Petia Kostadinova is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Some of her research focuses on the policy commitments made by political parties, voters’ perceptions of such commitments, and the institutional mechanisms that allow parties to act on those commitments once in office. Additionally, Prof. Kostadinova conducts research on the democratic processes within the EU, including accountability mechanisms through the Office of the European Ombudsman, the agenda-setting role of the European Commission, the interaction between the Commission and the European Parliament, and the ability of national-level government members to pursue their policies through the EU.  Prof. Kostadinova also has extensive experience in academic program development and administration.