Lisa Baldez

Lisa Baldez is Professor of Government at Dartmouth College, with significant affiliations at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding. She previously served as the Cheheyl Professor and Director of the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL) from 2015-2018, demonstrating her leadership in academic innovation.

Dr. Baldez earned her B.A. from Princeton University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego, establishing a strong foundation for her interdisciplinary approach to political science. Her academic journey has consistently focused on the intersection of gender politics and institutional frameworks across different political contexts.

Her research program critically examines how formal institutional rules shape possibilities for gender equality, with particular expertise in human rights treaties (especially CEDAW), gender quota laws requiring political parties to nominate female candidates, and the Equal Rights Amendment in the United States. Dr. Baldez's work bridges comparative politics, international relations, and gender studies, with special attention to Latin American politics and U.S. politics. She has conducted extensive comparative research on women's movements across different political regimes, particularly in Chile.

Her publications reveal a consistent scholarly trajectory examining institutional mechanisms that either facilitate or hinder gender equality, with particular focus on political representation, treaty ratification processes, and women's mobilization strategies. Her work combines rigorous theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis of real-world political phenomena.

• Victoria Schuck Award (2015) for best book on women and politics
• Best book on human rights award (2015) from the American Political Science Association
• Midwest Women's Caucus for Political Science Outstanding Professional Achievement Award (2019)

Dr. Baldez serves as one of the founding editors of Politics & Gender, the official journal of the Women and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, significantly shaping scholarly discourse in the field. Her academic leadership extends through her roles at Dartmouth College and professional organizations, where she has influenced both research agendas and institutional approaches to gender and politics.

Her scholarly contributions continue to inform academic discussions and policy debates around gender equality, international human rights frameworks, and political representation worldwide, maintaining relevance in contemporary political contexts across multiple continents.