Elena Pokalova National Defense University, USA

Dr. Elena Pokalova is an expert on security issues, with a focus on terrorism, counterterrorism, and ethnic conflict. She received her PhD in political science from Kent State University. Her dissertation “Shifting Faces of Terror after 9/11: Framing the Terrorist Threat” examined how September 11 and the war on terror have affected ways of dealing with ethno-nationalist separatist conflicts. She has a vast record of publications, including her recent book “Chechnya’s Terrorist Network: The Evolution of Terrorism in Russia’s North Caucasus.” Her articles appeared in such journals as Terrorism and Political Violence, Critical Studies on Terrorism, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, and Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies.