Stephanie Pezard

Political Scientist

Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. in political science, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva; M.A. in history, French Institute of Political Science, Paris (Sciences Po); M.A. in political science, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva; B.A. in history, French Institute of Political Science, Paris (Sciences Po)

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Stephanie Pezard is a Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her research focuses on European security and transatlantic relations; Arctic security; African security, with a focus on West Africa and the Sahel; security cooperation and security force assistance; military interventions and nation-building; and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Prior to joining RAND, Pezard was a researcher with the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey think-tank. She was also a visiting scholar at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, New York and a TAPIR Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at SAIS/Johns Hopkins University and the RAND Corporation.

Pezard received her M.A. in contemporary history from the French School of Political Science (Sciences-Po) in Paris and her Ph.D. in political science from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva.

Research Focus

Selected Publications

Steve Watts and Stephanie Pezard, "Windows of Opportunity and Tipping Points for Small-Footprint Military Interventions," Parameters, 44(1), 2014

Stephanie Pezard, Abbie Tingstad, Kristing Van Abel, Scott Stephenson, Maintaining Arctic Cooperation with Russia, RAND (RR-1731-RC), 2017

F. Stephen Larrabee, Stephanie Pezard, Andrew Radin, Nathan Chandler, Keith Crane, Thomas S. Szayna, Russia and the West After the Ukrainian Crisis: European Vulnerabilities to Russian Pressures, RAND (RR-1305-A), 2017

Walter L. Perry, Stuart E. Johnson, Stephanie Pezard, Gillian S. Oak, David Stebbins, and Chaoling Feng, Defense Institution Building: An Assessment, RAND (RR-1176-OSD), 2016

Stephanie Pezard, David E. Thaler, Beth Grill, Ariel Klein, Sean Robson, The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DMHA): An Assessment of Roles and Missions, RAND (RR-1332-OSD), 2016

Stephanie Pezard and Michael Shurkin, Achieving Peace in Northern Mali: Past Agreements, Local Conflicts, and the Prospects for a Durable Settlement, RAND (RR-892-OSD), 2015

Michael J. McNerney, Stuart E. Johnson, Stephanie Pezard, Dave Stebbins, Renanah Miles, Angela O’Mahony, Chaoling Feng, and Tim Oliver, Defense Institution Building in Africa: An Assessment, RAND (RR-1232-OSD), 2015

Jennifer D.P. Moroney, Stephanie Pezard, Laurel Miller, Jeffrey Engstrom, and Abby Doll, Lessons from Department of Defense Disaster Relief Efforts in the Asia-Pacific Region, Small Arms Survey (RR-146-OSD), 2013

James Dobbins, Laurel E. Miller, Stephanie Pezard, Christopher S. Chivvis, Julie E. Taylor, Keith Crane, Calin Trenkov-Wermuth, and Tewodaj Mengistu, Overcoming Obstacles to Peace: Local Factors in Nation-Building, RAND (RR-167-CC), 2013

Stephanie Pezard and Michael Shurkin, Toward a Secure and Stable Mali: Approaches to Engaging Local Actors, RAND (RR-296-OSD), 2013

Honors & Awards

2014 Elihu Root Prize for essays on landpower (2nd place, with co-author Dr. Steve Watts), U.S. Army War College Foundation

