Lauren is a PhD student studying American Politics at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on political psychology, communication, and gender. She primarily uses experimental methods to study the ways in which media coverage of elections and political events shapes public opinion surrounding the role of women in government. Though her research centers around women candidates and elections, she is also interested in topics ranging from legislative behavior to representation.
Before starting her PhD, Lauren graduated with honors from Rice University in Houston, TX with a BA in political science and psychology. At Rice, her thesis, “Is the Media Against Me? Personality as a Predictor of Hostile Media Consumption,” won the John S. Ambler award for the best undergraduate thesis in political science. With majors in both political science and psychology, she uses theories and methods from both disciplines in her study of American political behavior.
Her research has been funded from organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the Dirksen Congressional Research Center. In 2022 she was named a young public opinion scholar by AAPOR. You can learn more about her at www.laurenpalladino.com