about
I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My current research examines social organizations in China. By focusing on three issue areas—environmental, HIV/AIDS, and gay and lesbian—I hope to illuminate our understanding of how these groups navigate the tight political spaces afforded to them in the last decade.
This research will provide a better accounting of the current state of civil society in China thereby leading to some more realistic expectations about the future of the third sector and prospects for political change. This project builds upon previous research I conducted while on staff at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC.
Given the practical implications of my research interests and in the spirit of the "Wisconsin Idea," I aim to make my work consumable for both academic and policy communities. To this end, I have adapted my research for general audiences, having published op-eds in Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Tribune, and South China Morning Post.
For my life outside the academy, please see my interests page. To contact me, please email me at thildebrandt@wisc.edu.