Cathryn Johnson, PhD

Assistant Professor

About

Biography

Cathryn Evangeline Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Louisville. Cathryn is broadly interested in the comparative politics of gender in sub-Saharan Africa. Her research focuses on understanding what motivates individuals and groups to engage in political participation. Specifically, she studies how different legacies of French colonialism interact with contemporary lived experiences to explain why and how women in Mali and Burkina Faso participate in local politics. Cathryn earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University in 2020, an M.Sc. in Development Studies from SOAS University of London in 2006, and a B.A. in International Studies and French from Whitworth University in 2004.

Honors and Awards

Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship, Social Science Research Council
Indiana University Ostrom Workshop Graduate Fellowship
Carleton T. Hodge Prize for Excellence in African Studies, Indiana University African Studies Program

Research Interests

Comparative Politics of sub-Saharan Africa
Gender and Politics
Colonial Legacies
Political Participation
Rural Livelihoods

Teaching Interests

Comparative Politics
African Politics
Gender and Politics
Political Economy of International Development
Qualitative Research Methods