USC.edu

Nina Srinivasan Rathbun

Professor (Teaching) of International Relations
Email nrathbun@usc.edu Office VKC 350 Office Phone (213) 740-8895

Biography

Dr. Nina Srinivasan Rathbun teaches courses on U.S. foreign policy, the European Union, communism and post-communism in Eastern Europe, global governance, globalization, global finance, and research design and methods. She serves as the faculty research and fellowships advisor for IR undergraduates, and mentors students on academic and career choices in international relations and political science. Dr. Rathbun’s field of research is in international security with a focus on multilateral nuclear nonproliferation and counterproliferation policies, international economic globalization, political economy and democratization in post-Communist Europe, NATO and European Union expansion, nuclear proliferation in the Indian subcontinent, and international relations pedagogy and data literacy. Dr. Rathbun previously served as a Foreign Affairs Officer for the U.S. State Department on multilateral nuclear nonproliferation. She received her Ph.D in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Education

  • Ph.D. Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, 6/2003

  • Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

    • Lecturer, University of Southern California, 2008-08-16-2012-01-01
    • Lecturer and Research Fellow, Indiana University, 2007-01-01-2008-06-01
    • Lecturer, The Ohio State University, –

    Visiting and Temporary Appointments

    • Assistant Professor , Concordia University, 2005-2006

  • Summary Statement of Research Interests

    Dr. Rathbun’s field of research is in international security with a focus on multilateral nuclear nonproliferation and counterproliferation policies, political economy and democratization in post-Communist Europe, NATO and European Union expansion, nuclear proliferation on the Indian subcontinent, and international relations pedagogy and data literacy.

    Detailed Statement of Research Interests

    Dr. Rathbun’s field of research is in international security with a focus on multilateral nuclear nonproliferation and counterproliferation policies, political economy and democratization in post-Communist Europe, NATO and European Union expansion, nuclear proliferation on the Indian subcontinent, and international relations pedagogy and data literacy.

  • Conference Presentations

    • “Building Data Literacy through Experiential Projects in International Relations” , Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association Teaching and Learning ConferenceTalk/Oral Presentation, Albuquerque, NM ,
    • “Assessing the Impact of Faculty Engagement and Student Research Experience on Social Science Research Skill Acquisition” , Annual Meeting of the International Studies AssociationTalk/Oral Presentation, San Francisco,
    • “Flash Talk: Alternative Approaches to Research and Education” , International Studies AssociationRoundtable/Panel, Invited, San Francisco, CA,
    • “The Role of Restraint in the Nuclear Threat Environment” , North American Defense in the 21st Century SymposiumTalk/Oral Presentation, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), , Invited, Colorado Springs, CO ,
    • “Re-treading the Past: NATO’s ‘New’ Relationship with Russia” , Deterrence Workshop Talk/Oral Presentation, Centre for International and Defense Policy, Queen, Invited, Kingston, ON,
    • “Testing the Impact of Curriculum Scaffolding on Research Literacy, Undergraduate Engagement and Achievement” , Annual meeting of the American Political Science Association Teaching and Learning ConferenceTalk/Oral Presentation, Long Beach, CA,
    • “Data on Data: Teaching Undergraduate Literacy in Undergraduate International Relations Courses” , Annual meeting of the American Political Science Association Teaching and Learning ConferenceTalk/Oral Presentation, Portland, OR,
    • “Internationalizing the Curriculum Roundtable” , Fourth Annual Educators WorkshopRoundtable/Panel, Council on Foreign Relations, Invited, New York, NY,
    • “Teach a Student to Fish?: International Relations Scholars in the Classroom” , Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Teaching and Learning ConferenceTalk/Oral Presentation, Washington, DC,
    • “Teaching Nuclear Safeguards to Engineers and Political Science Students” , Safeguards RoundtableTalk/Oral Presentation, Argonne National Laboratory, Invited, Argonne, IL,
    • “This Means War! Communication and Conflict” , Inaugural Polymathic ConferenceRoundtable/Panel, USC Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study, Invited, University of Southern California Wrigley Institute, Santa Catalina Island, CA,
    • “Legitimacy, Exceptions and the Non-proliferation Regime: The Case of India” , Canadian Consortium on Asia Pacific SecurityTalk/Oral Presentation,
    • “The Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference 2005” , Global Security MeetingTalk/Oral Presentation, Center for International and Security Studies, Uni, Invited,
    • “Ruling the Airwaves: The Partisan Politics of Broadcast Regulation in Central and Eastern Europe” , International Studies Association, MidwestTalk/Oral Presentation,
    • “Ruling over the Media: A Cross-National Analysis of Government Abuse” , International Studies AssociationTalk/Oral Presentation, Fall Spri

