His research focus is international security, foreign policy analysis. Dr. Hayes previously served as the ConocoPhillips Assistant Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma's School of International and Area Studies. His research interests include issues in nuclear weapons proliferation, international rivalries, international relations theory and regional level foreign policy and security dynamics in Europe, South Asia, and East Asia, and his work has been published in International Studies Quarterly. He is a member of the International Studies Association and the American Political Science Association.