Theresa Gessler

Theresa Gessler is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor for Comparative Politics at European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). She maintains affiliations with the Digital Democracy Lab (University of Zurich) and the Zentrum für Zivilgesellschaftsforschung at WZB Berlin Social Science Center.

• PhD, European University Institute (2019)
• MA, Central European University (Research Methods specialization)

Her research bridges digital politics, democratic backsliding, party politics, and gender, with a focus on Central-Eastern Europe. Methodologically, she champions text-as-data and digital trace data approaches.

Recent publications analyze democratic attitudes (European Journal of Political Research), party strategies (Government & Opposition), and polarization dynamics. She co-edited the Cambridge volume on Contentious Episodes (2023). Current projects include a Fritz-Thyssen funded study on autocratization in Eastern Europe/Latin America.

• Awards:
  • PolMeth Europe Emerging Scholar (2021)
  • Best Presentation Award (European Symposium on Computational Social Science, 2024)
  • ZIA Visible Women in Science Fellow (2023)
• Education:
  • PhD in Political Science, European University Institute (2019)
  • MA in Political Science (Research Methods), Central European University

As co-organizer of the Summer School for Women in Political Methodology, she advances methodological training and gender equity in political science. She also contributes to research infrastructure development through her work in digital technology and politics projects.