Mariya Grinberg is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she is also a core faculty member in the Security Studies Program. She joined MIT as an Assistant Professor in 2021 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2025. Her academic journey includes postdoctoral fellowships at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (2019-2020) and Dartmouth College's Dickey Center for International Understanding (2020-2021). Dr. Grinberg earned her PhD in Political Science from the University of Chicago in 2019, with a dissertation titled "Planning for the Short Haul: Explaining Wartime Trade between Enemies." Her educational background also includes an MA from the University of Chicago's Committee on International Relations and dual undergraduate degrees (BA in International Relations and BS in Business Administration) from the University of Southern California, all earned with honors. Her research focuses on how time and uncertainty shape strategic decisions of states, examining economic statecraft, military planning, and questions of state sovereignty. Dr. Grinberg's groundbreaking work challenges conventional wisdom about the relationship between economic interdependence and conflict, demonstrating that states frequently engage in trade with their enemies even during wartime. Her research spans international security, political economy of security, wartime trade, order formation, sovereignty, and state decline. Dr. Grinberg's scholarly contributions reveal important patterns in international behavior, particularly the "denial-escalation dilemma" in economic statecraft and the inherent trade-offs in strategies for managing state decline. Her work shows that economic ties between states may be insufficient to prevent war, as states balance competing imperatives of preventing enemies from gaining military advantage while maintaining economic security. Committed to Caring Honoree, MIT Office of Graduate Education, 2024 Nuclear Security Research Grant, Stanton Foundation, 2025-26 Junior Faculty Research Grant, Smith Richardson Foundation, 2025-26 Hans J. Morgenthau Fellowship, Notre Dame International Security Center, 2020-21 As an advisor, Dr. Grinberg is renowned for her commitment to students' intellectual growth, providing both incisive criticism and staunch advocacy. She maintains one of the largest advising loads in the department while delivering prompt, discerning feedback. Students describe her as someone who can be "both your most incisive critic and staunchest advocate." She teaches courses including "How to Theory," "Introduction to International Relations," and "Political Economy of International Security." Dr. Grinberg is actively engaged in professional communities, regularly presenting her research at major conferences including the International Studies Association (ISA) and the American Political Science Association (APSA). Her work has particular relevance to contemporary security challenges including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where she has provided expert analysis on the limitations of economic sanctions.
