About me

I study international relations, conflict and security, great power politics, and quantitative political methodology. My research examines how the microdynamics of civil war are connected to the international system of which they are a part.

My research examines illegal militant organizations and legal activist organizations that co-exist within dissident movements. It investigates how activist actions influence the support for militancy and how state actions factor into the determinants of movement support. A second branch of my research explores the various forms of militant propaganda, examining the tactical and strategic reasons behind changes in militant rhetoric. Another set of my projects analyze how international actors and institutions can influence the likelihood and dynamics of civil war. I use experimental, quasi-experimental and observational designs as well as text-as-data methods in my projects. My research interests include armed group behavior, militant recruitment, and international influences on civil conflict processes.

I am a College Fellow at Harvard University Government Department. I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2024. You can contact me at isener@fas.harvard.edu.