Yoav Gortzak joined the ASU faculty in the Fall of 2006. He received his B.A. in international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and his PhD from the Ohio State University. His primary research and teaching interests are in international security (broadly construed), international relations theory, and American foreign policy. He is particularly interested in questions related to the maintenance and enforcement of international order and those pertaining to the causes and conduct of violent conflict in the international system. He is currently engaged in a number of research projects related to such questions, including a study of the use of indigenous forces in international stability operations, a study of the role of religion in shaping violent conflict, and a project on troop level requirements in international stability operations. His research has been published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Security Studies,and the Journal of Strategic Studies.