Kamy Akhavan is an expert on political polarization, debate and civic engagement. Akhavan is executive director of the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.
Contact: kakhavan@usc.edu
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Elizabeth Currid-Halkett is an expert on rural voters, including the values and political perspectives that shape rural communities and the contrasts between rural and urban America. Currid-Halkett is a professor of public policy at the USC Price School of Public Policy.
Contact: currid@usc.edu
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Christian Grose is an expert on American government, political representation, polling and elections. Grose is a professor of political science and public policy at USC Dornsife and academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy at USC Price.
Read on USC News: Polls get a lot of hype, but what do they really tell us? A Q&A with polling pro Christian Grose
Contact: cgrose@usc.edu
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Jane Junn is an expert on public opinion, political behavior and polling methods and analysis. Junn is a professor of political science and gender and sexuality studies at USC Dornsife.
Contact: junn@usc.edu
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John Matsusaka is an expert on direct democracy and ballot propositions. Matsusaka is executive director of the Initiative and Referendum Institute at USC and a professor of business, law and political science with joint appointments at the USC Marshall School of Business and USC Gould School of Law.
Read on USC News: 2024 California ballot measures: Q&A with John Matsusaka
Contact: matsusak@usc.edu
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William Resh is an expert on executive politics, including the roles, powers, and functions of presidents, exploring how they make decisions and interact with other branches of government. Resh is an associate professor of public policy and management at USC Price.
Contact: wresh@usc.edu
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Mindy Romero is an expert on voter behavior and political representation. She is the founder and director of the USC Price Center for Inclusive Democracy.
Contact: msromero@usc.edu
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Bob Shrum is a renowned political strategist and expert on presidential elections, political advertising and policy. Shrum is director of the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.
Contact: shrum@usc.edu
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Dora Kingsley Vertenten is an expert on political consulting, public administration, election campaigns and social media. A professor at USC Price, Vertenten studies new information technologies and digital literacy as they relate to public policy debates.
Contact: kingsley@usc.edu
Political communications
Steve Caplan is an expert in digital media, political advertising and political communications strategy. Caplan is an adjunct instructor at USC Annenberg.
Read on USC News: Political advertising in the 2024 election: Q&A with Steve Caplan
Contact: scaplan@usc.edu
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Martin Kaplan is an expert in politics, journalism, and entertainment, focusing on TV news campaign coverage, using narrative for social change and the impact of the attention economy on democracy. Kaplan is a research professor of communication and journalism at USC Annenberg, where he also holds the Norman Lear Chair in entertainment, media and society and serves as director of the Norman Lear Center.
Contact: martyk@usc.edu
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Freddy Tran Nager is an expert on digital media, social media, online campaigns and influencer marketing. He is a clinical associate professor of communication at USC Annenberg.
Contact: fnager@usc.edu
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Mark Marino is an expert on fake news, new media, digital humanities and generative AI. Marino is an associate professor at USC Dornsife.
Contact: mcmarino@usc.edu
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Karen North is an expert in the field of digital and social media, with interests spanning personal and corporate brand building, digital election meddling and safety and privacy online. North is a clinical professor of communication at USC Annenberg.
Contact: knorth@usc.edu
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Dan Schnur is an expert on political strategy, campaign communication and government reform. Schnur is an adjunct instructor at USC Annenberg.
Contact: dan.schnur@mindspring.com
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Gordon Stables is an expert in debating, argumentation, advocacy, political communication and public diplomacy. He is a clinical professor of communication and journalism and director of the School of Journalism at USC Annenberg.
Contact: stables@usc.edu
Election integrity and cybersecurity
Emilio Ferrara is an expert on artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity and election bots. Ferrara is principal scientist at USC’s 2024 Election Integrity Initiative and a professor of computer science and communication at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI).
Contact: emiliofe@usc.edu
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Clifford Neuman is an expert on computer, network and application security; digital privacy; and intrusion detection and response. Neuman is a scientist at USC ISI and holds a research faculty appointment at USC Viterbi.
Contact: bcn@isi.edu
Local elections
Julie Marsh is an expert on school board elections, the politics of education reform and K-12 policy. She is a professor at USC Price and the USC Rossier School of Education.
Contact: julie.marsh@usc.edu
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Manuel Pastor is an expert on Los Angeles and California politics, equitable and inclusive economies, commmunity organizing and elections (Latinos in the U.S., demographic trends). Pastor is director of the Equity Research Institute and a distinguished professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity at USC Dornsife. Available for interviews in Spanish.
Contact: mpastor@usc.edu and malibira@usc.edu
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Frank Zerunyan is an expert on local politics, governance and leadership. He is a professor of the practice of governance at USC Price.
Contact: frank.zerunyan@usc.edu
U.S. foreign policy and international relations
Jonathan Aronson is an expert on international political economy , including digital policy and regulation, trade negotiations, international strategic alliances and international telecommunications. He is a professor of communication and international relations at USC Annenberg and USC Dornsife.
Contact: aronson@usc.edu
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Douglas Becker is an expert on foreign policy, conflict resolution, peace-building and the international criminal court. Becker is an associate professor of political science and international relations and environmental studies at USC Dornsife.
Contact: dfbecker@usc.edu
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Nicholas Cull is an expert on public diplomacy, propaganda and the of the role of mass communication in foreign policy. Cull is a professor of communication at USC Annenberg.
Contact: cull@usc.edu
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Robert English is an expert on East European politics, including the domestic and foreign politics of Russia and the former Soviet Union. English is an associate professor of international relations, Slavic languages and literature and environmental studies at USC Dornsife.
Contact: renglish@usc.edu
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Pamela Starr is an expert on U.S.-Mexico relations, public diplomacy in the Americas, trade agreements and the political economy of Latin America. Starr is a professor of the practice of political science and international relations at USC Dornsife. Available for interviews in Spanish.
Contact: pkstarr@usc.edu
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Gregory Treverton is an expert on U.S. intelligence and global security. Treverton is professor emeritus of the practice of international relations and spatial sciences at USC Dornsife.
Contact: treverto@usc.edu and uscnews@usc.edu
Immigration
Alice Cepeda is an expert on the social epidemiology of drug use and the related health risk behaviors affecting urban Mexican-origin populations. Cepeda is a professor at the USC School of Social Work. Available for interviews in Spanish.
Contact: alicecep@usc.edu
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Morris Levy is an expert on race, ethnicity and politics; demographics; immigration policy and attitudes toward immigration in the U.S. and Europe; and voter ID laws and behavior. Levy is an assistant professor of political science at USC Dornsife. Available for interviews in Spanish.
Contact: morrisl@usc.edu
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Dowell Myers is an expert on demographic trends and population change; census analysis and the future of California.
Contact: dowell@usc.edu
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Jean Lantz Reisz is an expert in immigration law and legal advocacy Reisz is co-director of the USC Immigration Clinic and a clinical associate professor of law at USC Gould.
Contact: jlantz@law.usc.edu
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(Photo/Courtesy of USC Annenberg)
