Bruce W. Dayton, PhD

Dr. Bruce Dayton has been active in peacebuilding and conflict transformation work for more than 20 years as a practitioner, a researcher, and an educator. His work focuses on political leadership, the management of intractable conflicts, and the role that intermediaries can play in transforming them.

Dr. Dayton’s previous appointments include associate director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, research co-director at the Program for the Advancement of Research on Collaboration and Conflicts, and research professor, all at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He also served for six years as executive director of the International Society for Political Psychology and as associate at the Center for Policy Negotiation in Boston, Massachusetts, where he designed policy dialogues on pressing public policy controversies.

See Dr. Dayton’s list of publications

View Dr. Dayton’s CV

Graduate Courses Taught

Introduction to Peacebuilding
Foundations in Diplomacy and International Relations
Applied Leadership
Negotiation, Mediation, and Dialogue
Conflict Analysis
Program Monitoring and Evaluation
Advanced Concepts in International Education 2

Select Publications

Dayton, B. W., Kriesberg, L. (2022). Constructive Conflicts: From Emergence to Transformation. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.

Dayton, B. W., (2019). From Peacebuilding to Constructive Conflict Management: Reconsidering Interventions Under Conditions of Intractability. In M. F. Elman, C. Gerard, G. Golan and L. Kriesberg (Eds.), Overcoming Intractable Conflicts: New Approaches to Constructive Transformations (pp. 351-366). Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield. 351 – 366.

Dayton, B. W., (2019). Collaboration, Conflict, and the Search for Sustainable Peacebuilding. In C. Gerard and L. Kriesberg (Eds.), Conflict and Collaboration: For Better or Worse (pp. 182 – 194). London: Routledge.

Dayton, B. W., and Kriesberg, L. (Eds.). (2017). Perspectives on Waging Conflicts Constructively: Principles, Cases and Practice. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.

Dayton, B. W., and Kinsey, D. (2015). Contextual Meaning. In G. Golan, S.U. Yang, and D. Kinsey, (Eds.), International Public Relations and Public Diplomacy: Communication and Engagement (pp. 267 – 278), New York: Peter Lang.

Cuhadar, E. and Dayton, B. W., (2012). Oslo and Its Aftermath: Lessons Learned from Track Two Diplomacy. Negotiation Journal, 28 (2), pp. 155-180.

Dayton, B. W., and Kriesberg, L. (Eds.). (2009). Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding: Moving from Violence to Sustainable Peace. London: Routledge.

Cuhadar, E. and Dayton, B. W., (2011). The Social Psychology of Identity and Intergroup Conflict: From Theory to Practice. International Studies Perspectives, 12 (3), pp. 273- 293.

Hermann, M. and Dayton, B. W. (2009). Transboundary Crises through the Eyes of Policy Makers: Sense Making and Crisis Management. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 14 (4), pp. 203-213. 

Dayton, B. W. (2004). Managing Crises in the Twenty-First Century. International Studies Review 6 (1), pp. 165-194.

Select Presentations

Dayton, B. W. (January 23, 2021). Foundations for Global Peace: Possibilities, Obstacles, and Way Forward [keynote address]. Principal Foundations for Global Peace. Ministry or Research, Technology and Higher Education Jakarta, Indonesia

Dayton, B. W. (annually February 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020). Leadership in Times of Crisis [chief trainer]. Hubert Humphrey Enhancement Workshop. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Dayton, B. W. (annually, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021). Leadership, Conflict Management, and Organizational Change [training]. Leaders Advancing Democracy (LEAD) Mongolia Program, U.S. Department of State / World Learning, Washington, DC

Dayton, B. W. (December 4, 2015). Trends in Peace, Conflict and Global Civil Society [presentation]. The US-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), U.S. Department of State, Istanbul, Turkey

Dayton, B. W. (March 9-13, 2015). Organizational and Interpersonal Conflict Management: A Constructive Conflicts Approach. MPE Annual Conference, Office of Medical Services, U.S. Department of State, Lisbon, Portugal

Dayton, B. W. (June 9 – 15, 2014) Crisis Management: The Perspective from the U.S [Conference presentation and training]. Chinese Academy of Governance, Beijing, China

Research Interests

Conflict analysis and transformation
Negotiation theory and practice
Leadership decision-making


Education

  • PhD, Political Science, Maxwell School of Syracuse University
  • MA, Political Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • BA, Politics, Ithaca College
Bruce W. Dayton, PhD

SIT Graduate Institute

Associate Professor

PhD in International Relations

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Chair and Associate Professor

MA in Diplomacy and International Relations

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Chair and Associate Professor

MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management

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Associate Professor

MA in International Education

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Associate Professor

MA in Sustainable Development Practice

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