About Me

Welcome! I am a Ph.D. Candidate in International Relations at the University of North Texas currently on the 2022-2023 job market. 

I study the role of women and gender in conflict processes and peacebuilding institutions. 

My dissertation is a book project about the cause and effects of transitional justice processes that address legacies of gender inequality and violence against women during conflict. I develop a theory to explain when, why, and how gender becomes part of the transitional justice process, and introduce novel data on truth commissions, reparations, and human rights trials that engage women and women’s issues. The Gender Informed Transitional Justice Dataset (GITJ) contains information on three dimensions of gender: women’s visible inclusion (commission members and testimonies), institutional engagement with women’s groups, and gendered outcomes of justice processes (recommendations, reparations, and verdicts). These data are coded using information from the Transitional Justice Research Collaborative database, official government documents (final reports issued by truth commissions and other government agencies), United Nations reports, NGO reports, and media reporting via Nexis Uni. This project offers a first step toward understanding how transitional justice mechanisms are informed by women, a marginalized identity group often targeted during armed conflict. 

I teach courses on international relations, peace studies, human rights, gender and security, transitional justice, and gendered conflict processes.

Outside of research and teaching, I enjoy spending time with my rescue dogs Barnaby & Tucker, traveling, and trying new cuisine. 

Contact: pollyroark@my.unt.edu