Mirya R. Holman


I am an Associate Professor in the Hobby School for Public Affairs at the University of Houston. 

My research interests focus on American politics and public policy, with a focus on state and local politics, gender and politics, research methods, and environmental politics. 

My book, Women in Politics in the American City (Temple University Press) examines the effect of women mayors and city council members on urban politics. I edited a volume on gender and political ambition: Good Reasons to Run. I just finished a book with Emily Farris called The Power of the Badge that will be out in 2024. 

I've been widely published in both academic journals and in the popular press, including NPR, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and others. Want to know how to pronounce my name? Here's me saying it! 

I write a newsletter focused on academic success. You can sign up for it here

Right now, I'm researching local appointed boards and commissions, sheriffs in the United States, gender and political communication, and the pathways to political office, as well as a variety of other projects. My research used a variety of advanced methods, with a focus on geographic, experimental, and survey research.