Speakers: Plenaries

Plenary: The State of American Democracy

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Facilitator: Deondra Rose

Duke University, North Carolina SSN

Rose is the Kevin D. Gorter Associate Professor of Public Policy and director of the Polis Center for Politics at Duke University, and co-leader of the North Carolina SSN chapter. Her research focuses on U.S. higher education policy, political behavior, and the politics of inequality in relation to gender, race, and socioeconomic status.

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Darrick Hamilton

The New School

Hamilton is the Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban Policy, and founding director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at the New School. He researches the causes, consequences, and remedies of racial inequality in economic and health outcomes, and has crafted policy proposals, like Baby Bonds, that have inspired federal, state, and local legislation.

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Larry Jacobs

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul SSN

Jacobs is the Joan Mondale Chair for Political Studies and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on presidential and legislative politics, elections and voting behavior, political dynamics in midwestern swing states, and American political history.

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Suzanne Mettler

Cornell University

Mettler is the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions at Cornell University. Her research and teaching focus on American political development, public policy, and political behavior. She is particularly interested in issues pertaining to democracy (both democratization and backsliding), inequality, and citizenship.

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Theda Skocpol

Harvard University

Skocpol is the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, and the founder and Academic Director of SSN. Her research covers a broad spectrum of topics with a focus on U.S. social policy and civic engagement amidst the shifting inequalities in American democracy.

Plenary: Bridging Academia and Government Service

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Facilitator: James Curry

University of Utah, Utah SSN

Curry is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah. He studies the influence of parties and leaders within the U.S. Congress, and the way information and expertise shape congressional policymaking. Curry previously worked in Capitol Hill in the offices of Rep. Dan Lipinski and the House Appropriations Committee.

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Brian McCabe

Georgetown University, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

McCabe is an Associate Professor at Georgetown University. His research focuses on several urban policy issues, including low-income housing assistance, municipal campaign finance, and historic preservation in American cities. From 2022 to 2024, McCabe has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development at HUD.

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Christina Ciocca Eller

Harvard University

Ciocca Eller is an Assistant Professor at Harvard University. Her research analyzes the role of organizations in shaping the opportunities and outcomes available to individuals. Ciocca Eller and was previously Assistant Director of Evidence & Policy in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy.

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Meghan Kallman

University of Massachusetts Boston, Rhode Island State Legislature

Kallman is an Associate Professor at UMass Boston. She is an expert on political and development sociology, focusing on how organizations shape the politics of their intrinsically motivated participants. Kallman was a 2-term city councilor and is currently representing District 15 (Pawtucket, Providence) in the Rhode Island Senate.

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K. Sabeel Rahman

Cornell Law School

Rahman is a Professor of Law at Cornell Law School. His research focuses on issues of democracy, governance, economic power, political economy paradigms, racial equity, and inequality. From 2021-2023, Rahman led the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget.

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Paru Shah

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Shah is a Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University. Her research examines the politics and policy consequences of racial and ethnic minority office holding, most often in cities and school districts. Shah also served as an elected official for 10 years on the Shorewood, Wisconsin School Board.

Plenary: The Role of Researchers in the Media

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Facilitator: Ken Kolb

Furman University, South Carolina SSN

Kolb is a professor and chair of sociology at Furman University in Greenville, SC, and leader of the South Carolina SSN chapter. For the past 20 years, Kolb has been conducting community-based research, analyzing social problems to propose practical solutions that harness readily available resources.

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Elena Gooray

Los Angeles Times

Gooray is an assistant op-ed editor for the Los Angeles Times. She was previously opinion coverage editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer and worked as an associate editor at Pacific Standard magazine in Santa Barbara.

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Hilary Krieger

CNN Digital

Krieger is an opinion editor at CNN Digital. She has edited and managed online coverage at NBC THINK, Politico, and FiveThirtyEight and served as the Washington bureau chief of The Jerusalem Post and the Israel correspondent for Marketplace. She has appeared as a TV analyst on ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CSPAN, CBC and Al Jazeera.

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Susan Young

Bangor Daily News

Young is the opinion editor at the Bangor Daily News. She has worked for the BDN for more than 25 years as a reporter and editor.