Francis J. Gavin
Chair, Editorial Board
Francis J. Gavin is the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and the inaugural director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Previously, he was the first Frank Stanton Chair in Nuclear Security Policy Studies at MIT and the Tom Slick Professor of International Affairs and the Director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas.
Gavin received a PhD and MA in history from the University of Pennsylvania, an MS in modern European history from Oxford University, and a BA in political science from the University of Chicago. He directs the "Nuclear Studies Research Initiative" and, with James Steinberg, the "International Policy Scholars Consortium and Network." From 2005 until 2010, he directed the American Assembly’s multiyear, national initiative, the "Next Generation Project: U.S. Global Policy and the Future of International Institutions." He is also the Chairman of the Board of Editors of the "Texas National Security Review," an affiliate of MIT’s Security Studies Program, a senior fellow of the Clements Center for National Security, a distinguished scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center, a member of the CIA Historical Panel, and a life-member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Gavin’s writings include "Gold, Dollars, and Power: The Politics of International Monetary Relations, 1958-1971" (University of North Carolina Press); "Nuclear Statecraft: History and Strategy in America’s Atomic Age" (Cornell University Press) and "Nuclear Weapons and American Grand Strategy" (Brookings Institution Press), which was named a "2020 Choice" Outstanding Academic Title. His IISS-Adelphi book, "The Taming of Scarcity and the Problems of Plenty: Rethinking International Relations and American Grand Strategy in a New Era" was published in 2024. In 2025, "Wonder and Worry: Contemporary History in an Age of Uncertainty" was published by Stolpe Press and "Thinking Historically – A Guide to Statecraft and Strategy" came out with Yale University Press.
Author's Articles
The Gap Has Been Bridged!
In his introductory essay for Volume 5, Issue 4, the chair of our editorial board, Frank Gavin, declares that the gap between scholars and policymakers has been bridged, but he also offers some words of caution.
I Was Wrong. Now What?
In his introductory essay for Volume 5, Issue 3, the chair of our editorial board, Frank Gavin, contemplates being wrong, the value of academic debate, and the importance of a society looking at itself in the mirror, warts and all.
How Are They Doing?
In his introductory essay for Volume 5, Issue 1, the chair of our editorial board, Frank Gavin, discusses how to evaluate a presidency — and a sports team — in real time and some of the pitfalls of doing so.
Remembering Janne
In his introductory essay for this special edition honoring Janne Nolan, the chair of our editorial board, Frank Gavin, remembers his good friend and colleague.
What If We Are Wrong?
In his introductory essay for Volume 4, Issue 3, the chair of our editorial board asks the important question of "What if we're wrong?" and further explores how we can use history more wisely in the future.
Whither War?
In the introductory essay to Volume 3 Issue 3, chair of the TNSR editorial board Francis J. Gavin explores whether the nature of war and interstate competition may have changed and how the articles in this issue illuminate the changes.
The Best of the Brightest? Ideas and Their Consequences
In his introductory essay to Volume 3 Issue 2 of TNSR, chair of the editorial board Francis J. Gavin considers how we should think about the role of ideas, expertise, and influence in the making of American foreign policy.
Does Might Make Right? Individuals, Ethics, and Exceptionalism
In his introductory essay for Vol. 3, Iss. 1 of TNSR, the chair of our editorial board, Francis J. Gavin, discusses the choices made by individual statesmen, how to evaluate their motives, and the role of ethics in making grand strategic choices.
Wars with Words?
In his introductory essay for Vol. 2, Iss. 4, Francis J. Gavin, the chair of TNSR's editorial board, discusses academic combat, debates over "isms," and how to truly advance knowledge through intellectual exchange.
Patterns and Purpose
In his introductory essay for Vol. 2, Iss. 3, Frank Gavin, the chair of our editorial board, writes about feeling like a scholar without a home, the challenges of publishing an interdisciplinary journal, and how to adapt best practices from science and…