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Research Interests:

• Asia/Indo-Pacific Security
• Women, Peace and Security
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• ASEAN Regional Forum
• South China Sea
• Alliances, strategic partnerships and security multilateralism
• United Nations: nuclear non-proliferation; peacekeeping
• Conflict and peace research
• International law
• Post-colonial state-building

Current Research:

“The State and Maritime Security in Southeast Asia – Identities, Interests and Strategies in the face of the Everyday and Strategic Challenges.” Book project.  

Abstract:  The book examines the evolution of the maritime identities interests and strategies of selected Southeast Asian countries – Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. To analyze security concerns, the book proposes a framework based on post-colonial state-building which sees national security concerns not only as a reaction to external events, but as part and parcel of these countries’ attempts to solidify the control and infrastructure of their states.  The security issues discussed are: territorial disputes; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; maritime piracy; terrorism; smuggling; and developing alliances and strategic partnerships.

"The Nexus of Women, Peace and Security and Maritime Security in Southeast Asia."  With The Asia Foundation

Abstract:  The report describes the interrelation between two of ASEAN's major agenda:  Women, Peace and Security, and maritime security.  It argues that pursuing a nexus agenda is necessary to achieve the organization's vision of a "resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centered" ASEAN Community by 2045. Recognizing that a full nexus agenda will take time to develop, the report suggests a paired implementation or paired mainstreaming approach to ensure that cross-sectoral collaboration is carefully coordinated so as to minimize negative feedback.  The report first explored publicly-available case studies on the status, contribution of, and challenges to, Southeast Asian women in different maritime sectors -- from small fishing communities and mobile indigenous communities to women in the business, public, and security/law enforcement sectors.  It then conducted a textual and thematic analysis of ASEAN documents, which allowed the researcher to identify convergences, complementarities and possible contradictions among the two agendas. As a result, feasible entry points for cross-sectoral and cross-pillar cooperation in ASEAN were recommended.  Finally, the researcher conducted key informan interviews with representatives from government, academia, law, ASEAN, civil society, and participants of tracks 1.5 and 2 forums.  The interviewees were based in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, United Kingdom and the United States.

• PhD, Arizona State University, 2008

Selected Published Works:

2024. “Cascading risks in a social-ecological system: The South China Sea disputes.” Third World Quarterly. .

2024. “Terrorists threats to security.” Co-authored with Cameron Olson. In Asian Security in the Age of Globalization edited by Dr. Lui Hebron. Routledge.

2022.   “The pandemic and other ills: The Philippines 2020.” In 2020 Asia Pacific Anuaro from el Centro de Estudios de Asia y Africa de El Colegio de Mexico. .

2020. “Air Power in Southeast Asia,” co-authored with Zenel Garcia. In Air Power in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, edited by Howard M. Hensel and Amit Gupta. Routledge.

2019. “Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership limbo,” East Asia Forum (September 28), .

2019. “Timor-Leste and ASEAN: From Enmity to Amity, Exclusion to Semi-Inclusion.” In The Routledge Handbook on Contemporary Timor-Leste edited by Andrew McWilliam of Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific. Routledge. 2019.

2018. “Practical Cooperation, Preventive Diplomacy, Human Security and the Future of the ASEAN Regional Forum.” CSCAP Regional Security Outlook 2019 + ARF – The Next 25 Years, pp. 63-65. 2018.  Available at:

2018. “The ASEAN Regional Forum as a Strategic Waypoint: A Long View of the Forum’s 25-Year Journey,” Asia Policy, vol. 13, no. 4 (October): 53-59. 

2018. ‘Strategic and “Everyday” Maritime Security Challenges in Southeast Asia.’ In Maritime Challenges, Opportunities, and Policies in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, edited by Howard M. Hensel and Amit Gupta. Routledge.

2016. “Partners in Peril in the South China Sea: Strategy and Partnership between the Philippines and Japan.” APPS Policy Forum 13 May . Published by the Asia and the Pacific Policy Society which is housed in the Crawford School of Public Policy of Australian National University.  Available at

2014. “Democratization, Regional Integration and Human Rights:  The Case of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.” Co-authored with Dr. Yongwook Ryu.  The Pacific Review, vol. 27, no. 3 (May): 357-382.

