Jennifer Holmes

Jennifer Holmes is the Dean and Lloyd V. Berkner Professor at the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has been on the faculty since 1998, ascending from Visiting Assistant Professor to Professor. Her leadership roles include interim and permanent Dean of EPPS, where she has expanded academic offerings and interdisciplinary collaborations.

• Education: Ph.D. in Political Science (University of Minnesota, 1998); A.B. in Political Science (University of Chicago, 1993)

Research Interests: Holmes specializes in political violence, terrorism, and political development in Latin America, particularly Colombia and Peru. Her work explores the intersection of conflict, governance, and development, including studies on critical infrastructure protection, urban quality of life, and real-time political event data.

Scientific Awards:

• Phi Kappa Phi lifetime member (2018)
• UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award (2011)
• Chancellor’s Teaching Award finalist (2006)
• Young Leader, Atlantik-Bruecke, Germany (2004)

Grants & Collaborations: She has secured major funding, including an NSF grant for "Sustaining modern infrastructure for political and social event data" (2019–2022) and a dual MS program with Philipps-Universität Marburg. Her research integrates fieldwork from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Peru, alongside international training programs in human rights policy.