Ifeoluwa Olawole

Ifeoluwa Olawole is a political scientist and the Director of Research for Peace and Governance at Mercy Corps, where she leads a global research portfolio on conflict, political behavior, democracy, and governance, as well as intersecting themes such as climate, localization, and resilience. Her work spans several regions and focuses on how peacebuilding and governance interventions can reduce violence and strengthen trust, accountability, and community resilience in fragile and conflict-affected settings. She earned a Ph.D. in political science (international relations and comparative politics) from American University, and her research has been supported by multiple grants and published in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. Before joining Mercy Corps, she served as a foreign affairs analyst with the U.S. government, working on intelligence, democracy, extremism, and nonproliferation. She has also worked at the World Bank, Creative Associates, and the University of Pennsylvania Linguistic Data Consortium. She brings a field-grounded perspective and emphasizes bridging rigorous evidence with policy and practice.