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Photograph of Sumitra Badrinathan

Sumitra Badrinathan Assistant Professor Politics, Governance & Economics

Degrees
Ph.D in Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
M.A. in Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
M.A. in Political Science, University of Chicago
B.A. in Psychology, St. Xavier's College

Bio
Professor Badrinathan's research focuses on political communication in South Asia, with an emphasis on new platforms like WhatsApp and their effects on political misinformation, media trust, and the quality of democracy. She uses experimental and survey methods to investigate potential solutions to misinformation in developing countries along with the consequences of misinformation on political and societal outcomes, including vote choice, polarization, and social cohesion.

Her work has appeared in academic journals such as the American Political Science Review as well as popular press such as The Washington Post.

Prior to SIS, Professor Badrinathan earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and was a postdoc fellow at the University of Oxford.
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For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call 51²è¹Ý Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Fall 2024

  • SIS-673 Comparative Political Economy

Spring 2025

  • SISU-306 Adv Int'l Studies Research: Experiments in Int'l Studies

  • SISU-380 Topics in Global & Comp Govern: Political Misinformation