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Department of Political Science

Cassy Dorff

Assistant Professor
Faculty Affiliate, Data Science Institute

Cassy Dorff earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University in 2015, and a B.A. in Government at the University of Texas in 2010. Cassy’s research uncovers patterns of how people engage with and respond to political conflict and crises. To do this, Cassy analyzes the ways networks and interdependence shape individual, community, and state-level behaviors during and after episodes of violence. Current research projects focus on civilian victimization, criminal violence,  journalism in conflict zones, the networked dynamics of conflict, protest dynamics, and political agency. At Vanderbilt, Cassy teaches courses on political conflict, civilian behavior, and data science.

Representative publications

  • Dorff, Cassy, Max Gallop, and Shahryar Minhas. "Networks of violence: Predicting conflict in Nigeria." The Journal of Politics 82.2 (2020): 476-493.
  • Dorff, Cassy. "Violent and nonviolent resistance in contexts of prolonged crisis: The civilian perspective." Journal of Global Security Studies 4.2 (2019): 286-291.