我是宋昱嫺。我於美國南卡羅來納大學取得政治學博士以及應用統計碩士。2024年，我將加入美國北德克薩斯大學政治系擔任助理教授。
我的研究興趣主要是透過政治學的視角研究司法系統裡的行為者，例如法官、檢察官、甚至是選民。我研究的範疇相關廣泛，我的博士論文探討美國特的司法選舉制度下，民眾與政治菁英的政策偏好如何透過選任制度影響地區檢察官行使裁量權。我的研究獲得美國國科會的獎助，論文章節研究成果發表在政治研究季刊，並且獲選為美國政治學年會法律與法院小組的最佳博士生會議論文獎。
2023年暑假，我取得政治學博士學位並且回到台灣，我會在台灣中研院政治所進行為期一年的訪問研究。2024年夏天，將再度返回美國、落腳德州。想進一步認識我，歡迎發電子郵件給我，我期待在台灣期間可以與學術朋友、學生有更多的交流。
Update: To fulfill a work visa-related requirement, I returned to Taiwan in the summer of 2023. During my time in Taiwan, I am affiliated with Academia Sinica as a postdoctoral fellow. I will return to the U.S. in the summer of 2024.
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Hi, I am an incoming Assistant Professor in Political Science at the University of North Texas. I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of South Carolina in 2023, where I also completed my Master's degree in Applied Statistics.
A central focus of my research is understanding the local variation in the rule of law. In this regard, my doctoral dissertation examines one under-explored actor in law and court research, US local prosecutors. Specifically, my work examines how local chief prosecutors exercise policy-oriented discretion to generate support from their principals in ways that vary across selection methods. I have received significant external support for this research, including from the National Science Foundation and the American Political Science Association (APSA). My dissertation research is chosen as the Best Graduate Student Paper at the 2023 APSA Law and Courts session. In addition to that, my solo-authored work is published in Political Research Quarterly, and co-authored work appears in the Journal of Experimental Political Science.
In addition to my work in law and court in the American context, I also study comparative constitutional courts. My recent work traces the political foundations of Asia’s first same-sex marriage decision, which was made by the Constitutional Court in Taiwan, my native country.
You can reach me at ysung@email.sc.edu