Mellissa Meisels
Assistant Professor
Biography:
Mellissa Meisels is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and a faculty fellow of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University. Her research centers on the U.S. Congress, money in politics, electoral campaigns, and political organizations. Much of this agenda investigates the strategic choices of candidates and financial contributors in congressional campaigns, with an emphasis on primary elections.
Contact:
- 24 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT., Room 205
- mellissa.meisels@yale.edu
Education:
- Ph.D. Vanderbilt University, 2024
- M.A. Vanderbilt University, 2022
- B.A. University of California, Los Angeles, 2018
Articles:
- 2025. “Strategic Campaign Attention to Abortion Before and After Dobbs”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122(20): e2503080122.
- 2025. “Everything in Moderation? The Effect of Extremist Nominations on Individual and Corporate PAC Fundraising”. Political Science Research and Methods.
- 2024. “Giving to the Extreme? Experimental Evidence on Donor Response to Candidate and District Characteristics”. British Journal of Political Science 54(3): 851–873.
Courses Taught at Yale:
Interests:
- American Politics
- Quantitative Methods