• About:


      Christine Trost is Associate Director of the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, where she develops research and training activities, coordinates programs and events, and helps direct the overall mission of the Institute, which is dedicated to advancing qualitative and quantitative interdisciplinary research on pressing social issues. Trost holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Berkeley. She has written journal articles and edited volumes on topics related to American politics including, most recently, Steep: The Precipitous Rise of the Tea Party (UC Press, 2012), with Larry Rosenthal. Prior to her position at ISSI, she led the research arm of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies’ Improving Campaigns Project (funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts) and taught courses in American politics and government at UC Berkeley and Mills College. In 2008 Trost received the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award for her work as a member of the Berkeley Initiative for Leadership and Diversity Steering Committee.