2013. “The Philippines in South China Sea:  Out of Time, Out of Options?” In Southeast Asian Affairs edited by Daljit Singh.  Singapore:  Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, July 2013.

2012. “Searching for Human Rights in Southeast Asia: Sites of Information as Sites of Contention.” Asian Politics and Policy, vol. 4, no. 4 (October): 593-598.

2012. “Youth, Life and Politics: Examining the Everyday in Comparative Politics.” PS: Political Science and Politics, vol. 45, no. 2 (April): 285-290.

2012. “Philippines.” In Regional Outlook 2012-13 edited by Michael Montesano and Lee Poh Onn, pp. 76-81.  Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. 

2011. “Timor-Leste and ASEAN: Shaping region and state in Southeast Asia.”  Asian Journal of Political Science, vol. 19, no 1 (April): 1-24.

2024.  Invited speaker on “Climate Change and the South China Sea” high-level event sponsored by the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco in commemoration of the Philippines’ Maritime Awareness Month.  Other speakers included foreign ministry officials, the chief of the Philippine Navy, the spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, and other academics.

2023. Interviewed for the article “Myanmar crisis reflects East Timor’s ‘difficult balancing act’ in Asean accession bid: analysts.” South China Morning Post.  14 August. .

2023.  Interviewed for the article “East Timor faces economic challenges ahead of joining ASEAN.” Nikkei Asia. 12 February. . 

2022. Interviewed about Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.  NBC Bay Area News.

2020. Delegate to the UN75 Multi-stakeholder Global Consultation in San Francisco. Hosted by UN-USA and USF. 25 April.

2019.  Invited lecturer, “Populism in the Philippines,” for the ORIAS Summer Institute for Community College Teachers, May 31 to June 1. UC Berkeley. (ORIAS stands for the Office of Resources for International and Area Studies at UC Berkeley)

Interviews with:

Volunteer as ‘Senior Policy Adviser for the UN Security Council for the Inter-generational Model United Nations sponsored by the United Nations Association-USA. January 2018.

Moderator, “Philippines under Duterte,” World Affairs Council SF. November 1, 2017 later broadcast on KQED.

Presenter, “Philippine Foreign Policy Under Duterte,” for the conference Watching the Philippines, Reporting Duterte. The Pulitzer World Room, Columbia University, October 17-18, 2017.  Sponsored by: Columbia Journalism School, New York Southeast Asia Network, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Columbia Center for Justice, Asian American Writers Workshop, and the University of Sydney Southeast Asia Centre.

Presenter, “Martial Law in Duterte’s Philippines.”  Hosted by the Filipino and Philippine Studies Working Group of UC Berkeley.  554 Barrows Hall, UC Berkeley, September 15, 2017.

Guest on Project Censored on the topic of Philippine Politics. Broadcast on June 27, 2017 in KPFA. ()

Speaker for “Making Waves: Contested Waters in the South China Sea.” Asia Society, San Francisco, October 4, 2016.  Organized by RAND Corporation and UC Berkeley Institute for East Asian Studies. Co-sponsored by The Asia Foundation, Stanford University, Shorenstein APARC.

Speaker, “Philippine Politics and Rodrigo Duterte/” Post-election discussion. Hosted by the Filipino and Philippine Studies Working Group, University of California, Berkeley.  September 19, 2016.

Discussant, Spratlys: Isla ng Kalayaan.  Sponsored by the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, April 23, 2015.

Faculty Support Grants - 2009, 2018

Chair, Department of Political Science:  2020-2022

University A2E2 Committee: 2020-21

CLASS Curriculum Committee:  2018-2024

Faculty-in-Residence for Faculty Learning Communities: 2018-19; 2016-17

Affordable Learning Solutions participant

Faculty committee member of the International Studies and Asian Studies programs, 2011-present

Academic Senate, 2012-2014

Research Committee, 2012-2014

Honorary Degree Committee, 2010-2012

Program chair, International Studies Association-West 2025.

Associate editor for Asian Politics and Policy, 2012-2020

Senior book review editor for Asian Politics and Policy, 2014-2018

Section Chair, Research on Teaching and Learning, Midwest Political Science Association, 2019 annual conference

Associate Editor and Book Review Editor for Asian Politics and Policy

Reviewer for Oxford University Press, CQ Presss Routledge, Cambria Press, International Studies Perspective, PS: Political Science and Politics