Juan Albarracín

Juan Albarracín is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and a Research Affiliate at the Notre Dame Violence and Transitional Justice Lab. Previously, he held roles as Visiting Assistant Professor at the Keough School of Global Affairs (2021-2022) and Assistant Professor/Director of Undergraduate Studies at Universidad Icesi, Colombia (2018-2021). He earned a PhD and MA from the University of Notre Dame (2018, 2013) and degrees from Universität Tübingen (Germany), including a BA (2006) and MA (2009).

His research focuses on political violence, criminal governance, and democratic processes, particularly in Latin America. Central projects include analyzing alliances between politicians and criminal groups in Brazil and exploring post-conflict violence dynamics in Colombia. His work employs mixed methods, including fieldwork-based case studies and quantitative analysis.

Awards include recognition from the APSA, LASA, and Redesdal, alongside grants from the IAF, Fulbright Commission, CAPAZ, Fescol, and DAAD. His research highlights intersections between criminal networks, electoral politics, and transitional justice mechanisms.

Albarracín’s expertise spans democratization, authoritarianism, and public opinion. He collaborates globally on projects like Colombia’s social leader violence and Brazil’s criminalized electoral politics. His affiliations include the American Political Science Association and Latin American Studies Association.