Diana Z. O'Brien

Diana Z. O'Brien is the Bela Kornitzer Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis, serving as Chair of the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. Her research focuses on gender and political representation, particularly in high-income democracies and globally. She holds a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis.

Her expertise spans gender and political parties, legislative and executive politics, and citizens' responses to women's political presence. Key areas of study include the impact of women in cabinets, electoral gender quotas, and the interplay between gender and policy outcomes. Her work bridges quantitative methods with feminist political science.

Notable awards include the APSA Longley Award, Southern Political Science Association's Best Paper Award, and a Fulbright Fellowship. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (SES-1851457), focusing on women's roles in security portfolios.

Dr. O'Brien is a founding editor of the Cambridge Elements in Gender and Politics series and a leader in professional networks like EGEN. She has served in editorial and leadership roles for Politics & Gender and the APSA Women, Gender, and Politics Research Section.

Her recent work explores gendered leadership during democratic crises, the effects of electoral quotas, and experimental studies on political ambition. She consistently addresses how gender shapes policy agendas and public perception in political institutions.