Kathleen R. McNamara | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | McGill University (BA), Columbia University (MIA, PhD) |
| Occupation | Political scientist |
| Employer | Georgetown University |
Kathleen (Kate) R. McNamara is a professor in the Government Department and the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She previously served as the director of the Mortara Center for International Studies and currently serves as co-director of the Global Political Economy Project.[1] In 2018, she was named Distinguished Scholar of International Political Economy by the International Studies Association.[2] Her research focuses on the international political economy of the European Union and the role of ideas, identity, and culture.[3]
McNamara received her BA in geography from McGill University in 1984 and her MIA and PhD in political science from Columbia University in 1989 and 1995, respectively.[4][5] She has previously taught at Princeton University and Sciences Po Paris.[6]
McNamara's work on the European Union is considered an important contribution to scholarship on the subject. Her 1998 book The Currency of Ideas is viewed as a notable constructivist explanation for the origins of the Euro, and her 2015 book The Politics of Everyday Europe has been called "path-breaking," "refreshing" and "crucial" for its analysis of how and why the European Union has become a legitimate political entity, albeit fragile and often contested.[7][8][9]
In 2020, McNamara received the Society for Women in International Political Economy (SWIPE) Mentor Award, which recognizes women and men who have "invested in the professional success" of women in the international political economy field.[10][11]