We are thrilled to announce that alumna Justine Davis, PhD, has been awarded the prestigious Best Dissertation Award by the Western Political Science Association (WPSA). The committee who reviewed Dr. Davis's dissertation had this to say, "Of the many impressive dissertations we received, Davis’ dissertation was impressive still. In her work, Davis sets out to understand how wartime experiences of civic leaders affect post-conflict democratization. Noting that we know little about the attitudes and behaviors of these key actors, Davis employs a multi-method approach that includes surveys, lab-in-the-field experiments, and a deep knowledge of Côte d’Ivoire to elucidate differences between civic leaders who lived under rebel control and those who lived in areas continuously controlled by government. Davis’ dissertation is a remarkable piece of scholarship. It is well-written, the theoretical contribution is clear, and the evidence marshaled in service of the argument is compelling. Davis’ dissertation showcases the kind of creativity and ingenuity that are the hallmarks of good, path-breaking scholarship, and we are confident that her book project will be as impressive a piece of work as her dissertation. And we are proud to award this year’s WPSA Best Dissertation Award to her in recognition of this great project."
We send our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Justine Davis.