CEPEL

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 (Electric Power 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 the project owner, RTE (very-high-voltage power line in the Lot department).
  • Observatory on Public Policy 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.

Degrees

  • 1998–2003: PhD Political Science from the University of Montpellier 1.
  • Dissertation: Industry, the Environment, and the Negotiation of Public Policy: The Case of the Cement Industry, supervised by Jean-Pierre Gaudin
    . Awarded with highest honors, with unanimous congratulations from the committee. Committee: Paul ALLIES, Professor of Political Science (Chair), Bernard BARRAQUE, Research Director at the CNRS, Jean-Pierre GAUDIN, Professor of Political Science (thesis 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

Awards, Honors, and Coordination of or Participation in Research Projects

  • Montpellier Law School Thesis Grand Prize.
  • 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 (ANR) – 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 Without Consequences? An Analysis of the Political and Social Effects of the Local Debate on Strengthening the Lot Region’s Power Grid, funded by Réseau de transport électrique (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.

Administrative Responsibilities, Research, and Commercialization

  • 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-supervised dissertation: Nicolas Ferran, “Grassroots Democracy in Montpellier’s Municipal Governments (1977–2011): (Re)configurations of Clientelism in Municipal Services” (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: Dynamics and Challenges of the 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 following journals: *Métropoles*, *Pôle Sud*, *Participations*, *Gouvernement et Action Publique*, *Géographie*, *Economie et Société*.

Interactions with the Environment

  • 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).
  • Member of the Institut de la Concertation since 2010: Organized various seminars in Montpellier; participated in working group meetings (e.g., the “guarantors of participation”).

The 5 most representative books or book chapters

  • Michel L., (2012), Industrialists and Sustainable Development, L’Harmattan.
  • Carter, C., Cazals, C., Hildemeir, J., Michel, L., and 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 Sciences of Public Debate” (in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Gaudin), in Ihl, O. (ed.), The “Sciences” of Public Action, PUG.

The 5 Most Representative Articles

  • Michel L., (2015), “Learning Participatory Standards in Industrial Environmental Policies: 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., and Guiheneuf, P.Y. (2014), “How to Analyze Territorial Governance? Testing an Analytical Framework,” *Géographie Économie Société*, 16, pp. 65–89.
  • Vimal R., Mathevet R., 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.