I am an associate professor in and Chair of the Department of Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. My research focuses on women in conflict, negotiations between states and factionalized insurgencies, and the reintegration of veterans. I currently serve on the editorial boards of International Interactions and International Studies Perspectives. I am past (2022) President of the Midwest region of the International Studies Association, a former permanent contributor at Political Violence at a Glance, and a 2020/21 alumna of the International Policy Summer Institute. I am an affiliated researcher with the Missouri Institute of Defense and Energy. And I was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina, where I learned to water ski, fish for crabs using old fish heads and twine, and where, in 2012, I earned my doctorate from the University of North Carolina.
@RebeccaBestIR.bsky.social