Episode 36: Talking Terrorism and Leadership with Dr. Elizabeth Grimm

In this episode, host Shawn Rostker talks to Dr. Elizabeth Grimm about her latest book, “Terror in Transition: Leadership and Succession in Terrorist Organizations” co-written with Dr. Tricia Bacon, and dives into the importance of leadership dynamics within terrorist organizations and its relevance to the U.S. national security community. He also catches up with current SSP student Mel Madarang about her time spent as an RA in the program and what lessons and skills the experience has offered her. 

About the Guest

Dr. Elizabeth Grimm is a Professor of Teaching in the Security Studies Program in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She is the author of How the Gloves Came Off: Lawyers, Policy Makers, and Norms in the Debate on Torture  (Columbia University Press 2017) and the co-author of Terror in Transition: Leadership and Succession in Terrorist Organizations  (Columbia University 2022). Her work has been published in Survival, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, as well as Lawfare, The Washington Post, and Just Security. Prior to her employment at Georgetown University, she worked in the defense and security sectors of the U.S. government. 

Views expressed are personal and do not represent the views of GSSR or any other entity.