Ethan Connell is a Research Team Lead at TSM. Ethan is a current graduate student in International Security at George Mason University, and holds a bachelor’s in Government and International Politics from the same. Ethan was named as George Mason’s 2025 Howard P. Hart Memorial Scholar. Professionally, Ethan has previous experience performing maritime risk analysis for the Department of the Navy’s National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office.

Ethan’s research focuses primarily on maritime security and the use of PRC state media organs to promote narratives surrounding Taiwan, operating TSM’s open-source surface/subsurface fleet tracker, the Taiwan Strait Transit Tracker, the Taiwan Affairs Office Statement Repository, and the PRC State Media Review. His work has been found in The Diplomat, the Center for Maritime Strategy, and the Financial Times. When not behind his desk, Ethan can be found cheering his beloved (or hated) Miami Dolphins, watching Jeopardy!, or staring wistfully at the nearest body of water.