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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 2026, she currently works on security cooperation initiatives, TTX and computer-mediated wargaming, project management, and Chinese information operations as part of the Global ECCO team.
She earned her M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara on research and teaching fellowships and 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 and has won multiple scholarships and fellowships throughout her career.
In 2010, as part of a team, she earned commendation from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict.
In 2023, she was an Irregular Warfare Initiative Fellow and podcast host.
Julia is interested in interdisciplinary and inter-industry research and speaking opportunities. She is also available to speak at community events on cross-cultural understanding; intercultural dialogue; culture shock and reverse culture shock; and her experiences as a student and diplomat in China.
Julia can neither confirm nor deny that she is also a pseudonymous food writer.
For NPS, as of 2026, she currently works on security cooperation initiatives, TTX and computer-mediated wargaming, project management, and Chinese information operations as part of the Global ECCO team.
She earned her M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara on research and teaching fellowships and 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 and has won multiple scholarships and fellowships throughout her career.
In 2010, as part of a team, she earned commendation from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict.
In 2023, she was an Irregular Warfare Initiative Fellow and podcast host.
Julia is interested in interdisciplinary and inter-industry research and speaking opportunities. She is also available to speak at community events on cross-cultural understanding; intercultural dialogue; culture shock and reverse culture shock; and her experiences as a student and diplomat in China.
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.