Graduate and Post Doc Research

Research completed by Dr. Yvan Yenda Ilunga and Dr. Olajumoke (Jumo) Ayandele

African Wars in the 21st Century

Dr. Yvan Yenda Ilunga is a faculty member (Instructor) in the Department of Political Science at James Madison University and holds a Ph.D. in Global Affairs from Rutgers University. His research agenda broadly focuses on international relations, security, peace, and development, but more specifically on questions related to humanitarian action, civil-military interactions, natural resources-based conflicts, peace operations, regional cooperation and security, and economic and social sustainability.

Dr. Ilunga is a member of the Joint Civil-Military Interaction (JCMI) Research and Education Network, as well as a member of the Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network (EPON). He is the author of the book Humanitarianism and Security: Trouble and Hope at the Heart of Africa (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). He tweets at @DrYvanYenda.

Dr. Olajumoke (Jumo) Ayandele is a Research Consultant at The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and a member of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Global Research Network. Her research interests broadly focus on understanding the dynamic relationship and intersection between African governance, human development, and political stability. Dr. Ayandele has won numerous awards and grants to conduct her research, with visiting research fellowships at the National Defence College, Abuja, and the Center for International Studies (CERI) at Sciences Po.

She holds a Ph.D. in Global Affairs, with a specialization in Human Security from Rutgers University, an M.P.A. in International Development Policy and Management from New York University Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and a B.A. in Economics (Hons.) with a minor in Political Science from New York University College of Arts and Science. She tweets at @Jumo_Ayandele.