Jacek Kugler: Jacek Kugler is the Elisabeth Helm Rosecrans Professor of World Politics at Claremont Graduate University. He is recognized for his instrumental role in co-founding the TransResearch Consortium. Prior to joining Claremont, he held faculty positions at Boston University and Vanderbilt University. He has also taught at numerous other institutions, including Harvard, Caltech, War College, UCLA, and various international universities. He served as the president of the International Studies Association and the Peace Science Society, and he was the past editor of International Interactions. Over the past forty years, Kugler has been extensively involved as a policy consultant for various organizations, including the Intelligence Community, the US Department of State, the US Department of Defense, and the World Bank. He has provided valuable insights and recommendations through over 200 real-time reports, advising policymakers on important issues. Since 1968, Kugler has been deeply engaged in studying the long-term stability of nuclear deterrence under the guidance of Dr. Bernard Brodie. His deterrence work challenges prevailing policy arguments by showing that nuclear deterrence under Mutual Assured Destruction is tenuous and unstable. Kugler has made scholarly contributions across a wide range of topics, including global power transitions, the economic consequences of war, and the political performance of nations. His research has received significant support from organizations such as the Ford Foundation, NSF, USAID, DARPA, and the US Peace Institute. His publications, which include renowned books like "The War Ledger" (1980, University of Chicago Press) and "Power Transitions: Strategies for the 21st Century" (2000, CQ Press), as well as numerous journal articles, have sparked extensive debates and discussions within the field of international relations. In recognition of his research contributions, he has been honored with numerous lifetime awards.