About Professor Asal

University Expert
 

Victor Asal is Director of the Center for Policy Research and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and the director of the Homeland Security Certificate and MPA Concentration in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. He received his PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park.  He is also, along with R. Karl Rethemeyer,  the co-director of the Project on Violent Conflict.  Dr. Asal is affiliated with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. Dr. Asal’s   research focuses on the choice of violence by nonstate organizational actors as well as the causes of political discrimination by states against different groups such as sexual minorities, women and ethnic groups. In addition, Prof. Asal has done research on the impact of nuclear proliferation and on the pedagogy of simulations.  Asal has been involved in research projects funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, The Department of Homeland Security, The National Science Foundation, and The Office of Naval Research.  

Prof. Asal teaches  courses on world and comparative politics, political violence and oppression, negotiation and research design. He has worked as a negotiation trainer in a variety of academic, governmental and military settings, and in conjunction with the ICONS Project, created simulations on varied topics

Selected Publications

Posted papers:

• Asal, Victor, Udi Sommer, and Paul G. Harwood. Forthcoming. "Original Sin: A Cross National Study of the Legality of Homosexual Acts." Comparative Political Studies.  NOTE:  This is the original copy sent to Comparative Political Studies and not the version that will be published after peer review

Select Papers with links to journal websites:

• Asal, Victor, Mitchell Brown, and Angela Dalton. 2012. "Why Split? Organizational Splits among Ethno-Political Organizations in the Middle East." Journal of Conflict Resolution. 56(1). 94-117
• Asal, Victor, Gary Ackerman, and R. Karl Rethemeyer.  2012. “Connections Can Be Toxic: Terrorist Organizational Factors and the Pursuit of CBRN Weapons”  Studies in Terrorism and Conflict  35:229–254
  
• Asal, Victor, and Mitchell Brown. 2010. "A Cross-National Exploration of the Conditions that Produce Interpersonal Violence." Politics & Policy 38 (2):175-92.
  
• Asal, Victor, and Paul G. Harwood. 2008 “Search Engines: Terrorism’s Killer App.” 2008 Studies in Terrorism and Conflict. 31(7): 641-654.
  Asal, Victor, and R. Karl Rethemeyer. 2008. “The Nature of the Beast: Terrorist Organizational Characteristics and Organizational Lethality.” Journal of Politics, 70(2): 437-449.
  
• Asal, Victor, Mitchell Brown, and Renee Gibson Figueroa. 2008  “Structure and Empowerment and the Liberalization of Cross-National Abortion Rights.” Politics and Gender. 4 (2):265-84.
  Asal, Victor, and Kyle Beardsley. 2007. “Proliferation and International Crisis Behavior.” Journal of Peace Research, 44(2): 139-155.
  
• Asal, Victor, Brian Nussbaum, and William Harrington. 2007. “Terrorism as Transnational Advocacy.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 30(1): 15-39.
  
• Asal, Victor, and Elizabeth L. Blake. 2006. “Creating Simulations for Political Science Education.” Journal of Political Science Education, 2(1): 1-18.

Pedagogical material

• PowerPoints for the Dalig and Vadan exercise
• A Shot Not Taken: Teaching About the Ethics of Political Violence  (Powerpoint Slides)