Kolby Hanson specializes in international security and conflict. His research and teaching interests include civil wars, armed organizations and recruitment, the politics of war, game theory, experimental methods, and South / Southeast Asia.

Prof. Hanson received a Ph.D from Columbia University and a B.A. from Stanford University, both in Political Science. Before joining the faculty at Wesleyan, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Naval War College and at the Dickey Center at Dartmouth College.