Debbie Walsh

Debbie Walsh is director of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. CAWP is nationally recognized as the leading source of scholarly research and current data about women’s political participation in the United States. Its mission is to promote greater knowledge and understanding about the role of women in American politics, enhance women's influence in public life, and expand the diversity of women in politics and government. Walsh joined the Center staff in 1981 and became its director in 2001. She oversees CAWP's multi-faceted programs that include:

• leadership and campaign training programs that empower women of all ages to participate fully in politics and public life;
• research illuminating women's distinctive contributions, roles, and experiences in politics and government, including the impact of women officeholders and women's routes to elective office; and
• up-to-the-minute information, analysis and historical perspectives about women as candidates, public officials, voters, and political donors.

As the world has watched Americans considering female candidates at every level of office, CAWP's over five decades of analyzing and interpreting women's participation in American politics have provided a foundation and context for the discussion. CAWP's education and outreach programs translate research findings into action, addressing women's under-representation in political leadership with effective, innovative programs serving a variety of audiences.   

Walsh is frequently called upon by the media for information and comment, and she speaks to a variety of audiences across the country on topics related to women's political participation. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from SUNY Binghamton and her M.A. in political science from Rutgers, where she was an Eagleton Fellow.