Amanda B. Edgell is associate professor of political science at the University of Alabama, where she serves as associate department chair and director of Graduate Studies. She is also a research fellow with the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute.
Through her research, teaching, and professional service, Edgell aims to advance knowledge about the challenges facing contemporary political systems while inspiring and mentoring the next generation of scholars. Her research focuses on how domestic institutions and actors interact with international concerns to shape the trajectories of political regimes both globally and within sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, her work sheds light on questions of the global dynamics of regime transformation, including authoritarianism, democratization, and democratic erosion.
At Kellogg, she will work on the Authoritarian Leadership Project (ALP), which utilizes mixed methods and original datasets to explore how the unique backgrounds and legacies of individual leaders – including their familial ties and gendered experiences – shape the survival or decline of democracy worldwide.
Beyond academia, Edgell has provided expertise as a consultant for USAID, the US Department of State, US Department of Defense, and Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Her work reflects a commitment to bridging scholarship with practical applications that strengthen democratic institutions worldwide.
Edgell holds a PhD in political science from the University of Florida and an MA in international affairs from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.