Averell Schmidt
Assistant Professor
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Averell Schmidt’s research focuses on international relations, with particular attention to the politics of international law and organizations. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University.
Professor Schmidt’s work spans two interrelated research agendas. One explores how withdrawals from international organizations and multilateral treaties affect diplomatic relationships and international cooperation. The other examines the politics of human rights, with an emphasis on how international institutions influence human rights practices and how states contest these frameworks. Across both areas, his research is driven by an interest in how norms and social processes shape international politics.
Professor Schmidt received his Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University in 2024 and joined Cornell in 2025 following a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University.