Expert in Conflict Studies, Peacebuilding, Political Violence

Shauna Gillooly received her PhD in Political Science at the University of California, Irvine in September 2021. Shauna received her B.S. (with honors) in International Affairs & Spanish Language from Florida State University in 2016, and her M.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine in 2018.

Her dissertation research was focused on the relationships between the international, national, and local levels during processes of peacebuilding and transitional justice amidst continued political violence. Her primary case study is Colombia, where she has conducted extensive fieldwork for the past four years. Her work has been supported by the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship, which provided funding for her fieldwork in the Pacific Coast of Colombia (Cauca, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca). Continued work on this project serves as the foundation for her book manuscript that is currently under contract with a university press.

Her past work has focused on social movement transitions to political parties in Latin America, as well as the impact of political violence legacies on voter behavior. Her previous work has been published in academic journals such as Comparative Politics, Latin America Research Review, PS: Political Science and Politics, Politics, Groups, and Identities, The Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, and PLOS ONE. It has appeared in media outlets such as The Washington Post and The Conversation, and policy-focused platforms such as E-International Relations.

She is currently an Assistant Professor in International Relations at the Institute of Political Science at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile, a member of the Global Humanities Alliance, a member of the UC Center for Global Change, and an Expert with the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab.

She also works as a country conditions expert and an expert witness for those seeking political asylum from Colombia in the United States. Her expert profile with more information can be found here.

Her Google Scholar Profile is available here, and her Women Also Know Stuff profile can be found here. Her current email address is shauna.gillooly (at) uc (dot) cl.