Grant Burrier

I completed my Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of New Mexico with sub-field specializations in Comparative Politics and International Relations. My dissertation analyzed infrastructure investments and sustainable development in Brazil, focusing on the policymaking process in Brazil’s developmental state and the socio-environmental impacts of hydroelectric dams in the Amazon. My principal research interests include political economy, the environment, renewable energy, social welfare, institutions, elections, and populism.

I am a Latin American and Caribbean expert broadly-speaking with publications on many countries in the region. I am a comparativist at heart and thoroughly fascinated by the lessons gleaned from comparing nations around the world with an inter-disciplinary lens. My scholarly research has been featured in World Development, the Journal of Environment and Development, the Journal of Development Studies, and the Journal of International Relations and Development, but I enjoy publishing in popular press outlets, bringing academic rigor to broader audiences. I am a frequent contributor to Global Americans and I have published in The Christian Science Monitor, World Politics Review, NACLA, and the Globe Post.

I recently served as President of the New England Council of Latin American Studies (NECLAS; 2020-2021) and remain an Ex-Oficio member of the Executive Committee. I also serve as an official election inspector and translator for the City of Boston.