Caroline Wesson, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Government at the United States Coast Guard Academy. She specializes in international relations, international political economy, and the intersection of science, technology, innovation, and national security. Her research examines how governments respond to technological change, build innovation capacity, and work with private-sector and international partners to develop and govern emerging technologies.

Caroline’s research interests include science and innovation policy, innovation ecosystems, defense innovation and the defense industrial base, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, technology competition, semiconductors, and international science and technology cooperation. Her current work explores how governments and firms navigate the opportunities and challenges created by emerging technologies, particularly where innovation, regulation, and national security intersect.

At the Coast Guard Academy, Caroline teaches international relations, technology and innovation policy, and senior research. Her courses examine international security, economic statecraft, emerging technologies, technology competition, international institutions, and the relationship between technological change and international affairs. She also advises cadets conducting independent research through the Government Major’s capstone program.

Before joining the Academy, Caroline was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she conducted research on technology competition, artificial intelligence strategies, defense innovation, and international science and technology collaboration. Additionally, her PhD research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, and she has held appointments at the RAND Corporation, World Bank, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Wesson is particularly interested in helping students understand how technological change is reshaping the international system and the practical challenges governments face as they seek to cooperate, compete, and regulate in rapidly changing technological environments.

She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from George Mason University in 2024 and holds an M.S. and B.S. in International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Singh, J.P., Amarda Shehu, Manpriya Dua, and Caroline Wesson. “Entangled Narratives: Insights from Social and Computer Sciences on National Artificial Intelligence Infrastructures.” International Studies Quarterly 69, no. 1 (2025).
• Wesson, Caroline. “Tech Hubs and the AI Industry in Africa: What Drives?” Global Perspectives 5, no. 1 (2024).

Policy & Research Publications

• Wesson, Caroline, Alison K. Hottes, Marjory S. Blumenthal, Jared Mondschein, and Matthew Sargent. International Basic Research Collaboration at the U.S. Department of Defense: An Overview. RAND Corporation, 2023.
• Wesson, Caroline. “Innovating Around: Innovating Around Export Controls Under Technology Competition: The Case of China and Advanced Semiconductors” In In Search of Strategic Advantage: Understanding the Landscape of Technology Competition. Center for Global Security Research, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2025.

Current Research

• International Collaboration in Defense Innovation: Examines how and why the United States and its allies develop increasingly similar approaches to defense innovation, with particular attention to the role of international collaboration and shared innovation challenges. (Forthcoming peer reviewed publication)
• Productive Assurance: Develops the concept of productive assurance to examine how governments can create conditions that encourage technological innovation while addressing the security and strategic risks associated with emerging technologies. (Forthcoming peer reviewed publication)
• Innovation Collaboration and Alliance Credibility: Explores how technological and innovation collaboration can become embedded within alliances and how these forms of interdependence may shape alliance credibility and deterrence. (Forthcoming conference presentation at ISA 2027)