ABOUT THE LAB
The Gender, Violence and Policy Lab is passionate about understanding the challenges women continue to face in achieving equality in society.
MEET THE P.I.
Dr. Mariel J. Barnes
Hi! I am an Assistant Professor in the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I am also a member of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, and a faculty affiliate of Political Science, European Studies, the Institute for Research on Poverty, and the Institute for Diversity Science.
My research focuses on everyday violence against women, and specifically how social and housing policies impact survivors of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence. I am also interested in the rising backlash against women, feminism and gender equality. By undertaking this research, I hope we can design better policy so as to help more women to leave violent relationships, while also raising greater awareness about the importance of studying violence against women, particularly in academic fields where it has not been a traditional topic of investigation. Outside of work, I enjoy knitting, lifting weights, and escaping Wisconsin winters by holidaying in tropical locales.
If you’re a student, you can sign-up for office hours here.
Meet the Team
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Courtney Clark
GRADUATE STUDENT
Courtney (she/her) is a 2nd-year graduate student at the La Follette School of Public Affairs, graduating May 2025. Originally from Minnesota, she has lived in Madison, WI since beginning her undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received a bachelor's degree in community & nonprofit leadership and environmental studies. She has worked at several nonprofits and has a passion for health policy and advocacy work. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her fiancé and their two cats.
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Makenzie Peake
RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Makenzie is currently a Research Scientist in the Gender, Violence and Policy Lab. Her research focuses on analyzing the impact of the Wisconsin Domestic Violence Housing First Pilot Program (WI-DVHF). She previously received at B.A from Boise State University in Quantitative Economics and Applied Math, and a M.P.A. from the La Follette School of Public Affairs. Makenzie has also conducted research on education and trade policy, which has been published in the Regional Economist, Economic Synopses, and Review for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. In her free time, you can find her practicing yoga, hiking around Madison, or reading a historical fiction book with a cup of tea.
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Grace Skiba
GRADUATE STUDENT
Grace is a first-year MPA student at the La Follette School of Public Affairs and works as a Project Assistant to Professor Barnes. She graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in public policy. While at DePaul, Grace's interests focused primarily on law theory, social movements, and urban and environmental policy. She worked as a research assistant within the Political Science Department and as a university writing tutor. Grace's current policy interests are focused on urban issues, such as sustainability, housing, and transportation, but she is broadly interested in social policy.
We are continually learning.
We believe that learning is a continual process throughout our lives and that there are always opportunities to grow. We are open and willing to learn things we do not know and understand the importance of learning from others.
Collaborators & Coauthors
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Dr. Kaitlyn Sims
Dr. Sims is an Assistant Professor of Microeconomics for Public Policy at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Her research broadly examines how individuals cope with uncertainty and social turbulence, including housing insecurity, domestic violence, and poverty. Her work has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Criminal Justice, and Critical Social Policy. Dr. Sims received a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022.
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Dr. Kate Walsh
Dr. Walsh is a Professor and Clinical Area Group Chair in Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Walsh’s interdisciplinary program of research focuses on the intersection of trauma exposure, mental health conditions, and substance misuse with a particular focus risk factors for and outcomes of sexual violence. Her work has been published widely including in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Addictive Behaviors, Women’s Health Issues and Archives of Women’s Mental Health.
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Dr. Sabrina Karim
Dr. Sabrina Karim is an Associate Professor in Government at Cornell University and director of the Gender and Security Sector Lab. Her research focuses on conflict and peace processes, particularly state building in the aftermath of civil war. She is a co-author of two books: Positioning Women in Conflict Studies: How Women’s Status Affects Political Violence and Equal Opportunity Peacekeeping: Women, Peace, and Security in Post-Conflict Countries. Her work has appeared in the American Political Science Review, International Organization, the British Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Peace Research, among others.
