Douglas R. Hess
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Liatris, ratibida, and rudbeckia flowers in my native prairie garden in Iowa.
Douglas R. Hess, PhD
Resume
Academic Curriculum Vitae
​Education
  • PhD in public policy, George Washington University
  • MA in policy studies, Johns Hopkins University
  • BA in psychology, Grinnell College
Social Change Background
​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 as an employee or consultant for ACORN, the Teamsters (and campaign stints with other unions), the Human Rights Campaign, Project Vote, and the Food Research and Action Center. I have also done consulting work for 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 with human rights activists, journalists, and refugee lawyers.  

Teaching and Higher Education​
Taught policy studies and political science for Grinnell College, Smith College, George Washington University, and Georgetown University. 



​Research & Teaching Interests
  • Policy Studies, Policy Analysis, & Program Evaluation
  • American Politics and Urban Politics & Policy
  • Voting Rights & Election Policy
  • Food Security & Anti-Poverty Policies
  • Community Organizing  & Political Participation
  • Engaged Scholarship​
​Research Projects
My current research interests include 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 the NVRA. I have provided technical assistance on improving implementation of the Act to state and federal officials. I also worked for or 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 the impact of their enforcement interventions. Other recent research 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. ​

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