Laila F Sorurbakhsh

Areas of Expertise

International Affairs, Comparative Politics, Interest Groups, NGO's and Nonprofit Organizations

Laila Sorurbakhsh received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Houston with specializations in Comparative Politics, American Politics and Quantitative Methods. Her dissertation, entitled “Feedback in the EU Advocacy System,” studies how institutional, environmental, and structural changes to the European Union have impacted interest group populations via their levels of competitiveness and survivability. Laila has published works in European Political Science and Interest Groups & Advocacy, and recently received the New Faculty Research Grant to conduct interviews in Brussels, Belgium regarding interest groups and biofuel policy. Prior to joining the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University as an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Master's of International Policy and Practice Online, Laila held faculty and leadership positions at the University of West Los Angeles, the University of Houston, the University of Missouri-Columbia, American University, and the University of Houston-Downtown. Laila now lives in the DC area with her fellow political scientist husband, Leonardo Antenangeli, and their two dogs, Apollo and Soprano.

Current Research

Political Risk and Interest Group Coalitions

Education

Ph.D. 2012 University of Houston

MA 2008 University of Houston

BA 2004 University of Texas-Austin

Classes Taught

American Politics, Texas Politics, Latin American Politics, European Democracies, International Organizations, Race, Gender, Ethnicity Politics, Participation in Democracy, World Politics, College Inquiry, Government Lobbying and Advocacy, Strategic Leadership, as well as overseeing internships and courses on mentorship