David Schanzer

David H. Schanzer is an Associate Professor of the Practice at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy and Director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In these capacities, he teaches courses and conducts research on counter-terrorism strategy, counterterrorism law, and homeland security. He also serves as the Director for Strategy and Outreach for the Institute of Homeland Security Solutions, a research consortium between Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and RTI International focusing on applied social science research to advance the national homeland security mission.

Prior to his academic appointments, Schanzer was the Democratic Staff Director for the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security from 2003-2005. He served as the legislative director for Senator Jean Carnahan (2001-2002), counsel to Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (1996-1998), and counsel to Senator William S. Cohen (1994-1996). His positions in the executive branch include Special Counsel, Office of General Counsel, Department of Defense (1998-2001) and Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice (1992-94). Schanzer was a clerk for United States District Judge Norma L. Shapiro and in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States.

Schanzer is a graduate of Harvard College where he received a B.A. cum laude in Government in 1985 and Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review from 1988-1989.

Schanzer is the author of numerous op-ed column, articles, and reports on a range of national security topics. He is the lead author of “Anti-Terror Lessons of Muslim Americans,” a landmark study on how Muslim Americans address the threat of radicalization in their communities. Schanzer has appeared on international, national and local media analyzing counterterrorism and homeland security issues.