    Other Presentations

    • “Declining Trust in Democratic Institutions”, Unruh Political Conversation Series, USC, 2017-2018
    • (Spring 2023) IR 329. The Global Finance and Monetary Regime, TTh 11:00am – 12:20pm, CPA102
    • (Spring 2023) IR 443. Formulation of U.S. Foreign Policy, T 02:00pm – 04:50pm,

  • Book Chapter

    • Rathbun, N., Rathbun, B. S. (2018). “Misplaced Prudence: The Role of Restraint in the Nuclear Threat Environment for North American Strategic Defense Toronto ON: Springer International Publishing. (Christian Leuprecht, Joel Sokolsky & Thomas Hughes).
    • Rathbun, N. S. (2014). Glass Half Full? Evaluating the Impact of New U.S. Policy on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime Atlanta, GA: University of Georgia Press. (Jeffrey Fields).

    Journal Article

    • Rathbun, B., Rathbun, N., Pomeroy, C. . (2022). No Fair! Distinguishing Between the Pursuit of Status and Equity in International Relations International Studies Quarterly. Vol. 66 (1), pp. 1-14.
    • Kertzer, J., Rathbun, B., Rathbun, N. . (2019). The Price of Peace: A Behavioral Approach to Costly Signaling in International Relations International Organization.
    • Rathbun, N. S. (2017). Teach a Student to Fish? International Relations Scholars in the Classroom PS: Political Science & Politics. Vol. 50 (1), pp. 214-220.
    • Rathbun, N., Pitsch, A. S. (2016). Research Literacy Track Summary Research Literacy Track Summary. Vol. 49 (3), pp. 584-586.
    • Rathbun, N. S. (2006). The Role of Legitimacy in Strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime The Nonproliferation Review. Vol. 13 (2),

    Magazine/Trade Publication

    • Rathbun, N. S. (2022). Russia is sparking new nuclear threats – understanding nonproliferation history helps place this in context The Conversation.
    • Rathbun, N. S. (2022). Iran and the U.S. appear unlike to reach a new nuclear deal – leaving everyone more unsafe The Conversation.
    • Rathbun, N. S. (2022). What are tactical nuclear weapons? An international security expert explains and assesses what they mean for the war in Ukraine The Conversation.
    • USC Larger Faculty Development Grant, 2022-2023
    • USC Larger Faculty Development Grant, 2019-2020
    • USC Larger Faculty Development Grant, 2018-2019
    • USC Larger Professional Development Grant, 2017-2018
    • USC Larger Professional Development Grant, 2016-2017
    • USC Larger Professional Development Grant, 2015-2016
    • USC Libraries Undergraduate Information Literacy Course Enhancement Grant, 2015-2016
    • USC Center for Scholarly Technology, Data Driven Assignment Grant, 2014-2015
    • Phi Sigma Kappa, Faculty Teaching Award, 2011-2012
    • USC Center for Scholarly Technology C3 Course Continuity in a Crisis, 2011-2012
    • USC Center for Scholarly Technology Fall 2010 Incentive Grants for New Learning Environments , 2010-2011

  • Other Advisement or Time Devoted to Students

      Faculty Research and Fellowships Advisor — conducted extensive outreach and mentoring to assist IR undergraduates to be more competitive for international fellowships and nationally competitive internships. Arranged and moderated panels on graduate education, mentoring sessions with practitioners, videoconferences with alumni in Washington, DC, outreach sessions on numerous fellowship opportunities. Held additional 3 advising hours per week to mentor students for internationally competitive fellowships and nationally competitive internships, including Fulbright, Rhodes, Gates, Marshall, Boren, Luce, Critical Languages, Congress-Bundestag Youth exchange, and Thomas Pickering Fellowships.

