Dr. Shanshan Mei
Political Scientist
RAND
Dr. Shanshan Mei is a political scientist at RAND. Previously she served as a special assistant to the 22nd Chief of Staff of the Air Force for China and Indo-Pacific issues. She was also a member of the Secretary of the Air Force Advisory Group and advised senior leadership of the Department of the Air Force on key strategic competition topics. Mei has lectured before a wide range of professional and academic audiences on national security matters and taught at the Air War College in 2020-22. Mei, known by the pen name Marcus Clay, is the author of numerous reports and research essays on the organization and culture of the People's Liberation Army and Chinese defense modernization priorities.
Prior to the Air Force, Mei worked as a conference interpreter (simultaneous) for the Department of the State, the IMF, and the World Bank Group. Earlier in her career, she traveled extensively in East and Southeast Asia supporting Track II diplomacy activities of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific.
Mei received her Ph.D. in international relations from American University. She was also educated at the East-West Center and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has lived, studied, and worked in China for almost a quarter of a century.
Prior to the Air Force, Mei worked as a conference interpreter (simultaneous) for the Department of the State, the IMF, and the World Bank Group. Earlier in her career, she traveled extensively in East and Southeast Asia supporting Track II diplomacy activities of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific.
Mei received her Ph.D. in international relations from American University. She was also educated at the East-West Center and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has lived, studied, and worked in China for almost a quarter of a century.