Christopher W. Ray

I am political scientist specializing in International Relations and Political Psychology. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. I received my PhD in 2024 from The Ohio State University.

My research centers on applying insights from cognitive psychology to the study of U.S. foreign policy and international security. I especially focus on how states deal with uncertainty and threat—particularly threats posed by emerging national security challenges. My approach relies on a range of mixed methods, including original psychometric tools, large-N survey experiments, historical case studies, and qualitative interviews.

I also have a strong interest in the study of foreign policy education—including an ongoing interview project with faculty at top foreign policy graduate programs in the U.S. My other work has examined the consequences of mass trauma for U.S. grand strategy and the security implications of climate change.