Callista Chim 

Hi, and thank you for your interest. I am a PhD candidate at the Department of Political Science and the School of Global Policy and Strategy of University of California, San Diego. 

My research interests lie in energy and environmental politics, political economy, and development. I study how large-scale infrastructure and energy investment reshape domestic politics and international alignment in the Global South, with a focus on the political consequences of long-term dependence on external funders. Currently, my projects look into Chinese hydropower projects in Southeast Asia.

I received my B.A. in Economics and B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Nevada, Reno in December of 2021 with a minor in Mathematics. I received my A.A. in Business Administration from Truckee Meadows Community College. I previously worked on projects about opioid prescribing laws in Nevada and the intermittency challenge of wind energy. 

I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and I am a first-generation college student. My favorite part of town is the coffee shops on Petaling Street, and my comfort meal is a warm bowl of Asam Laksa.