From a Genetics Lab to the Heart of Democracy: A Conversation with Dr. Amanda Robinson

A cold call to a future Nobel laureate, a childhood in rural Alabama, and sixteen years of friendships in Malawi. The story behind one of Ohio State’s most dynamic voices on identity, culture, and democratic engagement.

February 11, 2026  |  By IDEA 

Dr. Amanda Robinson is Professor of Political Science and Director of Graduate Studies at The Ohio State University. Photo courtesy of the Department of Political Science.

In honor of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, IDEA sat down with Dr. Amanda Robinson to learn how a biology major from Appalachian State became one of Ohio State’s most compelling researchers on identity, culture, and democratic behavior. Her path was anything but predictable, and the story she shared is a reminder that the most meaningful careers are often shaped by curiosity, mentorship, and the willingness to follow a question wherever it leads.

An Unexpected Journey into Political Science

Dr. Robinson graduated from Appalachian State University in 2005 with a degree in Biology, fully planning to become a medical doctor. But the pull of research redirected her. She worked as a research assistant in both a genetics lab and an animal behavior lab, and those early experiences gradually shifted her interest from animal behavior toward human behavior. She added a psychology minor and set her sights on a PhD in evolutionary psychology.

To strengthen her application, she took a lab management position at the University of Rochester in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department. There, she ran experiments exploring how the brain tracks statistical patterns in language, recruiting undergraduates and young children to study how we segment speech by recognizing syllable patterns. It was cutting-edge cognitive science and absorbing.

But Rochester offered something else, too. As a lab manager, she could take classes for free, and she enrolled in her first political science course. Rochester has an exceptionally strong political science department, and the experience changed everything. She found herself captivated by questions about intergroup behavior and realized she could explore them through political science rather than psychology.

“My background in natural sciences has certainly shaped my approach to political science research,” she reflects, “primarily by orienting me to approach it as a science.”

A Phone Call That Changed Everything

When it came time to decide between a political science or psychology PhD, Dr. Robinson did something bold. She cold-called several scholars working at the intersection of the two fields. One of them was Dr. Elinor Ostrom, who would later win the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Despite having no prior connection, Dr. Ostrom spoke with her for nearly an hour. Her advice was transformative. As Dr. Robinson recalls: “She said something like, ‘Your research could look very similar in either field, so you should think about which discipline you find more interesting overall. Outside your own work, would you rather be learning about neurons or the voting system in Sweden?”

That reframing, away from her own narrow interests and toward the broader intellectual community, helped her choose political science. She ultimately completed her PhD at Stanford University and joined Ohio State, where she is now a Professor of Political Science and Director of Graduate Studies.

“I think often about Dr. Ostrom’s generosity and kindness,” she says, “and I try to pay it forward whenever I can.”

Why Identity Matters for Democracy

Dr. Robinson’s research examines how social identities, including nationality, ethnicity, race, and gender, shape political behavior, and how political processes in turn affect identity change. She works primarily in Africa and among the African diaspora, and she is a co-organizer of the Working Group in African Political Economy and a co-editor of African Affairs.

The roots of this work trace back to rural Alabama, where she grew up. “I was often puzzled by interracial relations,” she explains. “I observed that race seemed deeply salient and divisive in some contexts, while appearing almost irrelevant in others. This variation in the salience of racial identity fascinated me.”

That childhood curiosity grew into a rigorous research agenda. Today, her core question remains the same: when, why, and how do social identities become politically consequential?

Connecting Research to IDEA’s Mission

Dr. Robinson’s work speaks directly to IDEA’s mission of strengthening democratic engagement and accountability. As she puts it: “In democratic systems, social identities can be powerful tools for mobilizing participation, aggregating preferences, and holding representatives accountable to groups. At the same time, these same identities can become sources of division that undermine effective engagement and accountability.”

Understanding how to harness the mobilizing potential of group identities while mitigating their divisive effects is, in her view, a central challenge for democracies everywhere, and it is exactly the kind of question IDEA was built to explore.

Guiding the Next Generation

As Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Robinson works closely with the next generation of scholars, and she takes that responsibility seriously, especially during a difficult moment for academia. She acknowledges the challenges but returns to something essential.

“It is a profound privilege to work in a profession where some of the best human traits, creativity and curiosity, are central to success,” she says. “I try to remind our students, and sometimes myself, that it is an extraordinary opportunity to spend an entire day reading deeply about a single topic, or many years researching and writing about questions that genuinely captivate us.”

Beyond the Office

For Dr. Robinson, the boundaries between work and life are beautifully blurred. Her research takes her to Malawi annually, a place where she has close friends who feel like family after sixteen years of visits. She also travels regularly to Italy and Nicaragua.

Back home, she and her husband spend most weekends in the Kentucky hills at a small off-grid cabin. Walking in nature, sitting by a fire, reading historical fiction, and sharing long dinners with friends are what keep her grounded.

“Walking in nature and sitting in front of a fire certainly help keep me grounded,” she says.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every year on February 11 to recognize the critical role women and girls play in science, technology, and research. At IDEA, we are proud to celebrate the scholars whose work strengthens our understanding of democracy and civic engagement.

Learn more about Dr. Robinson’s work: https://www.amandalearobinson.org/