Spenser Warren

Spenser A. Warren is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Technology and International Security at the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation based in Washington, D.C. He received a Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University Bloomington, where he was also a graduate affiliate of the Indiana University Russian Studies Workshop. His dissertation explored the mechanisms driving Russian nuclear modernization in the 21st century. He received a B.A. in international relations and a B.A. in Russian and Eurasian studies from Michigan State University.

Spenser’s broader research interests include nuclear politics and strategy, Russian foreign policy, Transatlantic relations, alliance politics, and Eurasian security. His work has been published in academic journals such as Asian Affairs and policy-oriented outlets including The National Interest and Transatlantic Policy Quarterly. He has also presented at major conferences, including the APSA, ISA, ASEES, and IS-ISSS conferences, as well as the NATO Early Career Nuclear Strategists Workshop. His current research agenda focuses on the relationship between emerging nuclear technologies and nuclear strategy, the nuclear dimension of U.S. alliances, and Russian foreign policy in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

Plans for Fellowship: During the fellowship year, Spenser will turn his dissertation on Russian nuclear modernization into a book and will work on a number of articles related to his book project. He will also begin work on articles related to a second project that explores the relationship between the emergence of new nuclear technologies and changes in nuclear doctrine.