Alison is currently an Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Oregon State University. Her interest in academic research was sparked during her study abroad in Sweden in 2003, where she was exposed to field research for the first time. While studying the euro referendum in Sweden, Alison was struck by how accessible politicians, policy-makers and key people in the campaigns were to answering her questions about attitudes towards the referendum. Alison went on to complete a Masters (2007) and a Ph.D. (2011) in the European Studies Department at the London School of Economics. She found the classes she took on Scandinavian politics and welfare states in the Scandinavian Studies Department provided her with a solid foundation for graduate school. Her knowledge of Swedish has also been helpful in her work, particularly when focusing on Scandinavian case studies. Alison has authored and co-authored more than a dozen academic publications; her most recent book is From Convergence to Crisis: Labor Markets and the Instability of the Euro (2016, Cornell University Press). Her current research project relates to welfare states and housing. Alison looks back at her time in the Scandinavian Studies Department fondly, saying that it was a small, intimate department, where students had access to faculty who were eager to help; and the department “opened my eyes about the possibilities for research in the social sciences.”