Abby Córdova – Keough School

Skill: Comparative policies; political behavior; Latin American politics

Abby Córdova is Associate Professor of Global Affairs at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. She is also a faculty member at Keough School’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies and a research affiliate of the Kellogg Institute Notre Dame Laboratory on Violence and Transitional Justice (V-TJ).

Biography

Abby Córdova’s research examines the consequences of inequality and marginalization for democracy, integrating topics related to crime and violence, gender inequalities, economic inequalities and international migration in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean. His research aims to identify public policies that can improve the well-being of disadvantaged citizens and thus advance democratic consolidation around the world.

As an expert in survey research methodology, Córdova’s work relies heavily on public opinion and elite survey data. Her current research includes a book project that explores how criminal governance makes women more vulnerable to gender-based violence and its consequences for women’s political engagement. His research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

Córdova holds two masters and a doctorate in political science from Vanderbilt University, where she held a postdoctoral position as the Principal Investigator of the Impact Assessment of the Regional Security Initiative in Central America. from USAID through the Latin American Public Opinion Project. Before coming to Notre Dame, she was an associate professor at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Political Science. She has also worked as a consultant for the Poverty and Gender section of the World Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean. Most recently, she was the principal investigator of a USAID-funded project that developed a methodology to measure community resilience in high crime contexts.

Recognitions and awards

• Southern Political Science Association Marian Irish Prize (2020)
• College of Arts & Science Diversity and Inclusion Award, University of Kentucky (2018-2019)
• Midwest Political Science Association Sophonisba Breckinridge Award, Best Paper on Women in Politics (2017)
• Fulbright scholarship

Professional roles / positions

• Deputy Editor-in-Chief for Politics and International Relations, Latin American Research Journal (here)
• Director, Women in Political Science and Diversity and Inclusivity Initiatives, University of Kentucky
• Visiting Fellow of Central America, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University (2016-2017)

Selected publications

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