Experts by Expertise: Politics

For help reaching an expert on deadline, please contact UB's media relations team at 716-645-6969 or ub-news@buffalo.edu.

Note to members of the news media:

The correct name of the university is “University at Buffalo,” not “University of Buffalo.”

  • Head shot of James Battista.
    11/6/18

    James Coleman Battista

    Associate Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: national, state and legislative politics  

    Phone: 716-645-8438

    Email: jbattist@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of James Campbell.
    11/4/21

    James Campbell

    UB Distinguished Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: U.S. politics, political parties, political polarization, campaigns, public opinion, political participation, congressional elections, election forecasting, elections and the economy, presidential approval, electoral systems (including redistricting and ranked choice voting)

    Phone: 716-645-8452

    Email: jcampbel@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Shawn J. Donahue, University at Buffalo elections, political science and Constitutional law expert.
    6/27/22

    Shawn J. Donahue

    Assistant Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: voting rights, redistricting, gerrymandering, state and local politics (including New York State and Buffalo-area politics), campaigns, elections, civil liberties, Constitutional law, election law

    Phone: 716-645-8446

    Email: shawndon@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Yige Dong, University at Buffalo gender, work and political economy expert.
    8/16/21

    Yige Dong

    Assistant Professor of Sociology, and of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies

    Expertise: labor, work, gender and political economy, especially in China; labor and feminist movements in China and in a global context

    Phone: 716-645-2417

    Email: yigedong@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Conor Dowling.
    1/25/24

    Conor Dowling

    Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: U.S. elections, public opinion, campaign finance, political parties, effects of political scandal

    Phone: 716-645-8436

    Email: cdowling@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Cecil Foster, University at Buffalo Canadian studies and multiculturalism expert.
    4/7/23

    Cecil Foster

    Professor of Transnational Studies in the Department of Africana and American Studies

    Expertise: Canadian studies; multiculturalism, politics, race, ethnicity and immigration in Canada

    Phone: 716-645-0786

    Email: cecilfos@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Timothy Hellwig.
    2/13/24

    Timothy Hellwig

    Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: politics of European nations, the European Union, immigration and trade in Europe, the US, and globally, public support for presidents and governments around the world. 

    Phone: 716-645-8440

    Email: thellwig@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Kenneth Joseph, University at Buffalo computing for social good expert.
    3/29/24

    Kenneth Joseph

    Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

    Expertise: computing for social good; societal impacts of social media and online platforms (including in news and politics); inequality and societal divides; artificial intelligence

    Phone: 716-645-0682

    Email: kjoseph@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Jacob Kathman.
    1/25/24

    Jacob Kathman

    Professor and Chair of Political Science

    Expertise: civil wars, United Nations, peacekeeping, conflict resolution

    Phone: 716-645-8445

    Email: kathman@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Carla Martinez Machain.
    1/25/24

    Carla Martinez Machain

    Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: international conflict, US military deployments and basing, great power competition, foreign military training, foreign military aid, civil-military relations, and aerial bombing

    Phone: 716-645-8433

    Email: carlamm@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Ryan Muldoon, University at Buffalo faculty expert on diversity.
    8/20/18

    Ryan Muldoon

    Associate Professor of Philosophy

    Expertise: social and political philosophy, diversity, international development policy, social norms, behavior change, ethics

    Phone: 716-645-0140

    Email: rmuldoon@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Jacob Neiheisel, University at Buffalo faculty expert on campaigns and elections.
    8/19/21

    Jacob Neiheisel

    Associate Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: political communication, campaigns, electoral strategy, religion and politics, the U.S. Christian right, voter turnout, voting rights, election administration, electoral reforms, the U.S. presidency

    Phone: 716-645-8439

    Email: jacobnei@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Yotam Ophir, University at Buffalo media effects and health, science and political communication expert.
    12/7/23

    Yotam Ophir

    Assistant Professor of Communication

    Expertise: misinformation; persuasion; effect of media content on audiences, including in health, science, politics and terrorism

    Phone: 716-645-1158

    Email: yotamoph@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Kristin Stapleton, University at Buffalo faculty expert on modern China.
    6/26/23

    Kristin Stapleton

    Professor and Chair of History

    Expertise: modern China; U.S.-China relations; Chinese cities; history of the family, socialism and humor in China

    Phone: 716-645-5645

    Email: kstaple@buffalo.edu

     

  • Head shot of Phillips Stevens Jr. in front of a world map.
    8/16/21

    Phillips Stevens Jr.

    Associate Professor of Anthropology

    Expertise: cultural anthropology, religion, spiritualism, cults, superstition, witchcraft, zombies, vampires, curses, rites of passage, populism, nativism, xenophobia

    Phone: 716-645-0416

    Email: pstevens@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Gwynn Thomas, University at Buffalo gender, politics and global women's movements expert.
    8/23/21

    Gwynn Thomas, PhD

    Chair and Associate Professor of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies

    Expertise: gender and politics; feminism; global women’s movements, including #MeToo; politics in Latin America

    Phone: 716-645-0793

    Email: gmthomas@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Barbara Wejnert.
    8/16/21

    Barbara Wejnert

    Professor of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies

    Expertise: spread of democracy since 1800, democratic transitions and sustainability, Eastern European politics and political movements, democracy and inequality in a globalized world

    Phone: 716-645-0787

    Email: bwejnert@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Marion Werner, University at Buffalo international trade expert.
    11/2/23

    Marion Werner

    Professor of Geography

    Expertise: global trade; agriculture, food, labor rights and trade; agri-business; development in Latin America and the Caribbean

    Phone: 716-645-0475

    Email: wernerm@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Antoine Yoshinaka, University at Buffalo political science expert.
    5/24/21

    Antoine Yoshinaka

    Associate Professor of Political Science

    Expertise: American politics, U.S. political parties, polarization, party switching, legislatures, political lobbying, redistricting

    Phone: 716-645-8435

    Email: antoiney@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Yini Zhang, University at Buffalo political communication and social media expert.
    6/22/22

    Yini Zhang

    Assistant Professor of Communication

    Expertise: social media, political communication, misinformation, online activism, impact of social media on journalism and democracy

    Phone: 716-645-0954

    Email: yzhang20@buffalo.edu