ISERP Fellow Spring 2027: Patricia Kirkland

Patricia Kirkland, School of International and Public Affairs, has been chosen as the ISERP Fellow for Spring 2027. Dr. Kirkland studies American politics with a focus on urban, local, and state politics and public policy. Her work as an ISERP Fellow will produce a novel dataset on municipal institutions and investigate nonpartisan municipal elections in two prospective papers. The first will question how nonpartisan elections shape representation in American cities—if such elections systematically produce different winners in terms of experience, background, and demographic characteristics, and if incumbents are better insulated from accountability when compared to partisan elections. The second will examine the downstream outcomes of nonpartisan elections in relation to policy, governance, and quality of life in cities. 

We are pleased to welcome Prof. Kirkland as a fellow this year. If you would like to find out more about our Fellows program, including previous Fellows and application details, please visit our website.