Lesley Pruitt Wolf is an Associate Professor in Development Studies within the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. She also serves as a Research Affiliate for the Initiative for Peacebuilding at the university. Her academic background includes a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Queensland obtained in 2010, a Master of International Studies specializing in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the same university, and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Political Science from Arkansas State University. Recognized as a Truman Scholar and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Pruitt Wolf has held several notable positions throughout her career, including Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Monash University, McKenzie Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and academic appointments at Victoria University and RMIT University. Since 2020, she has been a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, advancing to her current associate professorship.

Pruitt Wolf's research specializations encompass youth participation in politics and peacebuilding, advancing gender equity in policy and practice across diverse contexts, and the integration of creative arts such as music and dance in peace processes. She acted as Chief Investigator on a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)-funded project from 2016 to 2018, which involved research, monitoring, and evaluation of programs supporting young women’s leadership. Additionally, she has collaborated with international NGOs including the World YWCA, Plan International, and the International Women’s Development Agency on initiatives promoting youth leadership for social change. Her major publications include the monograph Youth Peacebuilding: Music, Gender, and Change published by SUNY Press in 2013, the co-authored volume Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation: Combatting Civic Deficit? by Rowman & Littlefield in 2017, Dancing through the Dissonance: Creative Movement and Peacebuilding in Colombia by Manchester University Press in 2020, and peer-reviewed articles such as “Children & Migration: Political Constructions and Contestations” in Global Policy (2021), “Youth, Politics and Participation in a Changing World” in the Journal of Sociology (2017), “‘Fixing the Girls’: Neoliberal Discourse and Girls’ Participation in Peacebuilding” in the International Feminist Journal of Politics (2013), and “Music, Youth and Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland” in Global Change, Peace & Security (2011).

Professional Email: lesley.pruitt@unimelb.edu.au