About Dr. Valdini
Melody Ellis Valdini (Ph.D. 2006, University of California, San Diego) is a professor of political science at Portland State University as well as the co-editor of the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy. Her research engages the consequences of institutional design, with a focus on electoral systems, political parties, women's leadership, and the regions of Latin America, Europe, and Russia. She has published in the American Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, Electoral Studies, and Politics & Gender, and won the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for a project on gender stereotypes and political corruption. In addition, Dr. Valdini is the author of two books: The Character of Democracy: How Institutions Shape Politics (Oxford University Press, with Richard Clucas) and, most recently, The Inclusion Calculation: Why Men Appropriate Women's Representation (Oxford University Press). In 2020, Dr. Valdini won the Victoria Schuck Award given by the American Political Science Association, which recognized The Inclusion Calculation as the best book published in 2019 on the topic of women and politics. Later that year, she was recognized as the “Researcher of the Year” by the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. In 2023, she was appointed to the Independent District Commission of the City of Portland, which is responsible for creating electoral districts to be used in future Portland City Council elections. In 2023/24, Dr. Valdini is the Fulbright-Schuman Distinguished Scholar at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium.
Educational Background:
Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
M.A., University of California, San Diego
B.A., University of California, Riverside