What department are you a graduate student in?

I am a 4^th year Ph.D. candidate in the Political Science Department.

Why did you decide to go to graduate school?

Since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated with learning and understanding how the world works. While I was studying for a M.Sc. in Economics, I realized that by pursuing rigorous academic research I would be able to put my interests into practice. Hence, I decided to apply to a Ph.D. program and move to the Unites States from Milan, Italy (my hometown). Pursuing a doctoral degree here at FSU allows me to broaden my substantive knowledge in political science and enhance my methodological skills.

Did your interests change throughout your program?

My research interests haven’t changed as much so they have been refined. When I started my doctoral degree, I wanted to study topics in comparative political economy, mainly in Western Europe, and topics related to gender and politics. I then refined my research interests, and I now research candidate selection strategies and how those relate to minority representation, mainly female representation (this is my dissertation topic). I am also pursuing research related to immigration policies and populist parties, and to understanding the determinants of the gender gap in political knowledge and participation.

What do you want to do with your advanced degree?

With my advanced degree, I would like to able to continue pursuing my research agenda in the topics I mentioned in the past question, either at a research university or a research institution.