Welcome! I’m Rachel Van Nostrand, an Assistant Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at Louisiana State University. My research focuses on understanding why states engage in the detention of civilian populations, using spatial, quantitative, and archival data. Global data collection on concentration camp systems (CCamp v.1.0) was generously supported by the National Science Foundation, and is now publicly available.
My broader research interests lie at the intersection of human rights, repression, and geographies of violence. Ongoing reserarch projects use a variety of methods, including network analysis, survey experiments, and geospatial analysis to understand state repertoires of repression and political violence. I received my BA (Political Science & French), MA (Government and Public Policy), and PhD (International Relations) from the University of Arizona.
Outside of research and teaching, I love to take my dog Brandy, on walks, and play with my cat Roux. In my free time I also enjoy practicing bass guitar, rock climbing, kayaking, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Geaux Tigers!
