Melissa Baker

Dr. Melissa Baker is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Merced, and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on political psychology, particularly the intersection of cognitive health (e.g., anxiety, stress) and political behavior. Key interests include how mental health influences civic engagement and political information processing. She launched the Political Engagement and Cognitive Health Lab at UTEP, an interdisciplinary initiative exploring psychological mechanisms linking cognitive health to political participation. Undergraduate students interested in research are encouraged to contact her via email.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Political Science, University of California, Merced
• Postdoctoral Research, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto

Research Interests emphasize cognitive health's role in political decision-making, with studies on misinformation susceptibility, personality traits affecting health attitudes, and judicial misconduct perceptions. Articles span topics like electoral affective language, vaccine hesitancy dynamics, and moral relativity in social harm contexts.

Advising & Labs: Leads the Political Engagement and Cognitive Health Lab, fostering undergraduate research participation. No specific grants or awards are noted in the provided text.