Michaela is a PhD student at the University of Toronto in the Department of Political Science and  a SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada doctoral fellow. From 2020-2021, Michaela worked as a political officer on the China desk at Global Affairs Canada, and has previously completed fellowships in mainland China and Taiwan. Before arriving at UofT, Michaela worked at the China Institute, a Canadian foreign policy think tank. She has previously held the 2019 Graduate Fellowship at the Institute for Municipal Finance and Governance, and has consulted on governance and strategic planning for a variety of municipalities in Western Canada. Previously, Michaela completed an MA in Political Science at the University of British Columbia, and a BA in Environmental Studies at the University of Alberta.