Maggie Dwyer

Biography
Dr Maggie Dwyer is a Lecturer in Africa and International Development. Her research focuses on conflict, security, and politics in Africa. She is particularly interested in African militaries and international security interventions. Related to these interests she has conducted field research in Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Tanzania, and Kenya.

Maggie is a lead researcher on the ESRC/DFID funded project Social Media and Security in Africa (SMS: Africa), which examines the role of social media in documenting and driving (in)security in Africa. She is also a core member of the research project Security Force Assistance (SFAssist) based at the Peace Research Institute Oslo. The project explores the impact of foreign military assistance on state fragility. Additional funding for her research on African security issues has come from the Gerda Henkel Foundation and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation.

Maggie completed her PhD in African Studies at University of Edinburgh. She also holds an MSc from Syracuse University and a BS in political science and psychology from University of Mary Washington. Maggie’s experience researching security issues builds on a previous career working for the U.S. Department of Defense (2004-2010). She has also been involved in projects with various government agencies and international organizations such as the U.S. State Department and the World Bank. From 2013-2018 Maggie served as the Associate Editor for the Journal of Modern African Studies.