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Overview
Julia McClenon is an interdisciplinary scholar, trained as a cultural and behavioral ethnographer (anthropologist) and sociolinguist, with a focus on Asia, China, and specific diaspora in Asia and America. She is an interagency civil servant with experience in both the Department of Defense and the Department of State. She was previously commissioned as a Foreign Service Officer of the U.S. diplomatic corps. For State Department, she was Chair of the Consul General's Civil-Society Working Group on Religion in China.
For NPS, as of 2025, she currently works on security cooperation initiatives, wargaming, and Chinese information operations.
She earned her M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara on research and teaching fellowships as a member of the cognitive science REMLab group, where she conducted ethnographic and sociolinguistic research on Chinese worldviews, calendrical systems, and CCP cultural narratives. She earned her first ethnographic fieldwork grant in college to study ethnic minority discrimination in China.
In 2010, as part of a team, she earned official commendation from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict.
Julia is interested in interdisciplinary and inter-industry research opportunities.
She is also available to speak at community events on cross-cultural understanding; intercultural dialogue; culture shock and reverse culture shock; her experiences as a student and diplomat in China; and emergency preparedness.
Separate from her role at NPS, she is a volunteer co-host of the Irregular Warfare Initiative Podcast. She is also a proud volunteer of the American Red Cross.
Julia can neither confirm nor deny that she is also a pseudonymous food writer.
For NPS, as of 2025, she currently works on security cooperation initiatives, wargaming, and Chinese information operations.
She earned her M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara on research and teaching fellowships as a member of the cognitive science REMLab group, where she conducted ethnographic and sociolinguistic research on Chinese worldviews, calendrical systems, and CCP cultural narratives. She earned her first ethnographic fieldwork grant in college to study ethnic minority discrimination in China.
In 2010, as part of a team, she earned official commendation from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict.
Julia is interested in interdisciplinary and inter-industry research opportunities.
She is also available to speak at community events on cross-cultural understanding; intercultural dialogue; culture shock and reverse culture shock; her experiences as a student and diplomat in China; and emergency preparedness.
Separate from her role at NPS, she is a volunteer co-host of the Irregular Warfare Initiative Podcast. She is also a proud volunteer of the American Red Cross.
Julia can neither confirm nor deny that she is also a pseudonymous food writer.
NPS Experience
- 2021 - current: Faculty Associate - Research
Research Interests
Multi-disciplinary and cross-functional research projects excite me most. Please reach out any time.