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Baylee Harrell
Ph.D. Candidate, Teaching Assistant

I am a recent Political Science Ph.D. graduate and former teaching assistant with a major focus in International Relations and minor in Political Behavior. Broadly speaking, my research interest is centered around political violence against civilians. Specifically, I focus on how armed group structure impacts the propensity to commit violence against civilians. Subsequently, I am also interested in how political violence against civilians impacts attitudes and behavior. 

The focus of my dissertation is how rebel group composition impacts the group's behavior. I examine how the roles and prevalence of women and girls influence the rebel groups' proclivity to commit violence against civilians. My research also examines how the presence of private military contractors in armed conflict influences armed forces' use of sexual violence during war. Some of my other work focuses on the effects of political violence by exploring how exposure to civilian killings shapes political attitudes and behavior such as support for human rights.

Aside from my research, I have served as a teaching assistant and instructor for a variety of courses. I have been a solo instructor for PS: 391 Political Violence and Human Security, PS 230: Introduction to International Relations, PS 310: Contemporary Global Conflicts, PS 101: Introduction to American Government, and PS 372: Introduction to Political Analysis. In addition, I have been a Teaching Assistant for PS 230: Introduction to International Relations and PS 101: Introduction to American Government. 

I am a former recipient of the Georgia Davis Powers Graduate Fellowship through the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women.

Contact Information
Baylee.Harrell@uky.edu
1602 Patterson Office Tower
Education
B.A. Psychology and Political Science, University of North Alabama, 2018

M.A. Political Science, University of Kentucky, 2021

Ph.D. Political Science, University of Kentucky, 2023
Research Interests
  • International Relations
  • One-sided Violence
  • Violence against civilians
  • Sexual violence in armed conflict
  • Nonstate Actors
  • Political behavior
Affiliations
  • Political Science