Katie Stewart
Associate Professor of Political Science
Meet Professor Stewart
Years at Knox: 2017 to present
My research and teaching interests stem from a fascination with how national identities come to be so strongly held and contested. I'm broadly interested in the processes by which "we the people" is defined and promoted, who gets to do the defining, and who is excluded. I explore how this process varies in its form and effects in authoritarian versus democratic states with a particular focus on Russia and Eastern Europe. Since publishing my book, Legitimating Nationalism: Political Identity in Russia's Ethnic Republics (2024), I have begun learning Estonian and developing new research projects on monuments, cultural politics, and foreign policy in the region.
Education
Ph.D., Political Science, 2017, Indiana University
B.A. Political Science, 2010, Dickinson College
Teaching Interests
Politics & foreign policy of Russia and Eastern Europe, Authoritarianism, Nationalism, Democratization, International organizations, Comparative politics, Research methods
Selected Professional Accomplishments
Publications
Legitimating Nationalism: Political Identity in Russia's Ethnic Republics. University of Wisconsin Press, 2024.
“Cultural Production as Activism: National Theaters, Philharmonics, and Cultural Organizations in Russia’s Regional Capitals” in Varieties of Russian Activism: State-Society Contestation in Everyday Life. Jeremy Morris, Andrei Semenov, and Regina Smyth, eds. Indiana University Press 2023.
“Building the Nation through Celebrating the Nation: A Comparison of Holidays in Russia’s Regions.” Europe-Asia Studies 73, no.10(2021): 1876-1907.
“Democratic and Autocratic Nation Building.” Nationalities Papers 49, no. 2(2021): 205–12.
Policy memos with PONARS Eurasia
Selected Honors/Grants
Title VIII Fellowship, Estonian language study, Indiana University, 2025
Faculty Achievement Award, Knox College, 2024
L.J. Cartier Faculty Excellence Award, Knox College 2024
Faculty Achievement Award, Knox College, 2021
Faculty Innovation Grant, Knox College, Summer 2019
Katherine C. Greenough Award for Outstanding Dissertation, Department of Political Science, Indiana University, 2018
REEI Mellon Endowment Dissertation Write-Up Fellowship, Spring 2017
Fulbright U.S. Student Award, Russia, 2015-2016
Mellon Innovating International Research, Teaching and Collaboration Graduate Dissertation Fellowship, 2015-2016
Graduate Leadership Award, Department of Political Science, Indiana University, 2015
REEI Mellon Endowment Pre-Dissertation Fellowship, 2014
Advanced Research Fellowship, American Councils Title VIII Combined Research and Language Training Program, 2014
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship, Russian language study, 2013-2014
Title VIII Fellowship, Russian language study, Summer 2013
Associate Instructor of the Year, IU Department of Political Science, 2012-2013
The Bruce Andrews Prize in Political Science, Dickinson College, 2010
Recent Presentations
Invited talk, “Legitimating Nationalism and Russia’s War on Ukraine,” Illinois Wesleyan University, March 2026
Invited talk, “Laulupidu, Monuments, and Nation Building in Estonia,” Indiana University Summer Language Workshop, July 2025
Book Seminar: Legitimating Nationalism: Political Identity in Russia's Ethnic Republics. Post-Socialist and Comparative Memory Studies Working Group (Memory Studies Association), June 2025.
Book roundtable member: Ekaterina Haskins’ Remembering the War, Forgetting the Terror: Appeals to Family Memory in Putin’s Russia. Association for the Study of Nationalities Convention, New York, May 22-24, 2025
Book Discussion: Legitimating Nationalism: Political Identity in Russia’s Ethnic Republics Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies Convention, 2024.
Presentation, “Monument Erection and Demolition in Russian – East European Memory Wars.” PONARS Eurasia Fall Policy Conference, 2024.
Roundtable participant, “Russia's War against Ukraine: Concepts as a Weapon.” Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies Convention, 2023
Presentation, “Defining Russian Values in Russia’s Ethnic Republics.” Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies Convention, 2023
Presentation, “Karelia’s Response to Finland’s Accession to NATO.” PONARS Eurasia Fall Policy Conference, 2023
Presentation, “Consolidating Values to Consolidate Power in Russia.” PONARS Eurasia Spring Policy Conference, 2023