Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Young graduated from the University of Memphis with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a concentration in American Foreign Policy. She received her master’s in political science with a concentration in International Relations and Comparative Politics from the University of Memphis before transferring to Purdue University where she completed her PhD in Political Science in 2013. Her major area of concentration is in International Relations with minors in Comparative Politics and Political Behavior and Institutions.

Dr. Young’s research is interdisciplinary, and she has published in multiple areas, including International Relations, Comparative Politics, American Politics, and on teaching pedagogy. Her main areas of interest are in global environmental politics, the impact of crises on political behavior and institutions, the causes of war, and premodern state formation. Her most recent publication, Who are the 3 per cent? The connections among climate change contrarians, which she co-authored with a GGC student, is one
of the top trending articles in political science and has received international recognition. She has several follow-up publications under review as well as a book she is working on which explores this topic further.

In addition to her research, Dr. Young is active in the GGC community, serving as affiliated faculty for Environmental Science, serving on the Environmental Science Board, and serving as Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Studies.