Welcome!

I am Dr. Annie Watson. I earned my PhD from the University of Georgia in the summer of 2020. Currently, I am serving as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and a Research Fellow for Women’s and Children’s Rights at the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI).

The single word that best describes my research interests and skill set is accountability. My research is focused on holding government actors accountable for the international human rights standards they have established for themselves, particularly for women’s, children’s, and economic rights. This has led to my involvement in a number of human rights measurement projects. Additionally, I am committed to furthering the practical applications of research and working with human rights practitioners to address human rights abuses at home and around the world.

In the classroom, I am most passionate about making content accessible and engaging for my students. This has led to an in-progress simulations-based redesign of the way we teach human rights and the inclusion of active advocacy work in my human rights classes. More detailed information on my research and teaching can be found at the menu options above.

When I’m not working, I enjoy reading, traveling, baking, knitting, and turning snarky sayings into cross-stitch projects.