Hi, I’m Feo.

I’m an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta.

I received my PhD in political science from the Australian National University in 2020, my MA in political science from the University of Ottawa in 2015, and my BScH in Life Sciences from Queen’s University. Prior to my PhD, I took part in the Canadian Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP), where I worked for both government and opposition Members of Parliament in Ottawa. I am the recipient of several teaching awards, including the College of Arts and Social Sciences Award (2019) and the Vice Chancellor’s Award (2020) for Excellence in Education from the Australian National University.

My research focuses on the comparative analysis of elections and political behaviour – particularly in the role that political elites play in shaping identity and public opinion. My doctoral work examined how the descriptive representation of ethnic minorities in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom influences how members of those groups feel about the responsiveness of government. My research has also examined other aspects of voter behaviour, ministerial careers, party switching, political staff, and political parties.

My current work examines the impact of white identity on politics in Canada and Australia, voters’ attitudes towards authoritarian leaders in advanced democracies, the role of political staff in representation, and post-ministerial careers in Canada. My work has appeared in Party Politics, Parliamentary Affairs, Government and Opposition, Electoral Studies, the Canadian Journal of Political Science and the Australian Journal of Political Science.

Outside of academia, I play too many board games and am very bad at trivia.