Recently, the New York Times reported that the Republican Party spent more than $227 million on ads featuring Nancy Pelosi between 2018 and 2022. The prevalence and tone of these ads came under scrutiny in light of escalating threats of violence against the former Speaker of the House.

Erin Cassese, a professor of political science and international relations, will share her research analyzing women leaders in Congressional campaign ads from 2010 to 2020, with a focus on representations of Nancy Pelosi as the speaker for this year's Carter Faculty Research Award lecture. Her work seeks an understanding of the gendered dynamics of negative campaigning and to examine the implications of those dynamics for women’s political careers. 

Registration is required.

Cassese joined the UD community in 2018. She holds appointments in the Department of Political Science & International Relations, Communication, and Women and Gender Studies. Her current research focuses on voter psychology, with an emphasis on the role gender plays in political campaigns and elections. Her book, Abortion Attitudes and Polarization in the American Electorate, is forthcoming at Cambridge University Press. Cassese’s scholarship has been cited by national media outlets, including The New York Times,The Washington Post, Vox and FiveThirtyEight. Cassese is also a senior researcher at the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media, where she conducts research on representation in entertainment media focused on gender, race/ethnicity, age, body size, disability, and LGBTQ+ identification.

The Carter Series presents lectures focused on outstanding research on women, including the annual Faculty Research Award Lecture, funded by the Mae and Robert Carter Endowment in Women's Studies. Cassese is the 2024 recipient of the Award.

The Carter Series lectures are intended to provide an opportunity to explore varied topics addressing contemporary feminism and to foster an environment in which feminist ideas may thrive. Presenters include faculty, staff, and current and former students addressing topics and issues affecting women's lives.