University of Pittsburgh
November 3, 2014

Pitt Faculty Experts Available to Provide Election Day Commentary

Contact: 

PITTSBURGH—The following University of Pittsburgh faculty experts are available to discuss the Nov. 4 election and provide post-election analysis. 

Gubernatorial Race, Lack of Female Candidates in U.S. Elections:  

Kristin Kanthak, an associate professor of political science, is an expert in American politics, including legislative politics and constraints in political representation. She has provided expert commentary to media during Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race. In addition, she and Jonathan Woon, also an associate professor of political science, are available to discuss their research on the lack of female candidates in U.S. elections and their study findings showing that women tend to be more “election averse” than men. Contact Kanthak at 412-648-7282 or kanthak@pitt.edu. Contact Woon at 412-648-7266 or woon@pitt.edu.   

Voting Rights:

Jessie Allen, an assistant professor of law in Pitt’s School of Law, teaches civil procedure, legal ethics, and civil rights. Prior to joining the Pitt Law faculty, she litigated voting rights issues as a senior attorney with Advancement Project, a Washington, D.C.-based civil rights organization. She also was a staff attorney at New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice, where she litigated criminal disenfranchisement cases, including a class action suit that challenged Florida’s permanent voting ban for anyone convicted of a felony. Contact Allen at 646-319-3113 (cell).

Political Communication: 

Gerald Shuster, an expert in presidential rhetoric and political communication in Pitt's Department of Communication in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, is primarily interested in the political arena from a communications perspective. He evaluates the effectiveness of the candidates’ communications with the public and analyzes communications theories and concepts in campaigns by investigating the strategies candidates and political parties use. Shuster's expertise encompasses the modern presidency, from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama. Shuster’s insights and opinions are frequently sought by national and international media. Contact Gerald Shuster at 412-624-5199 (office) or ges3@pitt.edu.

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