David Barker Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues; U.S. politics; congressional relations; diversity in politics

David Barker is an expert on a broad range of topics, including American political parties, campaigns/elections, representation, culture/polarization, ideology/attitudes, information/communication, political institutions (Congress and the Presidency), and a wide variety of public policy issues. He is the author of four books and several dozens of research articles. His research has been nominated for several national awards, and he has been a frequent commentator in the national and international media outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, The Atlantic, Vox, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, The Globe and Mail, among many others. His latest book, The Politics of Truth in Polarized America, is the first comprehensive examination of the "politics of truth" -- its context, causes, and potential correctives.

Richard BenedettoAdjunct Professorial Lecturer, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues; presidential politics

Richard Benedetto is an adjunct professor of Journalism. He is a retired White House correspondent and columnist for USA Today and political columnist for Gannett News Service. He reported on local, state and national government and politics for nearly 40 years and continues to write political commentary.

Louis E. Caldera Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law, Washington College of Law

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues

Louis E. Caldera is a distinguished adjunct professor of Law and senior affiliate of American University Washington College of Law’s Program on Law and Government. Prior to teaching, Caldera served in two Senate confirmed positions during the Clinton Administration, including as Secretary of the Army, and in the Obama White House as an Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Military Office. He is available for interviews in both English and Spanish.

Jeffrey Crouch Assistant Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues; U.S. politics; federal executive clemency; presidential pardon power

Jeffrey Crouch, assistant professor of American politics, is the Editor of AU's Congress & the Presidency journal. He is the author of The Presidential Pardon Power. Prof. Crouch’s research focuses primarily on federal executive clemency, also known as the presidential pardon power.

Amy Dacey Executive Director, Sine Institute of Policy & Politics

Areas of Expertise: U.S. Elections: Federal, State and Local, U.S. Party System, Policy and Government Affairs, Labor Movement, Progressive Infrastructure, Women and Elections

Amy K. Dacey is Executive Director of the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics. For more than two decades, she managed prominent national organizations, and advised leading elected officials and candidates. Amy has a deep knowledge of U.S. elections: Federal, State and Local, U.S. party system, policy and government affairs, labor movement, progressive infrastructure, and women and elections.

Chris EdelsonAssistant Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues; constitutional interpretation; presidential power; U.S. Supreme Court; Russia investigation

Chris Edelson, assistant professor of government, is the author of Power without Constraint: The Post 9/11 Presidency and National Security.

Fernando Laguarda Professorial Lecturer, Washington College of Law

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues

Professor Fernando Laguarda is director of American University Washington College of Law’s Program on Law and Government, a premiere center for the study of government, legislation, and constitutional and administrative law in the nation's capital. Previously, he served as vice president of external affairs and policy counselor for Time Warner Cable, where he helped the company develop and advance its policy positions, consumer protection, competition, intellectual property and telecommunications regulation. He is available for interviews in both English and Spanish.

Allan Lichtman Distinguished Professor, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues; politics; voting rights; Blue Wave

Allan J. Lichtman is Distinguished Professor of History at American University and the author of many acclaimed books on U.S. political history, including White Protestant Nation: The Rise of the American Conservative Movement, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, FDR and the Jews (with Richard Breitman), and The Case for Impeachment.

David Lublin Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: American campaigns and elections, African-American and Latino politics, Southern politics, redistricting, electoral systems and minority representation in the United States and other countries, Maryland politics

David Lublin is an expert on race and ethnicity, congressional elections, partisanship, redistricting, and electoral systems. His work on race and redistricting was cited by the Supreme Court in Georgia v. Ashcroft (2003) and LULAC v. Perry (2006).

Anita McBrideExecutive in Residence, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: First Ladies, First Families, U.S. politics

Anita McBride, Executive-in-Residence at American University’s School of Public Affairs, served as an assistant to President George W. Bush and chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush. She also served in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations. McBride has coordinated three presidential transitions and is actively involved in international women’s issues. McBride’s work at American University has led to a partnership with the National Archives and the White House Historical Association for a series of conferences focusing on the role of the First Ladies of the United States. She can discuss issues related to the First family and the White House operations.

Molly O'Rourke Executive in Residence, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues; women in politics

Molly O’Rourke is an executive in residence in the School of Communication. She has more than 25 years' experience in public opinion research and has worked on Capitol Hill, for EMILY’s List, the women’s political action committee, and as an analyst at the Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute.