  • Administrative Appointments

    • Director of Undergraduate Studies, 08/16/2017-08/15/2019
    • Director of Undergraduate Studies, 08/16/2016-05/15/2017
    • Director of Undergraduate Studies, 08/16/2015-05/15/2016
    • Director of Undergraduate Studies, 08/16/2014-05/15/2015
    • Acting Director of Undergraduate Studies for School of International Relations, 2013-2014

    Committees

    • USC Schaeffer Government Service Fellowship Selection Committee, 2013-CONT
    • National Grants and International Fellowships Committee, 2012-CONT
    • Trusteeship and Presidential Scholarship Finalist Interview Committee, 2008-CONT
    • Non-Tenure Track Teaching Needs for International Relations Committee, 2013-2019
    • School of International Relations Curriculum Committee, 2015-2020
    • Dornsife Signature Undergraduate Experience Retreats, 2017-2018
    • USC Global Scholar Prize Selection Committee, 2017-2018
    • USC Global Scholar Prize Selection Committee, 2016-2017
    • USC Dornsife Faculty Council Curriculum Review Committee, 2016-2017
    • Department of Economics RTPC Faculty Evaluation Committee, 2016-2017
    • School of International Relations RTPC Faculty Evaluation Committee, 2016-2017
    • School of International Relations Faculty Mentor Committee, 2016-2017
    • USC Global Scholar Prize Selection Committee, 2014-2015
    • Non-Tenure Track Evaluation Committee, 2014-2015
    • SIR Director Departmental Consultative Committee, 2014-2015
    • Discovery Scholar Prize Selection Committee, 2014-2015
    • Faculty Evaluation Committee School of International Relations, 2014-2015
    • Faculty Evaluation Committee Political Science, 2014-2015
    • Center for Scholarly Technology 2011-2012 Learning Environment Grant Committee, 2011-2012

  • Committees

    • “USC Schaeffer Government Service Fellowship Selection Committee”, 2013-CONT
    • “National Grants and International Fellowships Committee”, 2012-CONT
    • “Trusteeship and Presidential Scholarship Finalist Interview Committee”, 2008-CONT
    • “Non-Tenure Track Teaching Needs for International Relations Committee”, 2013-2019
    • “School of International Relations Curriculum Committee”, 2015-2020
    • “Dornsife Signature Undergraduate Experience Retreats”, 2017-2018
    • “USC Global Scholar Prize Selection Committee”, 2017-2018
    • “USC Global Scholar Prize Selection Committee”, 2016-2017
    • “USC Dornsife Faculty Council Curriculum Review Committee”, 2016-2017
    • “Department of Economics RTPC Faculty Evaluation Committee”, 2016-2017
    • “School of International Relations RTPC Faculty Evaluation Committee”, 2016-2017
    • “School of International Relations Faculty Mentor Committee”, 2016-2017
    • “USC Global Scholar Prize Selection Committee”, 2014-2015
    • “Non-Tenure Track Evaluation Committee”, 2014-2015
    • “SIR Director Departmental Consultative Committee”, 2014-2015
    • “Discovery Scholar Prize Selection Committee”, 2014-2015
    • “Faculty Evaluation Committee School of International Relations”, 2014-2015
    • “Faculty Evaluation Committee Political Science”, 2014-2015
    • “Center for Scholarly Technology 2011-2012 Learning Environment Grant Committee”, 2011-2012