Joshua C. Gellers
Curriculum Vitae, March 9, 2016
3151 Social Science Plaza A
Irvine, CA 92697
(954) 608-1748
jgellers@uci.edu
EDUCATION
Ph.D. University of California, Irvine, Political Science, Expected Dec. 2013
Fields: International Relations, Comparative Politics, Environmental Policy
Dissertation: (In)credible Commitments or False Promises? Analyzing the
Emergence of Constitutional Environmental Rights
Committee: Dr. Wayne Sandholtz (chair), Dr. Richard Matthew, Dr. Diana
Kapiszewski, Dr. Joseph DiMento (Law)
M.A. University of California, Irvine, Political Science, Sep. 2009
M.A. Columbia University, Climate and Society, Oct. 2007
B.A.
University of Florida, Honors Program, Political Science, Dec. 2005
GPA: 4.0/4.0, Minor in Geography, Certificate in International Relations
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-Reviewed
“Greening Constitutions with Environmental Rights: Testing the Isomorphism Thesis.”
Review of Policy Research. 29(4): 522-542 (2012).
Non-Peer Reviewed
Review of Kerri Woods, Human Rights and Environmental Sustainability, Cheltenham:
Edward Elgar, 2010, International Environmental Agreements. 12(2): 211-214
(2012).
“Righting Environmental Wrongs: Assessing the Role of Legal Systems in Redressing
Environmental Grievances.” Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation. 26(2):
461-492 (2011).
Review of Oran R. Young, Leslie A. King, and Heike Schroeder (Eds.), Institutions and
Environmental Change: Principal Findings, Applications, and Research
Frontiers, Cambridge: MIT Press, 2008. International Environmental
Agreements. 10(1): 85-87 (2010).
Works in Progress
“Survival of the Greenest: A Statistical Analysis of Constitutional Environmental Rights”
(under review)
“A Rose by Any Other Name? Explaining the Absence of Constitutional Environmental
Rights in Sri Lanka”
“Expecting the Elephant but Getting the Mouse: Analyzing the Adoption of a
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Constitutional Environmental Right in Nepal”
“Sisters in Sustainability: Municipal Partnerships for Social, Environmental, and
Economic Growth” (with 3 others)
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
UC Irvine
Center in Law, Society, & Culture Collaborative Travel Grant, $500, 2013
Human Security Fellowship, Center for Unconventional Security Affairs, $500, 2013
Political Science Department Research Award, $1,500, $2,000, 2013; $1,500, 2012;
$1,500, 2011; $1,200, 2009
UCI Public Impact Fellowship, $1,000, winter 2013
Graduate Student Paper Award, Environmental Studies Section, International Studies
Association, $100, 2013
Associate Dean’s Fellowship, $5,500, fall 2012, spring 2010
Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies Graduate Student Grant, $1,000, 2012
Sustainability Science Team Fellowship, Environment Institute, $12,800, 2011-12
Environmental Protection Agency P3 (People, Prosperity, and the Planet) Grant, $15,000,
2011 (with 13 others)
Center in Law, Society, & Culture Collaborative Project Grant, $900, 2010 (with 3
others)
Debbie Davis Graduate Student Award for Advocacy and Leadership, $300, 2009
Center for Research in International and Global Studies (RIGS) Grant, $500, 2008
Social Science Merit Award, teaching assistantship for tuition and stipend, 2007-2011
Social Science Tuition Fellowship, award covering non-resident tuition, 2007-2008
Columbia University
Climate and Society Merit Award, partial tuition scholarship, 2006-2007
SELECT CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES
Invited Speaker, “Survival of the Greenest: A Statistical Analysis of Constitutional
Environmental Rights.” Presented at the Yale/UNITAR Workshop on Rights in
Environmental Governance: Explaining their Emergence, Examining their
Effectiveness, Yale University, New Haven, CT, Apr. 26-27, 2013.
“’Expecting the Elephant but Getting the Mouse’: Analyzing the Adoption of a
Constitutional Environmental Right in Nepal.” Presented at the Midwest Political
Science Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr. 11-14, 2013.
“Survival of the Greenest: A Statistical Analysis of Constitutional Environmental
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Rights.” Presented at the International Studies Association Convention, San
Francisco, CA, Apr. 3-6, 2013; Workshop on Constitutional Environmental
Rights, Widener School of Law, Wilmington, DE, May 31, 2012.
“Constitutional Environmental Rights: A Quantitative Analysis of Intra-Regional
Influences.” Presented at the Western Political Science Association Annual
Meeting, Portland, OR, Mar. 22-24, 2012; International Studies Association
Convention, San Diego, CA, Apr. 1-4, 2012.
