Sharon F. Lean
Associate Professor and Chair
313-577-3169
313-993-3435 (fax)
2059 Faculty/Administration Building
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Sharon F. Lean
Sharon F. Lean is associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science. She joined the Wayne State faculty in 2005. She is the recipient of Wayne State's 2016 Outstanding Graduate Director Award and the 2011 President's Award for Excellent in Teaching. From May 2018 to August 2021, she served as associate dean of the Graduate School. Dr. Lean specializes in the comparative politics of Latin America and regularly offers courses with short-term study abroad in Mexico.
Research interest(s)/area of expertise
- Comparative Politics, Latin America/Mexico and Central America
- Problems of civil society, state, transparency and accountability
- Graduate program administration/graduate student success
Education
- Ph.D. in Political Science, University of California - Irvine
- M.A. in Social Sciences, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO- México)
- B.A. in Latin American Studies (with honors), Brown University
Awards and grants
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NSF ADVANCE: STEM Intersectional Equity in Departments (SIEDS): A Partnership for Inclusive Work Cultures. PI-Mark Kornbluh, Co-PIs Boris Baltes, Krista Brumley, Sharon Lean, Matthew Piszczek. (2023-2028).
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Council of Graduate Schools/Mellon PhD Career Pathways: Humanities Coalition Grant. Co-PI with Amanda Bryant Freidrich, Elizabeth Faue and Caroline Maun (2021-23).
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100K Strong Met Life Study Abroad Innovation Grant. Co-PI with Jaclyn Assarian, Fred Pearson. In collaboration with Universidad Externado, Bogotá, Colombia (2018).
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USAID Democracy Fellows and Grants Program Research and Innovation Grant: Strengthening Women's Civic and Political Participation. Co-PI with Kyu-Nahm Jun and Stine Eckert (2016).
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NEH Next Generation Humanities Scholars Planning Grant. faculty participant, PI Elizabeth Faue (2016).
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Fulbright Scholar Award. Visiting Researcher at El Colegio de México, México D.F. (2013).
Selected publications
- Lean, Sharon F. and Evan Bitzarakis. 2023. “Asserting Integrity in Mexico’s Civic Sector” Public Administration and Development. 43(1) 70-79.
- Lean, Sharon F. et al. 2021. "Women’s Civic and Political Participation in the Developing World: Obstacles and Opportunities." Journal of International Women's Studies. 22(9).
- Lean, Sharon F. and Alanna D. Jackson, 2018. “Mexican Political Development.” In Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science. Ed. Sandy Maisel. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Lean, Sharon F. 2012. Civil Society and Electoral Accountability in Latin America. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Legler, Thomas, Sharon F. Lean and Dexter Boniface, eds. 2007. Promoting Democracy in the Americas. Johns Hopkins University Press.