Experts

Todd Sechser

Fast Facts

  • Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of Virginia
  • Coauthor of Nuclear Weapons and Coercive Diplomacy
  • Nonresident scholar, Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
  • Expertise in international relations, foreign policynuclear security, emerging technologies

Areas Of Expertise

  • Foreign Affairs
  • American Defense and Security
  • War and Terrorism
  • World Happenings

Todd S. Sechser, faculty senior fellow, is the Pamela Feinour Edmonds and Franklin S. Edmonds Jr. Discovery Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia and professor of public policy at the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Sechser's research interests include deterrence, coercive diplomacy, military technology, and nuclear security. He is coauthor of the book Nuclear Weapons and Coercive Diplomacy (Cambridge University Press, 2017), and his research has appeared in academic journals such as International Organization, the American Journal of Political ScienceInternational Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, and the Non-Proliferation Review. His writing on policy issues has been published in media outlets such as the Washington PostWall Street JournalBoston Globe, and the Christian Science Monitor, and he regularly consults for several government and military agencies. Sechser's recent media appearances have addressed the North Korea nuclear crisis, the NATO alliance, the Iran nuclear deal, and U.S.-Russia relations.

Sechser is the director of the Program on Strategic Stability Evaluation, a multi-university working group studying the effects of new technologies on international security. He was previously a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a John M. Olin National Security Fellow at Harvard University. He received his PhD in political science from Stanford University, where he wrote an award-winning doctoral dissertation. Before entering academia, Sechser worked as a nuclear policy analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he is currently a nonresident scholar in the Nuclear Policy Program.

Todd Sechser News Feed

During the Cold War, tensions between the US and Russia were at an all time high. A kind of existential fear seeped into many aspects of society – including the silver screen. Todd Sechser charts the shifting anxieties over nuclear war reflected in movies from the 1960’s to the 80’s.
Todd Sechser Virginia Humanities
“The idea that Ukraine could take back Crimea was completely unbelievable years ago, and the world has effectively written it off. But this is no longer the case. President Zelensky today speaks of the return of Crimea as one of his priorities. Even the Biden administration has at least confirmed this possibility, saying it wants Crimea to eventually return to Ukraine. But this issue is probably not on the agenda right now for several reasons."
Todd Sechser Voice of America
Putin announced Tuesday that he would suspend Russia's involvement in the New START Treaty, but what is that? Todd Sechser, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia joined LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow to explain.
Todd Sechser Fox LiveNow
I went back to the authors of the 2017 book, “Nuclear Weapons and Coercive Diplomacy” – Matthew Fuhrmann, a professor at Texas A&M University, and Todd Sechser, a professor at the University of Virginia – for their assessment of what this new development means in terms of worldwide nuclear security. I’ve spoken to them periodically over the past year about Putin’s nuclear rhetoric. I asked Sechser some specific questions and Fuhrmann offered some general thoughts about what Putin’s move means. Portions of both conversations are below.
Todd Sechser CNN
The Institute for Security and Technology (IST) held a discussion about nuclear risk reduction and crisis communication with Todd Sechser, faculty senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, along with Dr. Tong Zhao, Dmitry Stefanovich, and Leah Walker.
Todd Sechser Institute for Security and Technology
Putin's nuclear threats aren't a magic wand, writes Todd Sechser.
Todd Sechser UVA Today