Political Scientist

Dr. Parrish Bergquist an Assistant Professor at at the University of Pennsylvania’s Political Science Department. Dr. Bergquist studies the political determinants of environmental policy—in the US and abroad—with a particular focus on public will and political behavior. The three major strands of her research focus on explaining the development of attitudes and policy views about climate change and the environment, examining how public environmental concern is activated in the political system, and explaining the drivers and consequences of state-level climate policies in the polarized US political context. Throughout Dr. Bergquist’s work, she focuses on environmental politics to develop and test theories on polarization, public opinion, persuasion, and mobilization. In turn, she applies these lines of theory to one of the most important contemporary policy challenges. Dr. Bergquist’s research has been published in scholarly outlets including the Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Nature Climate Change, Nature Energy, and Environmental Research Letters. Dr. Bergquist teaches classes in environmental politics, public policy, and statistical methods. In her teachings, she aims to help students apply theories and insights from political science, sociology, and economics to a wide range of public policy topics. Dr Bergquist received a PhD from MIT in political science and urban studies & planning in 2019. When Dr. Bergquist isn’t at her desk you’ll find her skiing, cycling, climbing, or running.