About PAXsims

The PaxSims blog is devoted to the development and effective use of games and simulation-based learning concerning issues of conflict, peacebuilding, and development in fragile and conflict-affected states, as well as to the policy application of gaming and simulation techniques. We welcome comments.

Editors

Rex Brynen is Professor of Political Science at Mcgill University, where he specializes in Middle East politics, development, and security issues. He has served as a member of the Political and Security Policy Staff of the (Canadian) Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, as an intelligence analyst for the Privy Council Office, and as a consultant to CIDA, the International Development Research Centre, the World Bank, United Nations agencies, and others. In 2011 received the International Studies Association’s Deborah Gerner Innovative Teaching Award for his work with classroom simulations. He can be reached at rex.brynen (@) mcgill.ca, or on Twitter as @rexbrynen.

Gary Milante is an economist with an interest in game theory. He currently directs the Macroeconomics of Security project for the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), splitting his time between Washington DC and Stockholm. Before SIPRI, Gary worked for the World Bank on development in challenging environments of conflict and fragility, and was the team economist for the World Development Report 2011 on  conflict, security, and development. For the Bank he designed and delivered the Carana simulation more than a dozen times in the Bank’s fragile states strategy course. Additionally, he enjoys game play and design, time permitting. Occasionally Gary tweets from @gmilante and he can be reached at milante (@) SIPRI.org

 Associate Editors

Elizabeth “Ellie” Bartels is Senior Associate at Caerus Associates focused on leveraging social science methodologies to improve wargaming and national security analysis. Prior to joining Caerus, Ellie led teams to design educational and analytical strategic wargames at the National Defense University. She specializes in games to improve participants’ understanding of strategy in irregular and asymmetric warfare environments, and their effects on populations.  She can be reached at ebartels (@) caerusassociates.com, or on Twitter at @elliebartels.

Devin Ellis is a faculty research associate in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, and the Policy & Research Program Director for the ICONS Project – a simulation research and training program in the University’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management. He is an Affiliate Researcher at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), and a member of the CSIS Pacific Forum Young Leaders program. Ellis is a policy analyst by training, specializing in East Asian security issues and crisis management. He has designed or consulted on simulation and gaming projects for USAID, the World Bank, DHS, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Brookings Institution, CSIS, the Office of Personnel Management, NDU, START, the Kennedy School of Government, the Fletcher School of Diplomacy, several Fortune 100 corporations, and various parts of DOD including the Joint Staff, OSD, and PACOM. He can be found on Twitter at @DevinHayesEllis.

Contributors

PAXsims also welcomes guest contributions. Among those who have contributed in the past are:

• Chloe Brynen,  University of Ottawa (student)
• David Brynen, University of Ottawa (student)
• Skip Cole, Sea Change Simulations
• John Dentico, LeadSimm LLC
• James Devine, Mount Allison University
• Stephen Downes-Martin,  Warfare Analysis and Research Department, US Naval War College
• Kristen Druker, The Bishop’s School
• Tom Fisher, game designer
• John Gastil
• Glenn Gibson
• Natasha Gill, TRACK4: Simulations in Conflict, Negotiation and Mediation.
• Corinne Goldberger, McGill University (student)
• John Gorkowski, game designer
• Eileen Guo, 4D Training Solutions
• Esra Cuhadar Gurkanyak, Bilkent University
• Shay Hershkovitz, Department of Information & Knowledge Management, University of Haifa; School of Communication, Sapir Academic College; Linx
• David Hockaday, Emergency Capacity Building Project
• Joe Jaeger, Statecraft
• Kim Kanger, game designer
• Jonathan Keller, James Madison University
• Ronit Kampf, Tel Aviv University
• Matthew Kirschenbaum, University of Maryland
• Graham Longley-Brown, LBS Consultancy
• Lisa Lynch, Department of Journalism, Concordia University
• June McCabe, McGill University (student)
• Mark M^cDonagh, National Security Decision Making Game
• Ed McGrady, CNA and Two-Stone LLC.
• Michael Peck, Training & Simulation Journal and Foreign Policy magazine
• Peter Perla, Center for Naval Analyses
• John Poniske, game designer
  
• David Romano, Missouri State University
• Philip Sabin, King’s College London
• James Sterrett, Deputy Chief, Simulations Division,  Digital Leader Development Center, US Army Command and General Staff College
• Ora Szekely, Department of Political Science, Clark University
• Ben Taylor, Defence Research and Development Canada
• Brian Train, game designer
• Jeremy Wells, Department of Political Science, Texas State University
• Tim Wilkie, Center for Applied Strategic Learning, National Defense University

PAXsims has been cited by:

• CNN
• Foreign Policy
• Los Angeles Times
• Washington Post

Have a piece on conflict simulation, peacebuilding, and serious games that you would like considered for inclusion on the website? Email us!