PAUL FRIESEN
PHD POLITICAL SCIENCE
ABOUT PAUL FRIESEN
I am Postdoctoral Associate at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies at Cornell University studying Democratic Threats and Resilience. I completed my Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and am former Dissertation Year Fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. My research and teaching interests include democratization, elections, political parties, and political behavior in Sub-Saharan Africa. My dissertation research focuses on partisanship and ideology in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
As a development professional and political analyst at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, I supported the Southern and East Africa team in winning and managing democracy-strengthening grants in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Prior to that, I completed internships with The Fund for Peace, World Vision International, and Joint Aid Management in Washington, D.C. I also served as a research assistant for the Afrobarometer.
EDUCATION
PhD Political Science - University of Notre Dame (2022)
MA Political Science - University of Notre Dame (2017)
Masters of Public Policy - Michigan State University (2014)
BA International Studies - Taylor University (2011)