Education

Ph.D., Political Science, Louisiana State University (2012)
M.A., Political Science, Louisiana State University (2010)
B.A., Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, Michigan State University (2002)

Background

Dr. Andrea C. Simonelli holds a master's degree and doctorate in political science from Louisiana State University focused on governance responses to human migration; specifically legal and institutional frameworks to address internal and cross border displacement due to climate processes. She earned a diploma from the United Nations University Environment and Human Security Programme and Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre Summer School in Forced Migration. She is a speaker for the Climate Voices Network, sits on the roster of experts for the Adaptation Fund and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, is a member of the Human Rights and Climate Change Working Group, is an associate with Millennium Alliance for Humanity & the Biosphere, and serves on the board of directors for Many Strong Voices.

Her first book, Governing Climate Induced Migration and Displacement: IGO Expansion and Global Governance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), was an institutional analysis of four intergovernmental organizations and their expansion, or lack thereof, to govern those becoming displaced by climate processes.

Dr. Simonelli’s work as a research associate on a project for the Norwegian Research Council regarding the Perceptions of Climate and Migration in the Maldives is continuing to yield many publications in both academic journals and edited volumes. Her next project stems from her work in the field, evaluating the facets of community resilience in the Pacific.

Prior to her academic career, Dr. Simonelli received her bachelor's degree in political theory and constitutional democracy from Michigan State University’s James Madison College. She spent more than 10 years as a finance director for U.S. political candidates and a state party, electing officials at both the state and federal legislative levels.

Select Publications

Ilan Kelman, Himani Upadhyay, Andrea C. Simonelli, Alex Arnall, Divya Mohan, Lingaraj G J, Shadananan Nair, and Christian Webersik (2017) “Here and Now: Perceptions of Indian Ocean Islanders on the Climate Change and Migration Nexus,” Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography 99:3, 284-303.

Andrea C. Simonelli, “A Good Economy in Rising Seas: Kandholhudhoo, Dhuvaafaru, and the need for a Development-based Island Migration Policy,” in Migration, Risk Management and Climate Change: Evidence and Policy Responses, Springer’s ‘Global Migration Issues Series’, 2016.

Andrea C. Simonelli, (2015) “Governing Climate Induced Migration and Displacement: IGO Expansion and Global Policy Implications,” Palgrave Macmillan (International Political Economy Series), London.

Andrea C. Simonelli, “The Ethical Responsibility of the Loss and Damage Mechanism: a consideration of Non- Economic Loss and Human Rights,” in Ethical Values and the Global Climate Integrity System, in Ashgate’s ‘Law, Ethics and Governance Series, 2015.

Andrea C. Berringer, “Global Governance Regimes and the Incorporation of Climate Change Displacement,” in Climate Change and Global Policy Regimes: Towards Institutional Legitimacy, Tim Cadman (ed.), Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.