New Faculty: Katherine Irajpanah

2026 New Faculty

8/26/2026

Katherine Irajpanah

Assistant Profesor, Government

Academic focus:

International Relations

Current research project:

I am writing a book that examines the origins of military strategy, with an emphasis on the historical evolution of norms around the use of force. Relying on a diverse set of historical case studies, ranging from the Philippine-American War to the Nyasaland Emergency of 1959, I show how state and non-state actors alike face social constraints on their strategic choices, at times sacrificing military gains for more abstract principles, such as international legitimacy and status. I combine these archival revelations with an original dataset on international conflict between 1800 and 2022 to show how shifts in warfighting norms have had profound implications for patterns in war duration and conflict outcomes.

Previous positions:

Rosenwald Postdoctoral Fellow, Dickey Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth College, 2025-26

Academic background:

Ph.D., Political science, Harvard University, 2025
A.M., Political science, Harvard University, 2021
B.A., International relations, Stanford University, 2019

Last book read:

I recently revisited “School of Instructions” by Ishion Hutchinson, Cornell’s W.E.B. Du Bois Professor in the Humanities. This book-length poem sits at the intersection of art and the archives, seeking to recover the historical memory of Caribbean soldiers fighting in British campaigns in the Middle East during World War I. The work resonates with my research, which similarly aims to illuminate forgotten histories of political violence.

In your own time/when not working:

Poetry and music are two significant parts of my life outside of research. I am an avid attendee of poetry readings, and I enjoy learning new pop songs on acoustic guitar. While at Dartmouth, I learned to ski, and I am looking forward to honing my skiing skills once winter arrives at Cornell.

Courses you’re most looking forward to teaching:

I am especially eager to debut my lecture course, GOVT 2867: Elements of Security. The class is structured around big questions in security and armed conflict today, including why war between states is more common today than it has been at any point since 1945, why arms races repeatedly occur, and why modern wars seem to have no end in sight. The substance of our discussions will offer various lenses through which students can think through those questions and, in the process, hopefully empower them to have agency in global conversations about these topics.

What most excites you about Cornell:

International relations scholarship at Cornell is buzzing, with research portfolios spanning projects on crises in international institutions to studies on the national security implications of AI-enabled technologies. I am excited to be joining and collaborating with such an extraordinary and welcoming set of colleagues.

X handle/blog url:

www.katherineirajpanah.com