Research

My research focuses on human rights and the effectiveness of international law and treaties for improving the lives of the most vulnerable around the world. I believe the best way to research is to have a well-balanced toolkit. My skillset includes interviewing, participant observation, process tracing, text analysis, and large-N analysis of data.

My research clusters on four themes:

  • Gender politics and intersectionality

  • International human rights agreements

  • The importance of institutions

  • Political violence against women in times of conflict

Working papers and Research in Progress

  • (Working Chapter) What Do We Know about Human Rights? Megan Shannon, Anna Kowalski, and Isha Banerjee. Bloomsbury Press. 2025. 

  • (Working Paper) “Who Complies? Using Self Reports to Measure Compliance with CEDAW” Anna Kowalski. Presented at: Southern Political Science Association Virtual Conference (SPSA) 2025. 



Grants Received

  • Department Summer Funding Award, University of Colorado Boulder, 2026. Awarded $1500 in support of dissertation research.

  • Graduate School Summer Fellowship, University of Colorado Boulder, 2026. Awarded $7500 in support of dissertation research.

  • Prestage-Cook Travel Award, SPSA Finance. Awarded $500 in support of travel to present research at SPSA 2026. 

  • JEDI Graduate Student Research Grant, University of Colorado Boulder, 2025. Awarded $1,500 in support of dissertation research. 

  • Graduate School Student Travel Grant, University of Colorado Boulder, 2025. Awarded $500 to attend Gender and Politics Conference at Rutgers University.