Kelechi Amakoh

I am a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Tampa and a  Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at Michigan State University. My research examines political communication, political behavior, and democratic attitudes, with a focus on how political campaigns shape political judgement and group relations in multiethnic societies.

My book project, Echoes of Division: How Negative Campaigns Shape Democratic attitudes in Multiethnic Societies, examines how campaign messages, identity cues, and media environments shape citizen's evaluations of politicians and democratic institutions. Drawing primarily on evidence from Nigeria, the project combines large-scale text analysis with survey and conjoint experiments to study how political communication affects democratic attitudes and behavior. 

My broader research interests include comparative politics, African politics, political communication, political behavior, public opinion, campaigns and elections, ethnic politics, democratic institutions, political psychology, and technology and politics. My work has appeared in International Journal of Press/Politics, American Politics Research, Journal of Hate Studies, and Feminist Media Studies. 

I also work to connect political science research with broader public audiences. also work to connect political science research with broader public audiences. I was a 2025–2026 Contributing Fellow with Good Authority, where I wrote about political science research for public audiences. I have worked with Afrobarometer on policy-relevant projects across 40 African countries. In 2025, I was a Visiting Researcher at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS). 

At the University of Tampa, I teach courses in political science and international studies, building on teaching experience across comparative politics, African politics, political communication, democratic institutions, and political behavior.

I hold an M.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University, an Erasmus Mundus M.A. in Journalism, Media, and Globalization (University of Amsterdam, Aarhus University, and Danish School of Media and Journalism), and a B.Sc. in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (First Class).