Nancy Teeple came to SFU for doctoral studies following her work as a strategic analyst with the Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre at CFB Kingston.  She studied international security and strategy; and explored the implications of offensive nuclear deterrence systems for arms control and overall strategic stability. 

For her doctoral dissertation, Arms Control on the Eve of Destruction? The prospects for an Arctic Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in an Age of Counterforce Dominance, Nancy Teeple explored the feasibility of creating a nuclear arms control regime in the Arctic within the context of the U.S.-Russia strategic arms competition. Her findings determined that an Arctic Nuclear Weapon Free Zone has potential, which requires changes in provocative nuclear behaviour, and cooperation towards establishing exclusion zones in the Arctic incrementally. 

Nancy received a SSHRC doctoral award for this research. 

Teeple’s supervisor, Dr. Douglas Ross, believes the government can learn from her research. “[Nancy] produced an analytically outstanding piece of work that hopefully will induce serious rethinking in Canada and other allied countries about the grave risk of enhancing counterforce first-strike capabilities via conventionally armed long-range missiles, in conjunction with the development of an American-led system of global missile defences.”

Nancy's work continues to explore innovative deterrence options in the multiple domains of warfare, providing solutions for countering today's asymmetric threats. She currently teaches upper level undergraduate courses on modern warfare, nuclear strategy, and theories of war at SFU.

Nancy is grateful for the excellent support and guidance from her supervisory committee, Dr. Douglas Ross, Dr. Alex Moens, and Dr. Tsuyoshi Kawasaki.  Their guidance helped her achieve great things at SFU, including publication, travel to Washington, DC, Saint Petersburg, Russia, and Iqaluit, Nunavut for research, and a faculty position with the NATO Field School in 2017.