Jordan Tama Associate Professor, School of International Service

Areas of Expertise: Congressional relations; Russia investigation; interest group and lobbying

Jordan Tama, assistant professor in the School of International Service, can comment on issues related to U.S. foreign policy, national security strategy, sanctions, Congress, the presidency, bipartisanship, independent commissions. He has published articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, among other media outlets, and has been interviewed by the BBC, CBS This Morning, National Public Radio, Fox News, and other news organizations.

Media and Publications

• GOP Congress Tries to Rein In Trump on Foreign Policy
• Here’s the Case: Trump Has the Worst Cabinet Ever

James Thurber Distinguished Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Campaigns, polls and voting issues; Congressional and presidential relations; campaign management; Congressional budgeting; Congressional reform; interest groups and lobbying; Congressional ethics

James Thurber, Distinguished Professor of Government, founder and former director of American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, is a leading expert on campaigns and elections, presidential-congressional relations, and author of Obama in Office and American Gridlock: The Sources, Character and Impact of Political Polarization, among other highly-regarded political books and articles.

Media and Publications

• Black and gay: New York progressives aim to shake up US Congress
• In his bid for the presidency, Joe Biden is stuck in the middle
• Poll: Nearly 1 in 4 Sanders supporters not on board yet with voting for Biden

Ernesto Castaneda Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, College of Arts & Sciences

Areas of Expertise: Immigration and Latinx Vote

Castañeda is associate professor of sociology, director of the Immigration Lab and director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies. Castañeda is a scholar of international migration, borders, social movements, and ethnic and racial inequality. He researches health disparities and Central American migration.

Sara Clarke Kaplanassociate professor, College of Arts and Sciences

Areas of Expertise: Race, antiracism

Sara Clarke Kaplan is director of AU’s Antiracist Research and Policy Center, a scholar of Black feminist studies, and commentator on contemporary politics, race and culture. She can provide antiracist analysis of politics and discuss topics such as race and reproductive rights in the post-Roe era and diversity and higher education policy, among other topics.

Anthony Fontes Assistant Professor, School of International Service

Areas of Expertise: Immigration and Latinx Vote; gang violence; MS-13

Anthony W. Fontes is author of Mortal Doubt: Transnational Gangs and Social Order. He is an expert on criminal organizations, Latin American security, and U.S.-Latin America relations, focusing on Central America and Mexico. He is available to discuss issues of immigration and asylum, prisons, gangs, illicit drugs, crime and insecurity, and U.S. foreign policy.

Bill Gentile Journalist in Residence, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Immigration and Latinx Vote

Bill Gentile is a full-time professor of Film and Media Arts. He is an independent journalist and documentary filmmaker. He is fluent in Spanish and can speak on various immigration issues.

Seth Gershenson Associate Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Diversity and politics; education and bias

Seth Gershenson, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, is available to comment on issues related to education policy, economic approaches to practical, policy-driven questions in public education, specifically teacher behavior. Prof. Gershenson is frequently interviewed by national media outlets including The New York Times and Chicago Tribune.

Derek Hyra Associate Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Diversity and politics; gender and race issues; neighborhood change; housing; metropolitan politics and race; gentrification in D.C.

Derek Hyra, Founding Director of the Metropolitan Policy Center at AU’s School of Public Affairs, can discuss processes of neighborhood change, with an emphasis on housing, metropolitan politics, and race, gentrification in Washington, D.C. and other cities across the U.S.. His new book, Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City, examines Washington, D.C.’s rapidly changing economic landscape through the prism of the revitalization of the city’s historic Shaw/U Street neighborhood. Prof. Hyra’s research has been showcased in media outlets, including the BBC, Chicago Public Radio, C-SPAN, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

David Lublin Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: American campaigns and elections, African-American and Latino politics, Southern politics, redistricting, electoral systems and minority representation in the United States and other countries, Maryland politics

David Lublin is an expert on race and ethnicity, congressional elections, partisanship, redistricting, and electoral systems. His work on race and redistricting was cited by the Supreme Court in Georgia v. Ashcroft (2003) and LULAC v. Perry (2006).

Taryn Morrissey Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Diversity and politics; food security; social equity

Taryn Morrissey, professor in the School of Public Affairs, is an expert on a variety of public policies for children, particularly those in poverty. Her areas of research include child care, early education, food assistance, and health policy.

