COD Experts: Melissa Mouritsen

With experience in Chicago government including work as a building and zoning consultant, Political Science Professor Melissa Mouritsen offers practical knowledge in urban and suburban politics. She has done extensive research on Chicago metropolitan politics and most recently co-authored "Twenty-First Century Chicago," an anthology that investigates the social, economic, political and governmental conditions of Chicago in this century. She is currently working on the second edition of Illinois Government and Politics: A Citizen’s Guide, with Jim Nowlan and Kent Redfield, due out next year.

She has recently spoken on rising poverty levels in Chicago suburbs, in particular DuPage County. Mouritsen received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois, Chicago.  

Contact Mouritsen at mouritsenm@cod.edu or (630) 942-2670.

Melissa Mouritsen

We have great institutions, great documents and great ideals. Sometimes people rise to the challenge and sometimes they don’t. But it’s still something to believe in. And it’s still something that one person can make a difference in.

- Melissa Mouritsen, Professor of Political Science

Areas of Expertise

  • Urban Politics
  • Local Politics
  • Voting Rights in DuPage County
  • Suburban Poverty Levels on the Rise
  • Chicago Mayors
  • Political Conspiracy Theories

More About Melissa Mouritsen