Recent Media Appearances

Commentary: CNN; U.S. News & World Report

Commentary

Mali Is France's Afghanistan, but with a Difference
At first glance the comparison between the French military operations in Mali and America’s involvement in Afghanistan is compelling, and in some important ways, accurate. It also presents some fundamental differences that give reason for optimism in France.
Dec 1, 2017 War on the Rocks
What Does 'America First' Look Like in the Arctic?
The shift in U.S. climate policy away from greenhouse gas reduction is significant for the Arctic, which is experiencing global warming at an accelerated rate. And a recent executive order will pave the way for expanded oil and gas drilling. How will these changes shape the Arctic in years to come?
May 25, 2017 United Press International
Will the Breakdown in U.S.-Russia Cooperation Reach the Arctic?
Over the last few decades, the U.S. and Russia have often found common ground on Arctic affairs, at least in such areas as search and rescue and environmental integrity. The Arctic has the potential to remain resistant to tensions building elsewhere.
Oct 12, 2016 Inside Sources
Friends If We Must: Russia and China in the Arctic
Russia's rebalancing toward China is particularly important in the Arctic, a region in which Russia has great ambitions, but also struggles with major vulnerabilities. Russia needs China as an investor, as a technological partner, and as a key consumer of energy to support its flagging, energy-dependent economy.
May 6, 2016 War on the Rocks
Will the Arctic Remain a Warm Spot in Chilly U.S.-Russia Relations?
The United States should continue with its policy of engagement with Russia within Arctic institutions. This is the only way to keep building on a track record of successful agreements that make the Arctic safer for all.
Apr 28, 2016 U.S. News & World Report
France Is Right to Stay the Course
President Hollande announced that 30,000 Syrian refugees would be welcomed in France, honoring the commitment France made to its European partners before the Paris attacks. Altering its policy would only give the terrorists what they want.
Nov 25, 2015 U.S. News & World Report
The Front National and the Future of French Foreign Policy
France's far-right party Front National is ascendant. Its leader could be a strong contender in 2017's presidential elections. Do the Front National's current and, possibly, future successes have implications for France's partners and allies in Europe and beyond?
Mar 25, 2015 War on the Rocks
Help Malians Fight Back
The March 7 terrorist attack that killed five people in a nightclub in Bamako, Mali, underscores the importance of international support for the West African country, which has become another front in the struggle against Islamist radicalism.
Mar 13, 2015 U.S. News & World Report
Declaring War on Ebola
Operation United Assistance, which includes the deployment of 3,000 U.S. military personnel to West Africa to respond to the Ebola crisis, is a welcome recognition of the range of missions the military is increasingly able to tackle, particularly in disaster-management assistance.
Oct 10, 2014 Modern Healthcare
The Central African Republic Must Save Itself
The coincidence of the passing of Nelson Mandela last week with France's decision to intervene in the Central African Republic highlights a number of inconvenient truths about Africa and the role of the international community in its affairs.
Dec 13, 2013 U.S. News & World Report
Responding in Typhoon Haiyan's Wake
Prior responses to other recent disasters offer important lessons. Improved preparedness and efficient coordination mechanisms can help ensure that, when time is of the essence, the United States provides the most effective response.
Nov 12, 2013 U.S. News & World Report
Remembering What Mali Needs
Free and fair elections are important, to be sure, but what Mali really needs is a leader who is dedicated to democracy, unity and reform of Mali's politics and institutions, write Stephanie Pezard and Michael Shurkin.
Jul 26, 2013 U.S. News & World Report
The al Qaeda Threat in North Africa
Last week's terrorist attack at the In Amenas gas complex in Algeria, along with the recent success of the militant groups fighting government forces in Mali, indicate al Qaeda and other terrorist groups are gaining influence in North Africa. RAND experts weigh in on the latest developments.
Jan 24, 2013
The French Intervention in Mali Is Necessary, but Risky
No solution is likely to offer more than a short-term reprise if it is not accompanied by real progress toward resolving Mali's political crisis and strengthening the Malian state and Malian democracy, write Stephanie Pezard and Michael Shurkin.
Jan 17, 2013 U.S. News & World Report
France Needs More Than Force in Mali
France should coordinate military action with efforts to engage with local factions to use as partners and proxies, write Stephanie Pezard and Michael Shurkin. This is, in effect, how France conquered and secured northern Mali in the first place a century ago.
Jan 17, 2013 CNN

