The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs is pleased to welcome Dr. Melinda Haas as an assistant professor in international affairs.
Her research focuses on law and international security, with her current research focusing on how congressional regulation can have unintended effects on the types of covert action used in U.S. foreign policy. Her other research interests include foreign policy decision-making, intelligence and secrecy, as well as international and constitutional law.
“I'm excited that GSPIA places such a high value on interdisciplinary research like mine, which combines topics in law, international relations, and intelligence studies,” Dr. Haas said. “I'm thrilled for the opportunity to educate upcoming professionals in international affairs by building students' research and writing skills, while focusing on theory and history related to intelligence studies.”
GSPIA’s Dean, Carissa Slotterback, notes that “Dr. Haas offers a unique combination of expertise. She is poised to make important contributions to GSPIA’s top-ranked International/Global Policy and Administration area and to scholarship in her field. We are thrilled to welcome her to our school community.”
Dr. Haas earned her PhD in politics from Princeton University in 2021, where she served recently as academic colloquium co-coordinator at the Center for International Security Studies. She also holds a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and political science from Bucknell University. In addition to her academic experience, she has served as a law clerk for both Judge Marjorie O. Rendell, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Judge Mary A. McLaughlin, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
This fall she is teaching U.S. Foreign Policy and Law Regulating the Use of Force, and in the spring semester, she will be teaching International Affairs, as well as Espionage, Surveillance, and Secret Information in International Affairs.