Robert ShandAssistant Professor, School of Education

Areas of Expertise: education policy

Shand researches how schools and teachers improve over time and how the improvement varies based on leadership, policy context, accountability regimes, and other factors that influence school cultures. He also has expertise in cost analysis and effectiveness of school policies. He can discuss topics such as school choice, economics of education, teacher evaluation and professional development, community schools and school-community partnerships, and educational and career transitions over the lifespan (e.g., high school to college; formal education to careers).

Jennifer Steele Associate Professor, School of Education

Areas of Expertise: Education policy and reform; higher education

Jennifer L. Steele, associate professor in AU’s School of Education, focuses on education policy and the economics of education at the P-12 and postsecondary levels. She has published commentaries in The Washington Post and Education Week, among other outlets.

Filippo Trevisan Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs, Associate Professor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Digital campaigns; Search engines; Disability vote

Filippo Trevisan is an associate professor in the School of Communication and Deputy Director of the Institute on Disability and Public Policy at American University in Washington, D.C. A former reporter for Italy's largest news agency in Rome, his research explores the impact of new media technologies on advocacy, activism, and political communication. His work also investigates how elite and grassroots stakeholders use the Internet to influence debates about contested issues and affect policy decisions, including in combination with traditional protest and strategic communication techniques.

Vicky Wilkins Acting Provost, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Diversity and politics; gender and race issues; representation

Vicky Wilkins is Acting Provost at American University. Her expertise includes gender and race issues, representation, diversity, deservingness and policy implementation.

Sherri WilliamsAssistant Professor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Social media, social justice; mass media and diversity in politics

Sherri Williams is an assistant professor in the School of Communication. Her research explores how marginalized people, especially black women, are represented in the media. She also is an expert in the intersection of social media, social justice, mass media and how people of color use and are represented by these mediums. Williams teaches journalism and storytelling classes as well as courses that examine the ways in which race, gender, class, and sexual identity are portrayed in the media.

Caroline Bruckner Managing Director, Kogod Tax Policy Center

Areas of Expertise: Tax policy; Gig Economy, Women in business

Caroline Bruckner is a senior professorial lecturer in the tax department of the Kogod School of Business and is the managing director of the Kogod Tax Policy Center. She has testified multiple times before both U.S. House and Senate Congressional committees as well as IRS. Since 2015, she has released ground-breaking research on the gig economy as well as women business owners and the U.S. tax code. In Oct. 2019, the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced legislation to address challenges women business owners have accessing capital prompted by Bruckner’s research. Bruckner is an experienced media resource on tax issues generally and her research. Her work and expertise is often featured on national media outlets and publications.

Frank DuBois Associate Professor, Kogod School of Business

Areas of Expertise: Economy and taxes; tariffs and the auto industry

Frank DuBois is an associate professor of International Business. He is the creator of the Kogod Made in America Auto Index and is frequently sought after to speak on the impact of tariffs on the auto industry.

Ignacio GonzalezAssistant Professor, College of Arts and Sciences

Areas of Expertise: Tax Policy, Inequality, Economics

Ignacio Gonzalez is assistant professor of economics and an expert on public economics and macroeconomics. He is faculty co-director of AU’s Institute for Macroeconomic and Policy Analysis, which aims to inform policy and legislative proposals with research on macroeconomics, public finance and inequality. In their work, IMPA researchers apply new models and methods that improve upon conventional models to include how the market power of large corporations in America affects policy outcomes. One of the institute’s current areas of focus is tax policy, including corporate tax reforms.

Mary Eschelbach Hansen Professor, Department of Economics, College of Arts and Sciences

Areas of Expertise: Economy, personal finance, U.S. elections

Mary Eschelbach Hansen is professor of economics at American University. She is a co-author of Bankrupt in America, which traces the history of bankruptcy from an infrequently used provision in the U.S. Constitution, to an indispensable tool for businesses, to a central element of the social safety net for Americans. She can discuss economics and the 2024 election and personal finance, household debt, gender, women and the economy, consumer debt, and government policy and programs such as Social Security and other safety nets.

Jeffrey Harris Professor and Gary D. Cohn Goldman Sachs Chair in Finance

Areas of Expertise: Business; economy

Jeffrey H. Harris is a professor of finance and the Gary D. Cohn Goldman Sachs Chair in Finance at Kogod School of Business. He has an extensive background in market microstructure and regulatory issues. In addition, he has served as Chief Economist and Division Director for the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Previously he served as Chief Economist at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and as Visiting Academic at the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Gabriel MathyAssociate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences

Areas of Expertise: Economics

Gabriel Mathy, associate professor of economics in AU’s Dept. of Economics, specializes in macroeconomics and economic history and can discuss economic trends and the economy.