Publications

Report
Report
Factoring Security Cooperation into Core U.S. Air Force Decisionmaking Processes: Incorporating Impact in Planning, Programming, and Capability Development
This report reviews two core U.S. Air Force decisionmaking processes to determine the extent to which decisionmakers consider security cooperation impact and to recommend ways to make such considerations systematic and explicit.
Apr 19, 2018
Report
Finding the Right Balance: Department of Defense Roles in Stabilization
This report supports Department of Defense efforts to update its stabilization guidance by assessing recent history and evaluating the roles for the U.S. military and its ability to execute them in conjunction with interagency and other key partners.
Apr 5, 2018
Report
Report
Assessing the Value of Regionally Aligned Forces in Army Security Cooperation: An Overview
This report highlights recent RAND Arroyo Center research on the value of the Army's regionally aligned forces to U.S. security cooperation activities, particularly those conducted in Africa.
May 10, 2017
Report
Fit for Duty? Evaluating the Physical Fitness Requirements of Battlefield Airmen
Describes a methodology for establishing physical fitness standards for four Air Force occupational specialties, as part of a broader Air Force effort to measure the physical readiness of airmen to perform their jobs.
May 9, 2017
Report
Mali's Next Battle: Improving Counterterrorism Capabilities
This report examines Mali's counterterrorism requirements in light of recent evolutions in the country's security environment: The terrorist threat in Mali is growing, but Mali's military remains largely ineffective.
Apr 20, 2017
Report
European Relations with Russia: Threat Perceptions, Responses, and Strategies in the Wake of the Ukrainian Crisis
This report analyzes how Europeans perceive the Russian threat following the 2014 Ukraine crisis, how European states have responded to Russia's behavior, and how European officials see the future of Russo-European relations.
Apr 13, 2017
Report
Maintaining Arctic Cooperation with Russia: Planning for Regional Change in the Far North
This report examines security challenges that could alter Russia's current cooperative stance in the Arctic, explores how these could undermine Arctic cooperation, and offers recommendations for the U.S. government to manage risks to cooperation.
Mar 2, 2017
Report
Russia and the West After the Ukrainian Crisis: European Vulnerabilities to Russian Pressures
Given Russia's annexation of Crimea and aggression in Ukraine, Europe must reassess the regional security environment. This report analyzes the vulnerability of European states to possible forms of Russian influence, pressure, and intimidation.
Jan 18, 2017
Report
Report
Defense Institution Building: An Assessment
Presents an analysis of defense institution building (DIB), recommends goals and objectives, identifies partner nation and DIB activity selection criteria, develops a strategy for coordinating activities, and recommends accountability procedures.
Jun 7, 2016
Report
Report
The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DMHA): An Assessment of Roles and Missions
This report examines the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance's history, activities, and roles to determine how its missions can best be performed to achieve the Department of Defense's objectives in this domain.
May 16, 2016
Report
Defense Institution Building in Africa: An Assessment
This report assesses U.S. efforts in defense institution building in Africa and suggests possible improvements to planning and execution.
Jan 4, 2016
Report
Achieving Peace in Northern Mali: Past Agreements, Local Conflicts, and the Prospects for a Durable Settlement
This report examines prospects for stabilization in Mali; Mali's peace settlements since the early 1990s; factors contributing to stability in Mali's neighbor, Niger; and whether Niger might offer lessons for Mali.
May 1, 2015
Draft
Draft
Security Cooperation Amidst Political Uncertainty: An Agenda for Future Research
Identifies five key issues that the U.S. government should consider before deciding whether or not to offer military training and equipment to potential partners operating amidst uncertainty and suggests avenues for future research.
Aug 13, 2014
Report
Report
Evaluating the Impact of the Department of Defense Regional Centers for Security Studies
The five U.S. Department of Defense Regional Centers for Security Studies have been helping partner nations build strategic capacity for almost 20 years. This study analyzes the centers' impact and the ways in which they assess their programs.
Apr 23, 2014
Report
Lessons from Department of Defense Disaster Relief Efforts in the Asia-Pacific Region
This study analyzes recent humanitarian assistance/disaster response operations in Burma, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Japan, and identifies lessons that can be used to improve the Department of Defense's international disaster relief capabilities.
Jul 31, 2013
Report
Report
Toward a Secure and Stable Mali: Approaches to Engaging Local Actors
Discusses how lasting security and stability can be established in northern Mali after the 2012 conflict there, with an emphasis on understanding the region's complex dynamics and engaging northerners in security solutions.
Jul 2, 2013
Report
Overcoming Obstacles to Peace: Local Factors in Nation-Building
This monograph analyzes the impediments that local conditions pose to nation-building. It examines how external actors and local leaders in a variety of societies modified or worked around those conditions to promote enduring peace.
Feb 4, 2013
Report
Report
Locals Rule: Historical Lessons for Creating Local Defense Forces for Afghanistan and Beyond
Analyzes the use and management of local defense forces in eight major counterinsurgencies, from Indochina to Operation Iraqi Freedom, in order to inform U.S. and allied operations in Afghanistan as well as other current or future conflicts.
Sep 18, 2012
Report
Report
Optimizing the Defense Language Institute English Language Center
Presents an assessment of the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC), which trains foreign nationals in English prior to their attending U.S. military education and training courses.
Aug 30, 2012
Research Brief
Research Brief
Prospects for Democratization in the Arab World (Arabic translation)
Daunting challenges lie ahead for countries undergoing political transitions in the Arab world. Researchers identify the challenges these countries face and suggest policy approaches that may help foster enduring democracies.
Aug 20, 2012
Report
Democratization in the Arab World: Prospects and Lessons from Around the Globe
Daunting challenges face countries swept up in the Arab Spring. This monograph assesses the prospects for democratization in these countries and suggests how the international community can help it succeed.
Jul 18, 2012
Research Brief
Research Brief
Prospects for Democratization in the Arab World
Daunting challenges lie ahead for countries undergoing political transitions in the Arab world. Researchers identify the challenges these countries face and suggest policy approaches that may help foster enduring democracies.
Jul 18, 2012
Report
Lessons from U.S. Allies in Security Cooperation with Third Countries: The Cases of Australia, France, and the United Kingdom
Security cooperation is not unique to the United States, and when interests coincide, joint efforts and lesson-sharing are beneficial.
Oct 5, 2011
Report
Report
Integrating the Full Range of Security Cooperation Programs into Air Force Planning: An Analytic Primer
Supplies Air Force planners with information about resources for security cooperation, the rules that govern their use, and their application methods.
Sep 29, 2011
Report
Report
From Insurgency to Stability: Volume II: Insights from Selected Case Studies
This book examines six case studies of insurgencies from around the world to determine the key factors in the successful transition from counterinsurgency toward stability.
Sep 7, 2011
Report
Report
From Insurgency to Stability: Volume I: Key Capabilities and Practices
This book identifies the procedures and capabilities that the U.S. Department of Defense, other agencies of the U.S.government, and its allies and partners require to support the transition from counterinsurgency to conditions of greater stability.
Sep 7, 2011
Report
Report
Shared Modular Build of Warships: How a Shared Build Can Support Future Shipbuilding
Some recent shipbuilding programs have had multiple shipyards construct major modules of each ship. Opting for a shared-build strategy makes it necessary to monitor and manage the program to ensure that it delivers all the required outcomes.
Mar 25, 2011

Multimedia

18:25
Call with the Experts: Implications of the Paris Shootings
Jan 14, 2015
22:50
Media Conference Call on the Crisis in Mali
Dec 13, 2012