Alisa Kessel

Alisa Kessel is a Professor of Politics and Government at the University of Puget Sound, where she teaches political theory and courses on race, intersectionality, reproductive rights, and democracy. Her research adopts an intersectional approach to explore issues of sexual violence, misogyny, and the structural power of white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and settler colonialism in democratic communities.

Her educational background includes:

• BA, Arizona State University, 1998
• BS, Arizona State University, 1998
• MA, Arizona State University, 2000
• PhD, Duke University, 2006

Professor Kessel's research focuses on rape culture as political domination, examining how sexual violence perpetuates hierarchies of race, gender, sexuality, and class. Her work spans feminist political theory, democratic theory, and cultural studies, with emphasis on reproductive justice and consent politics. She argues rape culture evolves to discipline groups threatening sociopolitical order, as explored in her forthcoming book Rape Fantasies.

Her publications consistently analyze intersections of power and violence across contexts including consent apps, anti-trans legislation, and resource extraction sites. She actively engages public discourse through media contributions and speaking engagements on #MeToo, reproductive rights, and heteropatriarchy.

While the provided text does not list formal advisees or research grants, Professor Kessel develops students' critical thinking and political engagement through her teaching methodology.