Employment
Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Center for Peace and Security Studies, Washington, D.C. 
Assistant Professor, August 2009 to Present
RAND, Arlington, Virginia
Senior Political Scientist, November 2007 to August 2009.
Selected Projects
- Principal investigator on a project exploring the relationship between Pakistani consumption of popular culture (literature, media, art, etc.) and public views about violence and other forms of extremism. This project involves a national survey querying Pakistanis’ media consumption habits, demographic characteristics and attitudes towards various forms of extremism as well as assembling and analyzing Pakistani language materials that foster critical thinking for use in educational and other efforts.
- Co-leading a project for the U.S. Air Force that examines the structural sources of Pakistan’s instability and proposes a mix of long-term and short-term interventions that may help stabilize the country and advance numerous U.S. security interests, including increasing civilian oversight of the military, fortifying democratic institutions and empowering civil society.
- Participated in a USAID Democracy and Governance Assessment of Pakistan under the auspices of MSI.
- Co-leading a project to identify means of persuading Pakistan to abandon the use of militants as a part of its foreign policy. Without state commitment to cease instrumentalizing violence, it will be difficult for Pakistan and its partners to attenuate militancy emanating from and in Pakistan. This project focuses specifically upon FATA and other militant sanctuaries in Pakistan.
- Leading a study documenting and explaining the changing recruitment patterns of the Pakistan army, using unique district-level officer production data from 1971 to 2005. Working with quantitative analysts, these data will be cross-walked with household economic survey data in effort to model the determinants of army recruiting over the time series.
United Nations Assistance Mission To Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
Political Affairs Officer, P-4, June 2007 to October 2007.
Selected Projects
- Coordinated UNAMA’s mission-wide effort to analyze suicide attacks in Afghanistan. Provided analytical leadership and had primary responsibility for drafting this report. Research for this project involved fieldwork throughout the areas affected by suicide attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
United States Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C.
Senior Research Associate-South Asia and Terrorism
Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, April 2004 to June 2007
Selected Projects
- Designed and executed a survey of militants’ families in Pakistan to cast light on the recruitment strategies of militant groups based in Pakistan as well as general information regarding the socio-economic background of militants and their families. This project is now in the data analysis phase.
- Led a research effort that explores parental educational choices in Pakistan with a focus upon madrassah institutions. This effort was undertaken as a part of a multi-country inquiry that includes India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. This study is being executed under the auspices of the National Bureau of Asian Research and complements a comparable study for the countries of South East Asia.
- Conducted a critical analysis of several books and pamphlets published by two of the most prominent militant groups in Pakistan (Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad). This analysis of Urdu-language publications is being undertaken with Husain Haqqani.
- Authored a book on Pakistan that addresses its pivotal role in the Muslim World and the crucial import of U.S.-Pakistan relations for U.S. relations with the Muslim World writ large.
- Co-editor of and contributing author to a volume examining how various countries employ their various security forces in counter-insurgency operations on sacred grounds.
- Executed exhaustive assessment of U.S. internal security assistance to Pakistan. This study, conducted with Peter Chalk, includes a comprehensive threat assessment as well as an inventory of U.S. programs to meet these myriad threats. It concludes with an assessment of the efficacy of the current suite of assistance as well as specific recommendations for more efficacious aid to Pakistan.
RAND, Santa Monica, California
Associate Political Scientist, October 1997 to April 2004
Selected Projects
- Assessed al Qaeda operations and presence in Pakistan, their linkages with Pakistan-based Islamist and militant organizations. This research was fieldwork intensive and drew from several trips to India and to Pakistan as well as from extensive interviews of experts in the United States government.
- Analyzed trends in political Islam in Pakistan and Iran, focusing on events following Operation Enduring Freedom and the war in Iraq. This work identified issues relevant to policy makers within the U.S. government that should be considered when engaging these and other states in the regions of South, Southwest, and Central Asia.
- Studied the prospects for army-to-army co-operation between India and the United States. This work leveraged my previous work on strategic and military relations between the United States and India. It exposited the potential army relations in the context of the U.S. Army Transformation.
- Conducted a cross-country comparison of tactics of insurgent and other militant groups operating in urban environments within India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This work explicated target selection, innovation of technique and the ability of state security apparatus to respond to these threats. This researched aimed to inform U.S. Army Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain.
Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California
Team Member, Working With Dr. Peter Lavoy.
Selected Projects
- Conducted research on the role of the civilian combatants in the 1999 Kargil Conflict as a part of an extensive NPS project analyzing the Kargil Crisis and its regional security implications. Contributing author to a volume edited by Peter Lavoy.(Link to Project Site)
- Drafted an analyses of the role of the United States in diffusing the Indo-Pakistan crisis of 2001-2002.
Consulate General of the United States , Mumbai, India
Intern in Political- Military Affairs in the South Asia Bureau, June-September 1997
Selected Projects
- Researched the impact of Indian stock market reforms targeted to build liquidity and efficient clearing mechanisms.
- Interviewed senior managers of U.S. companies operating in India, emphasizing their entry and exit strategies and drafted a "how to" package for American companies entering India's commercial markets.
Professional Activities
India Review
Managing Editor, January 2007 to present
- India Review is a quarterly refereed journal that publishes scholarly research on the issues central to Indian politics, economics and society.
Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
Editorial Board Member, May 2008 to present
- Studies in Conflict and Terrorism is a monthly journal which publishes peer-reviewed essays on terrorism and insurgency and other threats to international peace and stability.
Education
The University of Chicago
- Ph.D, South Asian Languages and Civilizations (G.P.A. 3.9)
- M.A., South Asian Languages and Civilizations (G.P.A. 3.9)
- American Institute for Iranian Studies grant to conduct research in Iran
- USIA/NMERTA scholarship to learn Urdu in Lahore, Pakistan
- Title VI scholarship to study Punjabi in Lahore, Pakistan and at the University of California, Berkeley
- Title VI graduate scholarships to study Hindi and Urdu
- Departmental scholarship to study Hindi in Uttar Pradesh, India
The University of Chicago, The Harris School of Public Policy
- M.A. (G.P.A. 4.0)
- Full funding through Title VI for the study of Urdu.
The University of Chicago
- B.S. with General and Departmental Honors, Biological Chemistry (G.P.A. 3.7)
Languages and Skills
- Fluent in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi. Elementary capabilities in Persian
- Excellent written communication and briefing skills
- Proficient in Stata and Microsoft Office suite
Professional Associations
- Member of International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Member of the Council on Foreign Relations
- Member of the International Studies Association
- Member of the Association of Asian Studies