
Tricia Bacon Associate Professor Department of Justice, Law & Criminology
- Degrees
- PhD Georgetown 2013
MA University of Florida 2002
BA Stetson University 2000
- Bio
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Tricia Bacon, PhD, is an Associate Professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs. She is the author of Why Terrorist Organizations Form International Alliances published with University of Pennsylvania Press in May 2018.
Prior to her employment at American University, Dr. Bacon worked on counterterrorism for over ten years at the Department of State, including in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the Bureau of Counterterrorism, and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Her work on counterterrorism in the intelligence community received numerous accolades, and she conducted research and analysis on counterterrorism in South Asia, North Africa, East Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
Dr. Bacon is a non-resident fellow with George Washington University's Program on Extremism. She serves on the Countering Terrorism & Extremism Program Advisory Council for the Middle East Institute and the editorial board of the journal Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. She is also a senior fellow at Fordham University's Center on National Security. She earned her PhD in International Relations at Georgetown University.
Her research focuses on terrorist and insurgent groups' behavior and decision-making, U.S. counterterrorism policy, and the role of intelligence in national security decision-making. She has published articles on terrorist group alliances, terrorist leadership, terrorist safe havens, and other related topics. She has recently finished a book titled Why Terrorist Groups Form International Alliances. Additionally, she published a recent article discussing peace deal between the Taliban and the United States.
- See Also
- This is Why Al-Shabaab Won't be Going Away Anytime Soon
- Strategic Progress Remains Elusive in American Campaign against al-Shabaab
- This is Why al-Qaida is Still Strong 16 Years After 9/11
- Commentary on al-Qaeda's India Affiliate
- Analysis of Pakistan's Treatment of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.
Teaching
Summer 2020
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JLC-673 Seminar on Nat'l Security Pol
Fall 2020
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JLC-673 Seminar on Nat'l Security Pol
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JLC-673 Seminar on Nat'l Security Pol
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JLC-695 Terrorism & Homeland Sec Pract: App Pract Terrorism & Policing
Spring 2021
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JLC-475 Terrorism & Counterterrorism
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JLC-484 Intelligence Analysis
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JLC-673 Seminar on Nat'l Security Pol
AU Experts
Area of Expertise
Counter terrorism, foreign policy, terrorist groups and leadership, Al-Qaida, al-Shabaab, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, ISIS/ISIL, Boko Haram, the Taliban, insurgency, intelligence, national security, South Asia, East Africa, Somalia, and foreign fighters
Additional Information
Prof. Tricia Bacon worked on counter terrorism for more than ten years at the Department of State, including in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the Bureau of Counterterrorism, and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. She conducted research and analysis on counter terrorism in South Asia, North Africa, East Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia. She is a non-resident fellow with George Washington's Program on Extremism. She was also a pre-doctoral fellow at the Brookings Institution, a visiting scholar and terrorism research award recipient at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland, and a PRISP Fellow and Presidential Management Fellow at the State Department. Her research focuses on terrorist groups' relationships, terrorist group leaders, foreign fighters, and proxy relationships. Prof. Bacon is the author of Why Terrorist Groups Form International Alliances (University of Pennsylvania Press) that advances our understanding of the motivations of terrorist groups' relations with one another. Her work on counter terrorism in the intelligence community received numerous accolades. She is frequently quoted in local, national and international media outlets.
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.