Michele Kuenzi is an Associate Professor & Undergraduate Coordinator in the Department of Political Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She specializes in the area of African politics, and her research has focused on political development in Africa. She has conducted research on public opinion, political participation, political parties and the consolidation of democracy in Africa. Her articles have appeared in journals such as Comparative Political Studies, Political Behavior, Political Studies, Party Politics, and Democratization.  Her book on education and democracy in Senegal was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2011. Michelle continues to conduct fieldwork in Africa and was able to pursue her research in Senegal this past summer as a West African Research Association fellow.