Sandra Meerwein is a PhD candidate, lecturer, and research assistant for Transnational American Studies at the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) in Mainz, Germany. Her academic focus lies in Transpacific American Studies, with a specialization in maritime security and ocean governance in the Indo-Pacific region, examining the intersection of geostrategic, economic, and socio-ecological concerns. She obtained both her B.A. in Political Science and American Studies and her M.A. in American Studies from JGU. Her graduate research has involved conducting research abroad, including at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies as a former Research Fellow (Jan.-Apr. 2023), and she currently serves as a Non-Resident Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy (KIMS) as of June 2025. Furthermore, she is a co-founder of the Transpacific Studies Network (TPSN), which aims to strengthen transpacific perspectives in Europe.