Kelsey Davenport is director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, a Washington, D.C.-based group that promotes public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies.
Kelsey directs the Arms Control Association's research, policy, and advocacy work on nonproliferation, focusing primarily on the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea. She reports on proliferation issues for the organization's monthly publication Arms Control Today and provides commentary for media outlets.
Kelsey first joined the organization as a Herbert Scoville Peace Fellow after graduating from Notre Dame with a master's degree in international peace studies. She worked as an analyst until she was promoted to her current post in 2014.
"Nonproliferation is not just about the absence of nuclear weapons," Kelsey says. "It's also about creating a security environment where countries do not feel these weapons are necessary.
"Peace studies helped me understand the complex conditions that influence how states consider security issues."
As a master's student, Kelsey interned in Jerusalem at the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information, where she conducted research on regional security issues.