B.A., Armstrong State University 2013, Political Science (Minor in History)
M.A., University of Georgia 2016, Political Science/International Affairs

Mallie Brossett first developed an interest in international politics while living abroad as a child. As the daughter of an Air Force mechanic, she had many opportunities to travel and experience other cultures. This early interest was bolstered by study abroad trips to Japan and the Czech Republic in high school and as an undergraduate. When she was a freshman at Armstrong Atlantic State University, she was inspired by the 2011 protests in Tunisia and Egypt to study democratization and democracy promotion. As a doctoral student at the University of Georgia, Mallie is currently pursuing research into the democracy promotion policies of the European Union in its neighborhood, the United States in Tunisia, and the role of credibility in democracy promotion policy generally. When not pursuing her degree, Mallie volunteers as a poll clerk for the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections. She enjoys reading detective novels, hand-stitch quilting, and photography.

• Silver “A” Award, Highest GPA in Degree Program, 2013
• Jule Rossiter Standfield Scholarship, Fall 2013
• Savannah Council on World Affairs, Study Abroad Scholarship, Summer 2012
• Air Force Aid Society, General Hap H. Arnold Education Grant, 2010-2012

My research interests are democratic transitions, democracy promotion, and the role of religion in political institutions. I am interested in how democracies develop, why they emerge in some countries and not in others, and the ways in which outside actors (such as states and NGO’s) can influence these processes. While most of my research is centered on the Middle East, I am also interested in countries outside that region, especially in Eastern Europe and East Asia.  For my Master’s thesis, I explored the role of outside actors in democratic transitions through an in depth case study of the US response to the Arab Spring in Tunisia.