Nicholas D. Kapoor

Professor of Mathematics and Associate Director of the Center for Academic Excellence, Fairfield University

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About Nicholas

Kapoor's research focuses on voting behavior, electoral systems, and the role of artificial intelligence in undergraduate education. Overarching themes in Kapoor's writings include democratic resilience, political inequality, civic engagement through education, and LGBTQ+ studies. Kapoor serves as Chairman of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and Associate Director of the Center for Academic Excellence at Fairfield University. He is also active in political consulting, most recently with campaigns in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District. Kapoor integrates quantitative methods and real-world applications in both his teaching and public service.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Connecticut HB 6863: An Act Making Deficiency Appropriations For The Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2025

Testimony, April 2025

In the News

Interviewed in "Math Experts Explain Calculations Involved in a Surefire Texas Lottery Win," The Houston Chronicle, April 22, 2024.

Guest on Nyberg: Paving the Way for Local Rights Advocacy in Connecticut, January 17, 2024.

Quoted by Jonathan Jones in "The Bizarre and Statistically Improbable Case of Eric Reid's Random Drug Testing," Sports Illustrated, December 20, 2018.

Interviewed in "Statistics Professor Uses $100,000 Lottery Win to Teach Students a Lesson," CBS News, November 17, 2016.

Interviewed in "Statistics Professor Wins $100K Lottery, Shares Lottery Tip," ABC News, November 14, 2016.

Quoted by Frank Juliano in "Math Teacher Wins Powerball after Lecture on Odds," The Associated Press, November 7, 2016.

Publications

"Ahead of the Count: An Algorithm for Probabilistic Prediction of Instant Runoff (IRV) Elections" (forthcoming).

Introduces a novel algorithm designed to predict outcomes in Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) elections. Demonstrates the algorithm in abstract examples, and also using real data from the 2022 Alaska state elections to simulate election-night predictions and also predictions of election recounts.

"Bent but Not Broken: The Constitutional, Legal, and Procedural Issues in the 2020 Electoral College Vote Certification" Journal of Public Affairs 11, no. 1 (2022): 105–17.

Examines the constitutional, legal, and procedural issues around the Electoral College certification vote. Investigates the constitutional beginnings of the system for electing the U.S. president and discusses “faithless electors” and the power that 538 individuals have in the presidential selection process every 4 years.