Amanda Bittner

Dr. Amanda Bittner is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she has served since 2008. She directs the Gender & Politics Lab, a research and community engagement hub focusing on gender dynamics in politics. Her work bridges political psychology, public opinion, and gender studies, with a focus on voter behavior, party leaders, and gender's role in political attitudes.

Education: BA Hons (University of Toronto); MA and PhD (University of British Columbia). Her research spans Canadian and comparative contexts, examining topics like voter turnout, immigration attitudes, and the impact of social cleavages on political behavior. She has published five books and over 50 peer-reviewed articles.

Research Interests:

• Voters’ perceptions of party leaders
• Gender and political attitudes
• Right-wing populism and gender
• Measurement of gender in surveys
• Voter turnout and political engagement

Awards:

• 2022: Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars
• 2021: Excellence in Mentorship Award
• 2020: Sarah Shorten Award for advancing women in academia
• 2019: APSA Mentoring Award

Active in media commentary (English/French) and grant-writing, she has secured substantial funding for research projects. Her Gender & Politics Lab hosts community outreach programs and interdisciplinary collaborations.