I am a third-year PhD student in the Department of Political Science and a Graduate Research Fellow in the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions at Vanderbilt University. I earned my B.A. in Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles in the fall of 2018.
My research centers on American politics, the U.S. Congress, and campaigns. In particular, I am interested in questions of representation within both the electoral and legislative arenas. My current projects explore the relationship between legislators and their constituencies, as well as the relationship between candidates and campaign contributors.
For questions, comments, or drafts of working papers, I can be reached at mellissa.b.meisels@vanderbilt.edu.