Alyssa Prorok is a new assistant professor in the political science department.  She received her PhD from the University of Maryland in 2013, and was an assistant professor of political science at the University of Iowa from 2013-2017.  She studies civil conflict, human rights, and the role of international law in conflict processes.  Her current research projects focus on the role of rebel and state leaders in civil conflict resolution, the behavior and effectiveness of the International Criminal Court, and how adversaries cooperate during civil war. Her research has been published in a variety of journals, including the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, International Organization, and the British Journal of Political Science.

Nicholas Grossman received his PhD in international relations from the University of Maryland, then taught at the University of Iowa, before coming to Illinois last fall. He teaches Introduction to International Relations, National Security Policy, American Foreign Policy, and an online winter course on drones. His first book, Drones and Terrorism—which explores how governments and non-state actors use drones to fight each other—just came out, on March 27th.