Andrea C. Simonelli

Andrea C. Simonelli, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where she also serves as the Thrust 4 Research Director at the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment. Her work focuses on climate migration, environmental governance, and policy responses to displacement in the context of climate change.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Political Science, Louisiana State University, 2012
• M.A. in Political Science, Louisiana State University, 2010
• B.A. in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, Michigan State University, 2002

Research Interests:

Simonelli’s research centers on the intersection of climate change and human mobility. She explores how environmental degradation influences migration patterns, particularly in small island developing states such as Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and the Maldives. Her work integrates legal, political, and sociological perspectives to understand climate governance and displacement.

She also examines how religious and cultural narratives shape climate risk perception and policy engagement, as seen in her 2023 study on biblical literalism in the Marshall Islands. Her contributions to Earth System Law and Governance in Small States reflect her commitment to interdisciplinary approaches in environmental policy.

Affiliations & Service:

• Board Member, The National Transparency Project
• Founder, Adaptation Strategies International
• Member, Research and Independent Non-governmental Organizations to the UNFCCC
• Member, Earth System Governance Asia-Pacific Working Group
• Associate, Stanford University’s Millennium Alliance for Humanity & the Biosphere

Teaching & Courses:

Simonelli teaches undergraduate and graduate courses including Research Methods, Environmental Security, Human Security, and Lobbying, integrating real-world policy challenges into her pedagogy.