Daniel Fiorino Director of the Center for Environmental Policy and Executive in Residence in AU’s School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Environmental policy; Environmental Protection Agency; energy and climate change; environmental sustainability; public management of natural resources

Daniel Fiorino is the Director of AU's Center for Environmental Policy and Executive in Residence in AU’s School of Public Affairs. His teaching, research, and writing focus on environmental policy and politics, the executive branch, and the role of analysis and innovation in policy making. Fiorino’s articles have appeared in a wide range of policy, law, and social science journals. He is the author of A Good Life on a Finite Earth: The Political Economy of Green Growth (Oxford University Press, 2017).

Dana FisherProfessor, School of International Service

Areas of Expertise: Climate politics, climate activism, U.S. elections

Dana R. Fisher is the Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity (CECE). Her research focuses on issues related to democracy, civic engagement, activism, environmental stewardship and climate politics — most recently studying political elites' responses to climate change, how federal service corps programs are working to integrate climate into their efforts, and activism around climate, systemic racism, and the American Resistance. She served as a Contributing Author for Working Group 3 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Review (IPCC AR6) writing about citizen engagement and civic activism. She is a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution. Prof. Fisher’s newest book is Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action. Her media appearances include ABC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, and various programs on NPR, BBC, and CBC. Her words have appeared in the popular media, including in the Washington Post, Slate, TIME Magazine, Politico, the Nation, and the American Prospect.

Bill Snape Assistant Dean of Adjunct Faculty Affairs, Washington College of Law

Areas of Expertise: Environmental Law

Bill Snape is practitioner-in-residence and fellow in Environmental Law at American University Washington College of Law. He is also the director of the Washington College of Law's Program on Environmental and Energy Law. Snape has litigated a number of environmental and related cases in federal court, and argued Center for Biological Diversity v. Interior (D.C. Cir. 2009), which rejected the federal government’s plan for oil and gas drilling off the coast of Alaska. He is currently chairman of the board for the Endangered Species Coalition, and general counsel of the United States Climate Action Network.

W. Joseph Campbell Professor Emeritus, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Media and polls; polling failure; media and politics; media-driven myths, and history of presidential elections

W. Joseph Campbell is a professor emeritus in the School of Communication's Communication Studies program. He joined the AU faculty in 1997, after more than 20 years as a professional journalist. Assignments in his award-winning journalism career took him across North America to Africa, Asia, and Europe.

He is the author of six books, including "Lost in a Gallup: Polling Failure in U.S Presidential Elections" (2020).

Betsy Fischer Martin Director of the Women & Politics Institute, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Women in politics, U.S. politics, media and communication; elections; campaign finance; voting behavior

Betsy Fischer Martin, Director of the Women & Politics Institute at the School of Public Affairs and the former longtime executive producer of Meet the Press, is an expert in political communications, and media and politics. She can discuss issues related to women in politics, campaigns and elections, partisanship, and U.S. politics.

Jane Hall Associate Professor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Politics, media and communication; women in politics; youth and politics

Jane Hall is an associate professor in journalism and media studies in the School of Communication. She specializes in media and politics, particularly issues of special interest to young people, the depiction of women in media and politics, media ethics and popular culture.

Adrienne Massanari Associate Professor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise:Politics and media; social media and misinformation; Far-right Extremism

Adrienne L. Massanari is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at American University. Her upcoming book for MIT Press (Gaming Democracy: How Silicon Valley Leveled Up the Alt-Right) discusses how Silicon Valley’s culture and politics contributed to the rise of the alt-right. Her research interests include digital culture, online communities, platform politics, game studies, pop culture, and gender and race online.

Jason Mollica Professorial Lecturer, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Politics and media; polls; social media and politics

Jason Mollica is a seasoned strategic communication professional with 20 years of experience as a journalist, news producer and PR professional. He provides expert commentary on political trends in social media, campaigns and poll results.

Aram SinnreichProfessor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Politics and media; social media and misinformation

Aram Sinnreich is a professor and chair of the Communication Studies division at American University’s School of Communication. Sinnreich’s work focuses on the intersection of culture, law and technology, with an emphasis on subjects such as surveillance, critical data studies, intellectual property, remix culture, and music. He can comment on social media issues and misinformation.

