Donatella della Porta is Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence. Della Porta's research areas include social movements, political violence, terrorism, corruption, policing, and protest politics.

Currently, she is director of the Centre of Social Movement Studies and director of the PhD program in Political Science and Sociology Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence. From 2004 to 2008, she directed the European Commission-funded project DEMOS (Democracy in Europe and the Mobilization of the Society), which focused on participatory democracy and social movements. Della Porta is a recipient of the Mattei-Dogan Award for outstanding achievement in the field of political sociology. 

Most recently published (selection): From another Europe to beyond Europe? Visions of Europe in movements (2021), The brave new democracy. On the Potential of Social Movements (2020), Social Movements in Times of Austerity (2015).