Hi, I'm Dot Sawler!

I am 5th year Ph.D candidate in Political Science at the University of Rochester, where I am a Democracy Center Fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year. During the 2025-2026 academic year, I was a fellow with the W. Allen Wallis Institute of Political Economy.

My substantive research examines the how people form beliefs about political groups and institutions, and the circumstances under which these beliefs shape political behavior. My methodological work develops model-based instruments that improve our ability to elicit beliefs, tastes, and preferences in large-scale surveys. My work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Journal of Politics and PNAS Nexus, and has been supported by the Rapoport Family Foundation, The University of Rochester Department of Political Science Beck Grant, and the Institute for Humane Studies.

I am on the 2026-2027 job market! You can read my job market paper here.

To learn more about my work, please see my C.V. or my Research page. 

If you would like to get in touch with me, please reach out by email.