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Education
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 campaign 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. Teaching and Higher Education Taught policy studies and political science for Grinnell College, Smith College, George Washington University, and Georgetown University. |
Research & Teaching Interests
Research Projects
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. |