The Department of Political Science is delighted to announce that Michael Strawbridge will join our faculty this fall as a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in Racial and Ethnic Politics.
Michael Strawbridge earned his PhD in the Department of Political Science at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. His research interests include American politics and quantitative methodology with an emphasis on developing novel empirical ways to assess and understand the political behavior of racial and ethnic minorities. Michael specializes in Black politics and his research examines how social and environmental factors shape Black citizens’ and Black political elites’ political attitudes as well as behaviors. His scholarship collectively contributes to the fields of Black politics, political communication, and political representation.
Michael’s dissertation, In the Thick of It: Operationalizing the Relationship Between Black People, Black Spaces, and Black Political Unity, reconceptualizes Black political attitude formation and introduces a novel measure called “Black Immersion” that captures how Black social networks and institutions influence Black public opinion.
Michael is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar (2017-2018), Ralphe Bunche Summer Institute Scholar (2018), American Political Science Association Minority Fellow (2019-2020), winner of the NYAAPOR Young Public Opinion Scholars Competition (2023), and American Political Science Association Distinguished Junior Scholar in Political Psychology (2023). His work has appeared in scholarly and general-interest publications, including PS: Political Science & Politics, Politics & Gender, and the Washington Post. Before Rutgers, Michael graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Media Studies from Beloit College. Learn more about his work at https://www.mgstrawbridge.com/.
