I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and Faculty Fellow in the Notre Dame International Security Center (NDISC) and Kellogg Institute for International Studies. I earned my PhD in Political Science from Columbia University in 2021 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University in 2021—22.

My research and teaching interests include international cooperation and international political economy, with a focus on globalization, international finance, and climate change. My scholarly contributions have been featured in leading academic outlets such as the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, International Organization, and World Politics. Additionally, I have provided commentary for outlets like Brookings, Devex, and The Washington Post, with coverage in Nature Climate Change.

My first book, Cooperative Complexity: The Next Level of Global Economic Governance, is forthcoming with Cambridge University Press. The book seeks to disentangle the complex cooperative ties that have emerged between international financial institutions in recent decades.

My research has been recognized with several awards including the Best Dissertation award from the American Political Science Association’s International Collaboration section; the Lawrence S. Finkelstein Prize from the International Studies Association’s International Organization section; the Midwest Political Science Association’s Best Paper in International Relations award; the Best Paper Award from the American Political Science Association’s Women, Gender, and Politics section, and the Bretton Woods Committee’s Henry Owen Memorial Award.

My work has been supported by generous funding from the Stand Together Trust, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell Center for the Social Sciences, President’s Council of Cornell Women, and UC Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative.

I received my BBA from the University of Notre Dame in 2016. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, I have a passion for golf, baseball analytics, and my dog, Carl.

For inquiries, please reach out to me at richard.clark@nd.edu, or connect with me on X (@ProfRickyClark) and Bluesky (@rickyclark.bsky.social).