Douglas R. Hess, PhD
Assistant Professor of Political Science at Grinnell College 
Curriculum Vitae (academic version)
Resume (one-page) 
I teach policy studies and political science at Grinnell College, where I have been teaching for six years (PhD in public policy, George Washington University, 2012; MA in policy studies, Johns Hopkins University; BA in psychology, Grinnell College,). I entered academia relatively late in life after spending two decades working, first, as a community and labor organizer and, later, as an analyst and strategist for several national nonprofit organizations. After college, I worked for ACORN, the Teamsters and brief stints with other unions, Project Vote, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Food Research and Action Center. I have also consulted for two philanthropic organizations. Years ago, through a series of strange accidents, I also became involved with Haiti's pro-democracy movement, living there for a time and returning several more times over the years.
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My current research interests are food security and voting rights, both in the US. Regarding the latter, I have been studying the implementation, enforcement, and outcomes of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) since 1994. I am one of the few national experts on this law. I have provided technical assistance to state and federal officials. I also worked with advocacy groups on litigation and remedial strategies for fair implementation of this critical civil rights law. I am currently working with several groups to compile data from NVRA litigation and study their enforcement interventions' impact. Other projects include a study of food access in neighborhoods using a survey from Housing and Urban Development and compiling a publicly available and historical database of state election policies. My other interests include engaged scholarship in political science and ways to incorporate policy analysis and, more broadly, public problem-solving in undergraduate curricula. 
​Research & Teaching Interests
  • American Politics
  • Policy Studies & Policy Analysis
  • Voting Rights & Election Policy
  • Food Security & Anti-Poverty Policies
  • Program Evaluation
  • Urban Politics & Policy
  • Political Participation
  • Engaged Scholarship in Political Science
  • Community Organizing  
​Current Research Projects
  • State election policies, particularly compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
  • Research on well-being and access to food and nutrition resources for vulnerable populations.
  • Engaged scholarship in political science