Bangchen Ruan is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. His research examines the strategic logic of territorial behavior by great and major powers, focusing on how states value and develop strategic depth to protect their core areas. His dissertation investigates why and how states pursue expansion or relocation as depth-building strategies, contributing to debates on nuclear deterrence and resource-based conquest. His broader interests span international security, military strategy, and political geography. He holds an M.A. from the Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago (2020) and a B.A. in Politics from Centre College in Kentucky (2019).