Introducing our New 2022-2023 Chapter Leaders & Fellows

Director of Chapter Development

The Scholars Strategy Network is proud to introduce the researchers who are stepping up this year to lead SSN chapters in building a nationwide culture where research informs policy at every level. These new chapter leaders come from a variety of disciplines, institutions, and methodological traditions - but they share the common goal of advancing evidence-based policy and strengthening democracy in the states. This year, we welcome eleven new chapter leaders and over a dozen new chapter fellows. Read more about their work and meet the new leaders below.

Alabama

The University of Alabama
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Mills' research focuses on issues related to human resources and organizational behavior, including how organizations can best structure work to facilitate improved employee experiences as well as optimal organizational outcomes. Learn more about the Alabama SSN chapter here.

Bay Area

University of California-San Francisco

Barar's previous work focused on providing data on people's experiences with abortion. Her current work focuses on building capacity for researchers to engage community stakeholders and translate their research into policy and practice. Learn more about the Bay Area SSN chapter here.

San Francisco State University
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Lincoln's research focuses on the cultural politics of health, particularly in Vietnam but also in the United States and elsewhere. Lincoln's overarching themes in writings include the cultural significance of infectious disease, the political economy of health, and shifting patterns of access to health care. 

Confluence

University of Illinois at Chicago

Clendenen's research focuses on the politics of material heritage. Overarching themes of Clendenen's last writings include the development of national identities in the rural-urban divide. Learn more about the Confluence SSN chapter here.

University of Missouri, St. Louis
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Swanson approaches his work and research through the lens of workers. His work has focused on removing barriers to re-employment. Swanson's work on opioids' impact on the workforce for example is helping to drive the Recovery Friendly Workplace MO initiative.

Dallas-Fort Worth

The University of Texas, Dallas
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Gorina's research focuses on studying government financial sustainability at the subnational level and includes work on city fiscal health, financial reserves accumulation and use, retirement system funding and reform as well as work on migration and its economic and social effects. Learn more about the Dallas-Fort Worth SSN chapter here.

Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/amst/archive/portfolio_page/robert-r-perkinson/

Perkinson is a political and social historian with expertise in the rise of mass incarceration. He is currently conducting research on the history of U.S. social movements, with an eye toward understanding what strategies, structures, and leadership styles most often lead to victories from below. Learn more about the Hawaii SSN chapter here.

Maine

University of Maine
LaBouff

LaBouff is a social psychologist who focuses on relationships between different groups. Most of his research investigates the roles of beliefs (both religious and moral) and religious group membership on people’s attitudes and behaviors. Learn more about the Maine SSN chapter here.

University of Maine
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Sporer’s main research interests are in the areas of family violence and victimization, mental illness and violence, and violent extremism and terrorism. Aside from this, Sporer’s secondary research agenda addresses violence and victimization among persons with severe mental illness.

South Carolina

Furman University
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Kolb's research outlines how people in underserved neighborhoods purchase and consume retail food despite the considerable obstacles in their path. Learn more about the South Carolina SSN chapter here.

Wisconsin

Rutgers University-New Brunswick
ParuShah

Shah’s research examines the politics and policy consequences of racial and ethnic minority office holding, most often in cities and school districts. Her work addresses questions of where and when minority candidates run for office, when they win, and the policy outputs and relationships to constituents. Learn more about the Wisconsin SSN chapter here.

New 2022-2023 Chapter Fellows

Each chapter is also supported by chapter fellows — emerging scholars and advocates — who are crucial to the success of our chapters program. We are pleased to announce to following new chapter fellows joining our leadership teams this year:

Bay Area
Katie Sellergren - Katie is a master’s student in Anthropology studying sociocultural anthropology with a focus on the intersection of transgender and autistic identities at San Francisco State University.

Boston
Eric Spencer - Eric is a senior Political Science major at Tufts University interested in voting rights, democracy reform, and labor issues.

Central Pennsylvania
Pete Kurtz-Glovas - Pete is a master's student at the Pennsylvania State Universities where he is pursuing a Masters of Public Policy with a focus in Extremism, Conflict, and Democracy.

Confluence
Jake Shaw - Jake is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, whose work focuses on voter behavior and inequality in participation in American politics.

Sydney Young - Sydney is a PhD student in Political Science at University of Missouri-St. Louis studying American Politics with emphasis in voting rights and criminal justice. 

Semih Patan - Semih is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago and his research focuses on institutions, opposition politics, and local politics in competitive authoritarian regimes.

Dallas-Fort Worth
Kayla Parker - Kayla is a PhD Candidate in Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Dallas, whose research focuses on nonprofit management, volunteerism, and the professionalization of the nonprofit sector.

Florida
Kaylee Appleton - Kaylee is a Masters of Medical Anthropology student in the Applied Anthropology program at the University of South Florida studying health disparities in the United States with a focus on autoimmune disease.

Georgia
Alexander Leasure – Alex is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Georgia State University whose research focuses on the U.S. Congress, particularly interest group influence and policy development.

Kentucky
Austin Zinkle - Austin is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Kentucky where he studies twentieth century United States social movements, with an emphasis on youth activism.

Rachel Herrington - Rachel is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at the University of Kentucky whose research focuses on global environmental history, including enclosure of commons systems affecting marginalized and indigenous communities in Scotland and Eastern Maritime Canada.

Maine
Josh Mangin - Josh is a PhD Student in Leadership with a concentration in Professional Leadership Education, at the University of Southern Maine, studying the role nature plays in environmental leadership development.

Nebraska
John Wiemer - John is a Master of Public Administration candidate at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is interested in government budgets and societal inequities.

New Orleans
Lauryn Hudson - Lauryn is a Master of Public Health candidate at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine studying social determinants of health and methods in monitoring and evaluation.

Appreciation for our Departing Leaders and Fellows

We want to thank all of our chapter leaders and fellows who are stepping down this year. We look forward to working with these scholars as active members in years to come:

Former Chapter Leaders
Peter Jones, Alabama
Anu Manchikanti Gómez, Bay Area
Peter Cannavò, Central New York
Anne-Marie Nuñez, Central Ohio
Meghna Sabharwal, Dallas-Fort Worth
Colin D. Moore, Hawaii
Michèle Foster, Kentucky
Laura Cyr, Maine
Ashley E. Nickels, Northeast Ohio
J. Rosie Tighe, Northeast Ohio
Lisa Dodson, Oregon
Mary King, Oregon
Abigail Andrews, San Diego
Bryan P. Grady, South Carolina
Gladys Mitchell-Walthour, Wisconsin

Former Chapter Fellows
Shaniqua Williams, Alabama
Reiley Reed, Bay Area
Janna Huang, Bay Area
Lisa Guido, Central Pennsylvania
Lacey Corbett, Confluence
Isabella Dresser, Connecticut
Molly O'Connor, Connecticut
Lauren Loyless, Dallas-Fort Worth
Atte Penttila, Florida
Micayla Clark, Georgia
Leah Halliday, Kentucky
Alan Berry, Maine
Mia Bourek, Nebraska
Gabrielle Christopher, New Jersey - Philadelphia
Abigail Thompson, New Mexico
Stephanie Lloyd, New Mexico
Devin Wright, New Orleans
Marayna Martinez, North Carolina
Kristi Andrasik, Northeast Ohio
Purva Bhattacharjee, Sacramento
Logan Zeigler, Virgina