Leah Stokes

Assistant Professor
Political Science

Office Location

Ellison Hall 3716

Specialization

American Politics, Energy and Environmental Politics, Public Policy, Methodology

Education

  • Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015

Bio

Leah Stokes’ research primarily examines public policy, public opinion and political behavior in North America, with a focus on energy and the environment. Her current book project examines the role of interest groups in expansion and retrenchment in renewable energy policies across US states, using qualitative and quantitative methods. Her work on energy and environmental politics has been published in journals including The American Journal of Political Science, Global Environmental Politics, Energy Policy, and Environmental Science & Technology. She also researches international environmental negotiations, particularly the Minamata Convention on mercury and the climate change negotiations. Other ongoing projects include estimating the effect of internet voting on electoral participation, predicting protests against wind energy, and understanding water districts’ response to the California drought. 

Stokes is affiliated with the the Center for Social Solutions to Environmental Problems and the Scholars Strategy Network. Her research has been supported by the Martin Family Fund, Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada and the MIT Energy Initiative. Prior to academia, Leah worked at the Parliament of Canada, Resources for the Future and the Initiative for Policy Dialogue. She holds a BSc from the University of Toronto, an MPA from Columbia University and an MS from MIT.