Skip to main content

Baylee Harrell

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
Biography:

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.

Research Interests:
International Relations
One-sided Violence
Violence against civilians
Sexual violence in armed conflict
Nonstate Actors
Political behavior
Selected Publications:

Harrell, Baylee. 2023. "Can’t Live with Them or Can’t Live without Them? How Varying Roles of Women in Rebel Groups Influence One-Sided Violence."  International Interactions:1-29. doi: 10.1080/03050629.2023.2233677.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03050629.2023.2233677

Harrell, Baylee and Clayton Thyne. 2023. "The Legacies of Civil War: Health, Education, and Economic Development." In What Do We Know About Civil Wars?, 2nd Edition. Sarah Mitchell and T. David Mason. Rowfield and Littlefield.