undergraduate studies at the Free University Berlin, followed by MA and PhD studies at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her research focuses on critical examinations of War and Security Studies through feminist, queer, and anti-colonial theoretical lenses. Dr. Richter-Montpetit investigates how racial-sexual and colonial formations of power shape contemporary war and liberal security regimes, with particular attention to the intersections of gender, sexuality, and race within security practices. Her work critically engages with the War on Terror, militarism, and the politics of inclusion/exclusion, connecting contemporary security practices to historical genealogies of settler colonialism and chattel slavery. Her publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly impact across top international relations journals including Security Dialogue, International Political Sociology, and Millennium. Her recent work has increasingly focused on methodological whiteness in security studies, the racialized dimensions of liberal war, and queer-feminist critiques of international security frameworks. She has developed a distinctive approach that combines Black, Indigenous, and Transnational Gender and Sexuality studies with International Relations scholarship. ISA's Feminist Theory and Gender Studies Section's inaugural 'Early Career Community Engagement Award' Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2017-2018) DAAD Fellowship (German Academic Exchange Service) 2019 Rutgers International Collaborative Grant (with Dr. Alison Howell) 2018 Visiting Fellowship at the Margherita von Brentano Center for Gender Studies Shortlisted for the 2018/2019 Sussex Education Award 'Teaching to Disrupt' Dr. Richter-Montpetit is an active supervisor who currently oversees multiple PhD students while maintaining a robust research agenda. She has directed the Centre for Advanced International Theory (CAIT) from 2019-2022 and continues to be involved with its activities, which include a YouTube channel featuring recorded events from 2020-2023. Her supervision approach emphasizes critical engagement with power structures, violence, and international law, fostering interdisciplinary and collaborative research among her students. She is particularly committed to supporting BIPOC/BME/LGBTQI+ students and creating inclusive academic environments that respect diverse gender identities and pronouns.
