Ava Thompson Wells is a Ph.D. student in Security Studies at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs, where she works closely with her advisor, Dr. Julian Zelizer. She earned her MPhil in History from the University of Cambridge and graduated with a high honors B.A. from the University of Michigan, where she received the James A. Knight Scholarship in History.

Her research explores urban policy and law enforcement dynamics, demonstrated by her thesis works, “Army of Occupation: Detroit’s Residency Requirement and the Detroit Police Officers Association" and "Mind Over Matter: Psychiatry, the Law, and the Making of Modern Criminal Sentencing." Ava has contributed to the Confronting Conditions of Confinement project, focusing on the conditions and consequences of confinement within Michigan's correctional system, notably co-authoring a detailed investigation into the 2016 Kinross prison uprising. She has also extensive experience working within incarcerated populations at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Saline, Michigan, via the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP). Additionally, Ava has collaborated with History Studio, a consultancy specializing in historical research and storytelling to inform contemporary policy and public engagement. Her current research investigates intersections between right-wing extremism, democratic backsliding, and domestic terrorism, incorporating both historical and policy-oriented analyses.

At Princeton, Ava actively participates in the Gender and Security Reading Group, which applies feminist and gendered frameworks to security studies. She also led a SPIA policy research trip to Atlanta, Georgia, to study the criminal justice landscape of the city. Recently, she presented her research at the 15th Annual Boston University Violence in American Public Life Conference.