Beenish Riaz is a 2025-26 Stephanie G. Neuman Fellow in Comparative Defense Studies at the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, and a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University. Her research examines the interplay of norms, law, religion and strategy with current projects focused on the destruction and protection of cultural sites in conflict.

Prior to joining Columbia, she practiced international human rights and nonprofit law for two years. Beenish has a J.D. from NYU School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English from Macalester College.