I am a political scientist specializing in comparative and judicial politics, with a focus on presidentialism, democratic resilience, and the rule of law in Latin America. I received my Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University in 2026 and I am currently a Fulbright-García Robles Postdoctoral Scholar in Mexico, where I am affiliated with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Previously, I was a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil at the Fundação Getulio Vargas–São Paulo (2023–2024).

​

My research examines how courts and other institutions of horizontal accountability respond to powerful executives in the Americas. My doctoral dissertation, Judicializing Democracy and Executive Aggrandizement in the Americas, develops a comparative theory of judicial power and institutional development through an in-depth study of Brazil and Mexico.

Before Princeton, I earned a B.A. in Political Science and Jurisprudence and an M.A. in Law and Governance from Montclair State University and an M.A. in Politics from New York University.

 

My work has appeared in the Oxford Handbook of Latin American Social Movements, the Research Handbook on Judicial Politics, Latin American Perspectives and the American Political Science Association, among other outlets. I have presented my work at the annual meetings of the American Political Science Association, the Latin American Studies Association, and the Northeastern Political Science Association.

​

You can reach me at mishella.romorivas@fulbrightmail.org or msrivas@princeton.edu and follow me on X (formerly Twitter) at @MishellaRomo.