Francesca Vassallo

Dr. Francesca Vassallo is a Professor of Political Science in the Political Science Department at the University of Southern Maine. Her research interests and publications have focused on conventional and unconventional political behavior, French and European politics, European public opinion, U.S.-EU relations, and protest action. In addition to journal articles and book chapters, her book France, Social Capital and Political Activism (Palgrave) came out in 2010. She has been the guest editor of special issues of the journals PS: Political Science & Politics, Partecipazione e Conflitto, and German Politics and Society. She is currently working on an edited volume on Youth Political Action Worldwide and a book on France in the European Union. She was awarded a visiting fellowship from the Centre for European Studies of the Australian National University (2015), a visiting research position at the Center for the Study of Democracy of the University of California Irvine (2016), and an Europa Policy Lab Fellowship from the Centre for European Studies of the Australian National University (2018-9). She has lectured and given presentations in her field of research at universities, public opinion forums, and government agencies in many countries, from North America to Europe and Australia.

Professor Vassallo received her PhD in Government from Georgetown University (2002), her MA in German and European Studies from Georgetown University (2000), her MA in International Affairs from American University (1996), and her BA in Political Science from the University of Padoa (Italy) (1993).