Callie Raacke

Callie Raacke is a first-year Ph.D. student in political science whose research interests span international relations, comparative politics, and gender studies, with a regional interest in the Middle East and North Africa. She is broadly interested in how ideas diffuse across borders and interact with domestic political structures. Her early research explores how authoritarian regimes incorporate gender reforms into governance and how these strategies shaped political change.

Callie’s background includes multiple competitive research grants, conference presentations, and experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods. She was a visiting student at the University of Oxford St. Edmund Hall, where she began learning Arabic to deepen her regional expertise. She has also conducted research in political science, philosophy, and biology. Her teaching experience as a tutor, lecture teaching assistant, and lab teaching assistant has fueled her passion for undergraduate education and mentorship, which she hopes to bring to KU’s campus.

Originally from Hays, Kansas, Callie is excited to join KU’s interdisciplinary research community and continue building a broad foundation in political science while developing her language skills and research agenda.

Fun facts: I've lived in six different states.  I'm a foodie and I love to drink coffee.  My family has two chihuahuas named Doc and Stitch