Ivan Sascha Sheehan
associate professor
School of Public and International Affairs
Additional Roles:
associate dean, College of Public Affairs
Contact Information:
Phone: 410.837.5328
Email: isheehan@ubalt.edu
Ph.D., George Mason University
M.Sc., George Mason University
B.A., Swarthmore College
Ivan Sascha Sheehan is the associate dean of the College of Public Affairs at The University of Baltimore. He previously served as the executive director of the School of Public and International Affairs between 2018-2023.
A prolific policy-focused scholar, writer, and influential thought leader with a principal focus on terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, international relations, and national security issues, Sheehan joined the University of Baltimore in 2009 after serving on the faculty of the John W. McCormack School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. A frequent speaker on U.S. foreign policy, Sheehan has addressed diverse audiences from academic forums in Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America to policymakers in the U.S. Congress and the National Press Club. He continues to serve as a subject matter expert and consultant on a range of public policy matters.
Sheehan’s early career research focused on quantitative analyses of terrorism incident data and the impact of preemptive force on terrorist activity. In recent years, he has published timely analyses on U.S. policy in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Turkey), the Caucasus (Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), Asia (North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China), the Balkans (Kosovo, Serbia), Africa (South Africa, Madagascar, Nigeria, Djibouti), and the European Union. Over the course of his career, he has published in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to evidence-based counterterrorism policy, terrorism teaching, terrorist group designations, counterinsurgency, suicide terrorism, and the concept of regime change. He has also undertaken significant research and writing on the Islamic Republic of Iran and U.S. foreign policy in conflict zones across the globe.
The author of more than 175 publications, Sheehan’s work has appeared in prominent outlets including The National Interest, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, National Review, Fox News, Al Jazeera, The Washington Times, The Hill, Roll Call, The Washington Examiner, The Baltimore Sun, Haaretz (Israel), The Jerusalem Post, United Press International, and International Policy Digest. A frequent source for journalists, he has also been quoted in leading newspapers in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Shared widely around the world, Sheehan’s writing has been translated into Farsi, Arabic, French, and Spanish. His work has been cited in testimony in the Canadian parliament, quoted on MSNBC, and endorsed by senior U.S. officials – including a former Director of the FBI, a Secretary of Homeland Security, and an Assistant Secretary of State.
An award-winning scholar, Sheehan received the 2015 President’s Faculty Award for outstanding teaching, research, and service and the 2016 University System of Maryland Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Mentoring. These awards are the highest honors bestowed by the University of Baltimore and the University System of Maryland in recognition of exemplary faculty achievements. In 2017, Sheehan received a citation from the Maryland Senate in recognition of “Exceptional Leadership and Service to The University of Baltimore.”
Prior to assuming leadership of the School of Public and International Affairs, Sheehan was twice elected president of the College of Public Affairs Faculty Senate. He also served as the director of the M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management for eight years and was the founding director of the M.A. in Global Affairs and Human Security, a program he led for six years.
Sheehan previously taught at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Bentley University, Tufts University, and George Mason University after earning his Ph.D. in 2006.