Lesley Lavery

Professor Lavery’s interests include American politics, political behavior, civic engagement and public policy. Her scholarship focuses specifically on the ways in which policy may influence political engagement and participation.  Using No Child Left Behind as a lens, she recently examined parents’ views on schools, education policy and government, adding to a growing body research that suggest that public policies shape citizens beliefs about their place in and value to society.  Her recent work appears in Politics and Policy, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and the Economics of Education Review.

Prior to coming to Macalester, Professor Lavery worked to educate and inspire 7-year-olds as a Teach for America corps member in San Jose, California and conducted research at the Center for Education Data and Research at the University of Washington.  Today she enjoys exploring the Twin Cities with her family, travelling, and tracking celebrity news.

BA Willamette University
PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison