Mary Michaels
Researcher • Educator • Policy & Governance Practitioner
I research and teach international law, cyber and electromagnetic operations, international security, and the governance of emerging technology.
My work combines academic inquiry with policy practice and applied research, including LoomHer Empowerment, an NYU Graduate Capstone / Applied Policy Research project completed in 2026.
Research
Current research examines how international law applies to cyber and electromagnetic operations, including questions involving GNSS interference, navigation, sovereignty, and legal thresholds. A secondary line of inquiry considers cyber governance and institutional responses to emerging technology.
Teaching
My teaching connects legal doctrine with current technological and geopolitical developments. It emphasizes careful distinctions among established law, developing norms, policy arguments, and emerging practice.
Applied Research
LoomHer Empowerment — NYU Graduate Capstone / Applied Policy Research | 2026 — examines women’s financial inclusion, productive-asset financing, textile production, market access, quality assurance, digital verification, and development finance, with Uganda as the Phase I focus.
Selected Writing & Engagement
It’s Time to Treat New York’s AI Building Systems the Same as Fire Systems — Commercial Observer, August 26, 2025
Cyber Ethics in Practice: A Systems-Based Framework for Global Cyber Policy and Diplomacy — Presenter, Geneva Cyber Week 2026, Geneva, Switzerland, 8 May 2026
Inaugural recipient, Doria Shafik Global Gender Justice Award — NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs, 2026
Contact
For research, teaching, speaking, collaboration, or professional inquiries, please get in touch.