Rachel Sternfeld

Rachel Sternfeld is an Associate Professor in the Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, housed within the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs. Her office is located in 405J Humanities and Social Science Building at 981 Grant Street, Indiana, PA 15705-1069, with contact via phone (724-357-2290) or email.

Education:

• PhD, University of Texas at Austin (2014)
• MA, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
• BA, New York University

Research Focus: Sternfeld specializes in comparative politics with regional expertise in the Middle East and North Africa. Her groundbreaking work examines how economic reforms in authoritarian contexts enable entrepreneurial classes to fund independent media, creating pathways for political liberalization. This research uniquely bridges media studies and authoritarian resilience, revealing conditions where economic liberalization catalyzes political openings.

Teaching Portfolio: She instructs core courses including World Politics (PLSC 101), Terrorism (PLSC 344), Political Systems of the Middle East (PLSC 384/584), and International Law and Organizations (PLSC 422/522), integrating field research from Egypt and Syria into curricula.