Meet Dr. Richard Chasdi, the newest instructor in START’s Graduate Programs in Security and Terrorism Studies. In this spotlight, he shares his professional journey, career advice, and forecast on emerging threats.
1. What is your current role and main area of focus?
I am a Faculty Affiliate at START Center at the University of Maryland. My primary focus is on the security of multinational corporations (MNC's) and other international economic enterprises (IEE's), with special emphasis placed on terrorism in its various forms, and counterterrorism that involve business targets. I have written two books about this subject with qualitative and statistical analysis that revolves around terrorist group targeting patterns for a broad array of business target types and "host" countries. In the process, I have explored what possible trajectories business-related terrorism might take in several "host" countries where large numbers of American based multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiaries operate. In the broader sense, I am interested in a wide range of terrorism studies and counterterrorism topics that include, but are not limited to, kinetic and "soft-line" (i.e., "non-kinetic") counterterrorism effectiveness, terrorist group "formation, growth, maturity, and decline" (i.e., Lasswell's "terrorist group life-cycle"), terrorist group "splintering, and the psychology of terrorism.
2. What sparked your interest in your field?
When I did my graduate work at Purdue University, the study of terrorism remained a largely unexplored frontier in conflict studies without much in the way of rigorous scientific inquiry. At the same time, I was deeply affected by the 1972 Munich Olympics Games massacre. When I was a child, I spent a great deal of time in the Middle East with my family; I saw first hand what (potential) terrorist assault effects were about with respect to their influence on the mindset of people and on state and non-state security apparatus; I was, at a young age, struck by how the threat and use of terrorism could generate and sustain abject fear. My father also survived a mid-air terrorist bombing of an El Al jetliner in 1972.
3. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?
It's hard to pick one - aside from my Ph.D., I am most proud of my research publications and my teaching. My first book received Choice Magazine's "Outstanding Academic Title" award in 2000 in the field of international relations. In addition, I was very fortunate to serve as a Fulbright Specialist in Singapore in 2017, where I was a Visiting Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang University, Singapore. I am also very proud to serve as the Assistant Book Review Editor for Armed Forces & Society.
4. What do I enjoy most about teaching?
What I enjoy most about teaching is that "Aha" moment of epiphany where a student or a group of my students suddenly understand a difficult concept that I am trying to convey to them. I enjoy watching the process of having students wrestle with concepts; I often ask them how their appreciation of a set of problems has changed over the course of a semester, or how it is in the process of changing, as we take apart concepts and underlying assumptions. I also like to link theory with discrete events in the larger world of action, and I enjoy hearing about their progress with the synthesis of theory and practice required to operate in the world of praxis.
5. What key takeaway do you hope students gain from your courses?
The key takeaway is how important the notion of complexity is - to think about direct and indirect effects of explanatory variables in the appraisal of events, processes, and the interaction of state and society. What is important is not necessarily finding the "right" answers, but asking the "right" questions that showcase a more complete understanding of the subtleties and nuances of a particular problem or phenomenon, and the interplay of some of the primary explanatory factors that shape outcomes.
6. What career advice do you often share with students?
In addition to asking students to maintain focus on their studies, and letting them know that I am on their side with respect to their academic pursuits, I sometimes tell my students that success is built on a heap of failures, so do not be discouraged when setbacks happen. I also urge my students to take the time to establish ties with instructors by attending office hours and to work hard to prepare for class beforehand, ready and willing to participate in class discussions - in other words, to strive to be a proactive, rather than a reactive or passive learner. For some students, that does not come easily or all at once, so I try to work individually with students on some component of that process for them to build on in the future. In terms of career advice, I suggest taking advantage of internship opportunities and network building.
7. Based on your experience, what emerging issue in security or terrorism studies should students be watching?
In the fields of terrorism studies and counterterrorism there are quite a lot - for example, lone operatives, "hybrid" terrorist assaults that involve nearly simultaneous traditional terrorism and cyberterrorism, both constitute potential threats. In addition, there is the increasing use of "higher order" chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons (CBRN). Further, there is the threat of new technologies such as CRISPER, a genetic slicing and splicing technology within the context of that "higher order" weapons threat. Next, AI and its potential use by terrorists to isolate and identify potential vulnerabilities in the target selection process for example, will become increasingly significant. I think the foregoing types of terrorist assaults directed against business targets might become an emergent reality as globalization continues to evolve; insufficiently "hardened" business targets will most come into sharper focus, both as a function of their symbolic importance, and because of "opportunity recognition."
8. Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like photography and having the opportunity to go to the opera and to other classical music events when I can. I also enjoy working out and traveling, and spending time with family and friends.