Dr. Stefes works in the field of Comparative Politics. His regional expertise lies in Europe and the South Caucasus. His research has focused on autocratic regimes and democratization, informal institutions and corruption, the politics of energy transitions, and environmental crime. Dr. Stefes' expertise is frequently cited regarding the War in Ukraine, and he has been interviewed multiple times by 9News Denver to provide insights into the status of the war.

For his research and publications, he has received generous funding from internal grants and various national science foundations. Dr. Stefes also directs the semester-long study abroad “Berlin: Bridging Global Divides” in cooperation with Ecologic Institute Berlin. For his research and teaching, he won the 2007 Research Award and the 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Expertise Areas: Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Autocratic Regimes and Democratization