About
Kelly Dittmar is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University–Camden and Director of Research at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. She is the co-author of A Seat at the Table: Congresswomen’s Perspectives on Why Their Representation Matters (Oxford University Press, 2018) (with Kira Sanbonmatsu and Susan J. Carroll) and author of Navigating Gendered Terrain: Stereotypes and Strategy in Political Campaigns (Temple University Press, 2015). Dittmar’s research focuses on gender and American political institutions. At CAWP, Dittmar manages national research projects, helps to develop and implement CAWP’s research agenda, and contributes to CAWP reports, publications, and analyses. She also works with partner organizations, public leaders, and scholars to foster collaboration and promote actionable research development and translation.
Dittmar currently serves as a co-editor of Politics & Gender, an agenda-setting journal that publishes the highest quality scholarship on women, gender, and politics. She is also a contributor to Forbes Women and has been an expert source and commentator for media outlets including MSNBC, NPR, PBS, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.
Dittmar was an American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellow from 2011 to 2012, where she served as a legislative aide on education, labor, social welfare, and women’s issues. She previously worked as a Federal Legislative Assistant for Governor Jennifer Granholm (MI).
Dittmar earned her B.A. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI and her Ph.D. from Rutgers University-New Brunswick.