On April 3rd 2020, William Christiansen successfully defended his dissertation titled "International Conflict, Political Leaders, and Accountability". His committee consists of Tobias Heinrich (Chair), David Darmofal, Chelsea Estancona, Timothy Peterson, and Ryan Bakker (Outside Member, University of Essex). The project analyzes the relationship between the professional experiences of political leaders, casualties suffered during international conflicts, and public opinion. Dr. Christiansen is finishing a year long appointment as an Instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University and then joining Mount Saint Mary's University as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Political Science department.