I am a first-year PhD student in Politics at Princeton University. My research interests focus on how polarization manifests in state politics.

Previously, I was a Postgraduate Research Associate at Dartmouth College, where I worked with Professor Jason Barabas and Professor Jennifer Jerit on projects related to public opinion, survey methodology, and political psychology.

I received my B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Johns Hopkins University in 2024, where I completed a senior honors thesis examining how the use of legislative language impacts the passage of climate change policy.

You can find my CV here, and reach me at molly.gahagen@princeton.edu.