Krista Weigand
Professor and Director, Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs
Specialties: International Relations, Territorial & Maritime Disputes, Conflict Management, Indo-Pacific, US National Security
Biography
Krista Wiegand is the Director of the Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs and Professor at the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, with a joint appointment at Y-12 National Security Complex, and a Non-resident Adjunct Fellow with Pacific Forum.
Wiegand joined the UTK faculty in 2014 after nine years at Georgia Southern University and earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University with concentrations in International Relations and Security Studies.
As Director of the Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs, Wiegand leads a robust research and policy engagement program. She oversees funded projects with faculty fellows, students, and affiliates; organizes policy workshops and speaker events; and collaborates with government agencies and think tanks to advance dialogue on national security challenges. In 2023, she was appointed Chair of the Global Security Policy Committee for the International Studies Association.
Her research spans territorial and maritime disputes, conflict resolution, war and militarized interstate disputes, international adjudication and mediation, and the foreign policy strategies of Indo-Pacific states—including Japan, China, South Korea, and the Philippines. She also specializes in U.S. national security and Indo-Pacific regional strategy
Wiegand’s research has been supported by the Department of Defense’s Minerva Research Initiative, the U.S. Department of State, the Smith Richardson Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. She regularly presents her work to academic, government, and policy audiences and is a frequent contributor to national and international forums on conflict resolution and foreign policy.
Education
- Ph.D., Political Science, Duke University
- M.A., Political Science, Duke University
- M.A., International Affairs (Comparative & Regional Studies: Middle East), American University, School of International Service
- B.A., International Studies, American University
Publications
The Peaceful Resolution of Territorial and Maritime Disputes
A substantive approach to peace: rebel group issues and the durability of peace agreements
Walking a Fine Line: US Involvement in Bilateral Tensions between South Korea and Japan