Biography
PhD: Georgetown University; MPP: Harvard Kennedy School; BS: University of Iowa
Research Interests: Political Psychology; International and National Security; Leadership
Dr. Kelsey L. Larsen is an Assistant Professor in UCF’s School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs (SPSIA), where she leads the M.A. in Political Science program. Her interdisciplinary research examines how stress and trauma shape national security decision-making, with a focus on the psychological experiences and behavioral responses of U.S. service members, veterans, intelligence professionals, peacekeepers, and national security leaders.
Her work on human performance and resilience in high-stakes policymaking environments is funded by the National Science Foundation. She also publishes widely in leading peer-reviewed journals including Political Psychology, International Peacekeeping, Social Science Research, Armed Forces & Society, Military Medicine, Frontiers in Psychology, and Medical Education, as well as contributing book chapters on veterans’ mental health and mindfulness-based interventions.
Dr. Larsen also co-directs the CRANE Lab, a collaborative research initiative at SPSIA that supports emerging scholars in security studies and fosters interdisciplinary innovation. In addition, she serves as Associate Director of UCF’s Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence, where she helps advance intelligence education and workforce development initiatives.
Dr. Larsen’s professional experience includes roles with the U.S. Department of State, the European Union, and the Institute for Women, Peace and Security, as well as roles teaching political science and research methods at Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, James Madison University, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
