Michael Cowan is a PhD student in Political Science at the University of Toronto. He is a Research Fellow and Lab Manager at the PATRON: Policy Horizons Lab at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and a Research Fellow in the Policy, Elections, and Representation Lab (PEARL) at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. Michael's research focuses on how political geography shapes electoral fairness and representation. He is developing the MaRiPoSa Redistricting Modernization Platform, an application that allows users to redraw electoral boundaries and evaluate how different district configurations translate votes into seats in Canada's multi-party system. His broader interests include AI engineering and data science.

Beyond his research, Michael contributes to coding and methods workshops aimed at building wider engagement with social science methods and data. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Willowdale Community Legal Services, helping to connect underserved communities with legal representation.