Thomas Hinkel

Thomas Hinkel is a Lecturer in Political Science at the UMass Amherst, having recently returned to the United States after nearly a decade abroad. Most recently, he lived in London where he conducted his postdoctoral research. 

Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, Thomas Hinkel earned his BA in Political Science from the University of Kentucky, his MA from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and his PhD  in International Relations from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. His teaching spans international relations, security studies, Middle East politics, the political economy of conflict, and Junior Year Writing. 

Professor Hinkel's research focuses on international security, political violence, and the political economy of armed conflict, with particular interests in armed groups, illicit economies, and the changing character of warfare. His current work examines how armed actors finance and sustain conflict, how they interact with states and transnational networks, and how these relationships shape political order during and after war. His research has also taken me to Bamako, Mali, where I conducted fieldwork on the political economy of armed conflict. 

Beyond teaching and research, his days are filled with jogging around campus, planning ski trips he will probably never take, and constantly wondering whether he should get a dog.