Jenna Jordan

Ph.D., Political Science, University of Chicago

Jenna Jordan has a Ph.D. from the department of political science at the University of Chicago specializing in the study of leadership decapitation of terrorist organizations. Her article "When Heads Roll: Assessing the Effectiveness of Leadership Decapitation," was featured in the journal Security Studies, and her work has been discussed by prominent journalists in the New York Times. Jordan holds a B.A. in International Relations from Mills College, and an M.A. in Political Science from Stanford University.

In addition to her work on leadership decapitation, Jordan examines population transfers, attachment to territory, and international relations theory. Her work has been supported by generous grants from the Smith Richardson Foundation and the Program on International Security Policy at the University of Chicago. Jordan is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.

Research When Heads Roll: Assessing the Effectiveness of Leadership Decapitation," Security Studies (December 2009). (PDF) Here Jordan outlines how leadership decapitation is statistically not effective, even though this approach has been a key feature in counter-terrorism strategies. CV

Links discussing Jordan's work Robert Wright - New York Times Steven Myers - New York Times Matthew Yglesias - Center for American Progress Andrew Exum - Center for a New American Security Dialogo