Leonard Steinhorn Professor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: American politics; politics and media; presidential elections; political strategy; political communications

Leonard Steinhorn is a professor of Communication and an affiliate professor of History. His expertise includes American politics, culture and media; the presidency and presidential elections; political strategy and communication; recent American history; the 1960s; race relations in America. Before joining the AU faculty, he spent 15 years as a political consultant and speechwriter.

Scott Talan Assistant Professor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Politics, media and communication; campaigns; social media and politics

Scott Talan, MPA, is an assistant professor of Public & Strategic Communication. He has held two elected offices and has also worked as a reporter covering politics.

Filippo Trevisan Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Associate Professor School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Digital political campaigns; Disability vote

Filippo Trevisan is an associate professor in the School of Communication and Deputy Director of the Institute on Disability and Public Policy at American University in Washington, D.C. A former reporter for Italy's largest news agency in Rome, his research explores the impact of new media technologies on advocacy, activism, and political communication. His work also investigates how elite and grassroots stakeholders use the Internet to influence debates about contested issues and affect policy decisions, including in combination with traditional protest and strategic communication techniques.

Sherri WilliamsAssistant Professor, School of Communication

Areas of Expertise: Social media, social justice; mass media and diversity in politics

Sherri Williams is an assistant professor in the School of Communication. Her research explores how marginalized people, especially black women, are represented in the media. She also is an expert in the intersection of social media, social justice, mass media and how people of color use and are represented by these mediums. Williams teaches journalism and storytelling classes as well as courses that examine the ways in which race, gender, class, and sexual identity are portrayed in the media.

Jessica Waters Professor, School of Public Affairs

Areas of Expertise: Reproductive rights law

Jessica Waters is a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs as well as an adjunct faculty member at the Washington College of Law. Her research focuses primarily on reproductive rights law. Her work has explored questions related to the legal impact of women’s medical decisions during pregnancy and childbirth, employment-based conscience protections for reproductive health care providers, and the reproductive rights of employees working for religiously affiliated employers.

James Goldgeier Professor, School of International Service

Areas of Expertise: U.S. Foreign Policy, NATO, Russia

The author or coauthor of four books, James M. Goldgeier is a leading scholar in the world of public policy. He served on the National Security Council Staff and at the State Department during the Clinton administration. Goldgeier has appeared on Fox News Channel, NBC News, BBC among other outlets, and he is regularly quoted in national and international media including NBCNews, CBSNews, Washington Post, Associated Press, and Los Angles Times. His commentaries have appeared in the International Herald Tribune, International New York Times, New York Times, US News & World Report, Politico, Huffington Post, and Washington Post's Monkey Cage.

Garret Martin Professorial Lecturer, School of International Service

Areas of Expertise: U.S. foreign policy; European Union; European politics; NATO; Transatlantic relations; Security; France; the United Kingdom

Garret J. Martin is a Professorial Lecturer at the School of International Service of American University. He has written widely on transatlantic relations, both in the field of history and contemporary affairs, and focuses on security, U.S. foreign policy, European politics, foreign policy and defense, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. He is the author of General de Gaulle's Cold War: Challenging American Hegemony, 1963-1968.

Tazreena Sajjad Senior Professorial Lecturer

Areas of Expertise: Migration, refugees, asylum, wall-building, immigration restrictions

Tazreena Sajjad is a professor of refugees and migration studies, statebuilding after war, post-conflict justice, and gender and conflict. She can comment on the issues related to hardening of refugee admissions and asylum policies in the US and Europe, including the phenomenon of wall-building, refugee experiences in transit and camps, as well as address questions around how to rebuild states in the aftermath of war and women's experiences in war and peace. She is an advisor to Refugee Solidarity Network. She has appeared on Al-Jazeera (print and TV), Stars and Stripes, CBC, Voice of America, and national television programs and print media in Bangladesh. She is available for print, online, radio, and television interviews.

Jordan Tama Associate Professor, School of International Service

Areas of Expertise: Congressional relations; Russia investigation; interest group and lobbying

Jordan Tama, assistant professor in the School of International Service, can comment on issues related to U.S. foreign policy, national security strategy, sanctions, Congress, the presidency, bipartisanship, independent commissions. He is the author of Bipartisanship and U.S. Foreign Policy (Oxford University Press, 2023). He has published articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, among other media outlets, and has been interviewed by the BBC, CBS This Morning, NPR, Fox News, and other news organizations.