Mary Beth E Altier

Dr. Mary Beth Altier is a Clinical Associate Professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs where she directs the Masters’ degree concentration in Transnational Security and Initiative on Emerging Threats. She received her PhD and MA in Politics from Princeton University and BAs in Mathematics and History from Drew University.

Dr. Altier’s research interests are in political violence, political behavior, international security, nationalism, and ethnic conflict. She has over ten years’ experience researching the disengagement and reintegration of violent extremists. This work includes large-scale literature reviews, the compilation and analysis of quantitative datasets, and in-depth interviews with individuals across a range of violent extremist ideologies (far right, Islamist, ethno-nationalist). Dr. Altier’s other research focuses on identifying the causes of popular support for political violence, and armed parties in particular, in developed and developing democracies. That research received the American Political Science Association’s Ernst B. Haas Award and the European Politics and Society Section’s Best Paper Award. Dr. Altier’s research has been published in a number of journals including the Journal of Peace Research, Security Studies, Terrorism and Political Violence, and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. She serves on the Editorial Board of Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, the ICCT Journal, and Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression and is a member of the RESOLVE Network’s Research Advisory Council and the AVERT Research Network. Dr. Altier has been invited to present her research to various government audiences and international organizations including NATO, Europol, and the UN. She has also published in The Washington Post and Lawfare and been quoted in various media outlets including WIRED, USA Today, Vox, The Daily Beast, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and Minneapolis Star Tribune. 

At the Center for Global Affairs, Professor Altier teaches courses in Transnational Security, Transnational Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, Security Sector Governance and the Rule of Law, and Analytic Skills. She also runs a Consulting Practicum with the US State Department’s Global Engagement Center and a Global Field Intensive to Belfast and London. Professor Altier is a recipient of the NYU SPS Excellence in Teaching Award.