Welcome!

My name is Melanie L. Phillips and I am  currently a PhD Candidate at the Charles and Louise Travers Political Science department at the University of California, Berkeley.

My research agenda focuses on the intra-party dynamics of candidate selection in new democracies where political parties control selection. Specifically, I am interested in how the role and preferences of gatekeepers affect women's candidacy in sub-Saharan Africa.  I have conducted multiple rounds of fieldwork in Zambia. 

I hold a Masters in Political Science from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in  International Studies; Political Science with distinction from the University of California, San Diego. I was also a McNair Scholar at UC San Diego.

My work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Institute of International Studies (Uc Berkeley), and the African Studies Center (UC Berkeley).