Laura MICHEL

Career History

Since February 2005: University of Montpellier, Associate Professor of Political Science. Researcher at CEPEL.
2003–2005: University of Montpellier 1, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science.
2002–2003: RTE (Electricity Transmission Network) / CNDP (National Commission for Public Debate): Member of the panel of scrutineers for the public debate organized by the CNDP at the request of RTE (very-high-voltage power line in the Lot department).
Observatory of Public Policies in Southern Europe (OPPES): Research Fellow.
1998–2002: ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) – Paris. Doctoral research contract.
1997–1998: AGOH – OH Groupe, Paris. Consultant. Research and consulting (environmental conflict management) for various industrial groups (Ciments Français/Italcementi/Calcia, Lafarge Ciments, Total).
1994–1997 CNFPT (National Center for Local Public Service) – Paris. Research Analyst at the Observatory of Local Public Service.

1998–2003: PhD Political Science from the University of Montpellier 1.
Thesis: Industry, the Environment, and the Negotiation of Public Policy: The Case of the Cement Industry, supervised by Jean-Pierre Gaudin and
. Awarded summa cum laude, with unanimous congratulations from the jury. Committee: Paul ALLIES, Professor of Political Science (Chair), Bernard BARRAQUE, Research Director at the CNRS, Jean-Pierre GAUDIN, Professor of Political Science (advisor), Patrick HASSENTEUFEL, Professor of Political Science (reviewer), Danny TROM, Research Fellow at the CNRS (reviewer).
1993 Master’s degree in Political Science, “Local Government and Local Administration,” Sciences Po Bordeaux.
1992 Bachelor's degree from Sciences Po Bordeaux, Department of Political and Social Sciences

Montpellier Law School Thesis Award.
Surfood Program (Sustainable Urban Food Systems), funded by the Agropolis Foundation, coordinated by Nicolas Bricas (CIRAD, UMR Moïsa), 2013–2015, co-leader of the “Governance” research area.
GEDI Program (European Governance of Industries), funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) – coordinated by Andy Smith (SPIRIT, UMR 5116, IEP Bordeaux), 2009–2012.
GOUVINNOV Project (Territorial Governance and Rural Development), funded by the PSDR Program, 2009–2011; scientific coordinator for CEPEL.
PAECE Program (Toward an Ecological Approach to Electoral Behavior), funded by the French National Research Agency – coordinated by Jean-Yves Dormagen (CEPEL, UMR 5112, Montpellier), 2006–2009.
Research report on the Fondation de France’s “New Patrons” program, funded by the Fondation de France and directed by Emmanuel Négrier (CEPEL-CNRS), Paris, 2005.
A debate with no consequences? An analysis of the political and social effects of the local debate on strengthening the power grid in the Lot region, funded by the French Electricity Transmission Network (RTE), co-authored with Loïc Blondiaux (CERAPS), Isabelle Ras (GRETS), and Eric Drocourt (GRETS), January 2004.
Program: “Interest Groups and Decision-Making Processes in the Defense Sector: Comparative Approaches,” edited by William Genieys (CEPEL-CNRS), for the Center for Advanced Studies in Armaments (CHEAr), Ministry of Defense, Paris, June 2003.

Co-founder of the Master 2 program in Research and Consulting in 2008 and co-director until 2013.
Director of the Master’s 1 program in political science since 2007.
Co-supervised dissertation: Romain Suchet, “Nuclear Management in Crisis: A Study Based on the Perspectives of Crisis Managers” (advisor: J.-Y. Dormagen), defended on January 9, 2014.
Co-supervision of a dissertation: Nicolas Ferran, “Local Democracy in Montpellier’s Municipal Governments (1977–2011): (Re)configurations of Clientelism in Municipal Governance” (advisor: J.-Y. Dormagen), defended on January 15, 2014.
Co-supervision of a dissertation: Ludovic Mariotti, “Health Care Reform Through the Lens of Nonprofit Organizations: The Dynamics and Challenges of Reform for Organizations in the Medical-Social Sector” (advisor: J.-Y. Dormagen), in progress.
Participation in various thesis committees.
Participation in conferences on knowledge dissemination: e.g., “Participatory Democracy and Environmental Dialogue,” organized by the Ministry of the Environment on May 5, 2015, at the National Museum of Natural History.
Peer reviewing for the journals: Métropoles, Pôle Sud, Participations, Gouvernement et Action Publique, Géographie, Economie et Société.

2014–2015 Project management support for Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (MMM): P2A Project (Agricultural and Food Policy), coordinated by Christophe Soulard, INRA.
2012–2013 Various collaborations with the City of Montpellier on participatory democracy; organization of the event: “Local Governments and Charters of Participation: National Day for the Exchange of Experiences,” Montpellier, March 22, 2013, Faculty of Law and Political Science.
2013–2015 Appointed as the liaison for the consultation process on the new train station project (Réseau Ferré de France, RFF).
Since 2010, Member of the Institut de la Concertation: Organized various seminars in Montpellier; participated in working group meetings (e.g., the Participation Ombudsmen).

Michel L., (2012), Industrialists and Sustainable Development, L’Harmattan.
Carter C., Cazals C., Hildemeir J., Michel L., Villareal A., (2014), “Sustainable Development Policy: ‘Competitiveness’ in All but Name,” in Jullien B. and Smith A. (eds), The EU’s Government of Industries: Omnipresent, Incomplete, and Depoliticized, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Blondiaux, L., and Michel, L. (2009), “The Debate Over Expertise Mechanisms,” in Boy, D., and Brugidou, M. (eds.), Public Debate: A Risk to Democracy?, Paris: Lavoisier.
Michel L., (2008) “The French Cement Industry and the Environment,” in Genieys and Smyrl, eds., *Accounting for Change*, New York, Palgrave Macmillan.
Gaudin, J.-P., and Michel, L. (2006), “High-Voltage Debate and the Social Sciences of Public Debate” (in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Gaudin), in Ihl, O. (ed.), The “Social Sciences” of Public Action, PUG.

Michel L., (2015), “The Adoption of Participatory Standards in Industrial Environmental Policy: The Case of the Cement Industry,”*Politiques et Management public*, 32/1, January–March.
With Rey-Valette H., Chia E., Mathé S., Michel L., Nougarèdes B., Soulard C., Maurel P., Jarrige F., Barbe E., Guiheneuf P.Y., (2014), “How to Analyze Territorial Governance? Testing an analytical framework,” Géographie Économie Société, 16, pp. 65–89.
Vimal R., Mathevet R., and Michel L., “Between Expertise, Technocracy, and Stakeholder Dynamics: Can We Collectively Develop a Policy for Integrated Nature Management?” *Natures, Sciences, Sociétés*, 4/2012.
Genieys, W., and Michel, L. (2006), “Beyond the Military-Industrial Complex: The Role of a Sectoral Elite in the Leclerc Tank Program,” Revue française de sociologie, 47-1.
Genieys, W., and Michel, L. (2005), “The Invention of the Leclerc Tank,” French Politics, 3.