“Greening Constitutions with Environmental Rights: Testing the Isomorphism Thesis.”
Presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Seattle,
WA, Sep. 1-4, 2011.
Organizer, “a3[Assemble.Advocate.Act]: A Conference on Climate Justice.” UC Irvine
School of Law, Irvine, CA, Apr. 1, 2011
“Climate Change and Environmental Security: Bringing Realism Back In.” Presented at
the International Studies Association Convention, New Orleans, LA, Feb. 17-20,
2010.
“Green Standing and Environmental Justice: A Comparative Study of Judicial Access in
Environmental Litigation.” Presented at the International Studies Association
Convention, New Orleans, LA, Feb. 17-20, 2010.
“A Standing (Inn)Ovation: The Globalizing Norm of Increased Judicial Access in
Environmental Litigation.” Presented at the Negotiating Legal Boundaries
Conference, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, May 14-16, 2009.
“Rational Choice Institutionalism and Environmental Policy: A Case Study of Cap-andTrade Proposals in the 110th Congress.” Presented at the PhD Workshop in
International Climate Policy, Columbia University, New York, NY, Apr. 17-18,
2009.
“Markets or Maple Trees? Constructing a Sustainable Environmental Ethic.” Presented at
the International Studies Association Convention, New York, NY, Feb. 15-18,
2009.
“U.S. Congressional Conceptions of Climate Change: An Interpretivist Approach.”
Presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Boston,
MA, Aug. 28-31, 2008.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Instructor
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Cal Poly Pomona: Politics of Developing Areas, winter 2013
o Received teaching evaluation score of 1.25 on scale of 1 (very good) to 5
(very poor)
UC Irvine: Introduction to International Relations, summer session II 2012, 2011
o Received teaching evaluation scores of 8.54, 8.25 out of 9.0
Teaching Assistant
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Federalism, Courts, & the Regulatory State, spring 2013, 2012, 2011
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Cyberspeech and Gaming Law, winter 2012
Introduction to Law, fall 2011
Law & Markets, winter 2011
Contemporary Constitutional Rights, fall 2010
International Law and the U.S. Legal System, winter 2010
International Law, fall 2009
Global Issues and Institutions, spring 2009, 2008
Economic Development, winter 2009
Global Economy, fall 2008
Introduction to International Relations, winter 2008
Introduction to Political Science: Micropolitics, fall 2007
o Average General Teaching Effectiveness Score of 6.15 out of 7.0
o Received Dean’s Commendation for Outstanding Teaching 10 quarters
o Received departmental commendation for Contemporary Constitutional
Rights, fall 2010 (award subsequently suspended)
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
UC Irvine
Research Assistant for Dr. Wayne Sandholtz, Courts and the Globalization of Law
Project, Jul.-Dec. 2010
Research Assistant for Dr. David Feldman, Book Project on Environmental Civil Society
in Russia, Jan.-Mar. 2009
The Earth Institute at Columbia University
Research Assistant for Dr. Nicole Peterson, Center for Research on Environmental
Decisions (CRED), May-Sep. 2007
Research Assistant for Dr. John Mutter, Social Vulnerability and Heat Wave Mortality
Project, Sep. 2006-May 2007
Research Assistant for Dr. David Downie, Global Roundtable on Climate Change
(GROCC), May-Aug. 2006
SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Honorary Fellow, Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2012present
Assistant Director, Focused Research Group in International Environmental Cooperation,
UC Irvine, 2009-present
Chair, Panel on Issues in Comparative Environmental Politics. Midwest Political Science
Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr. 13, 2013.
Guest Editor, Nepal Journal of Social Science and Public Policy, 2012-13
Co-Chair, Subcommittee on Education, Research, and Outreach Efforts, UC Irvine
Sustainability Committee, 2008-2011
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Participant, Empirical Legal Scholarship Workshop: The Advanced Course,
Northwestern Law School, Chicago, IL, Feb. 3-6, 2011
Social Sciences Representative and Legislative Liaison, Associated Graduate Students of
UC Irvine, 2008-2010
Campus Sustainability Campaign Commissioner, Associated Students of UC Irvine, 2008
Referee, Publius: The Journal of Federalism
Graduate Affiliate, Center for Unconventional Security Affairs, Center for Asian Studies,
Center in Law, Society & Culture, UC Irvine
Member, American Political Science Association, International Studies Association,
Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences, American Institute for Sri
Lankan Studies
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