Dr. Sarah Parkinson Aronson

Biography

Sarah Parkinson Aronson is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on organizational behavior, social change, and war in disaster-affected settings, particularly in Southwest Asia and North Africa. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, and Qatar, with shorter engagements in Tunisia, Turkey, and the UAE. Dr. Parkinson's award-winning research has addressed the decision-making processes of militant organizations, political violence, and access to healthcare for forced migrants. She has published in prestigious journals including the American Political Science Review and Foreign Affairs, has provided media commentary for outlets like BBC and Bloomberg News, and co-founded the Advancing Research on Conflict Consortium. Her book, 'Lines: Social Networks and Palestinian Militant Organizations Wartime Lebanon,' received the 2023 Routledge Lee Ann Fujii Award for Innovation in Interpretive Study of Political Violence. Dr. Parkinson holds a PhD and MA in political science from the University of Chicago, and has been awarded fellowships at institutions like Yale and George Washington University. She is fluent in Arabic and French.

Research Interests