Science Pubs Discussion Will Focus on Memorable Election
November 10, 2016
Jesse Richman
Well, it's over. Finally.
Jesse Richman, Old Dominion University associate professor of political science and international studies, will attempt to put this year's one-of-a-kind presidential campaign and election, and the surprise victory by Republican Donald Trump, in context during the latest installment of Old Dominion University's innovative Science Pubs series.
Richman will host a talk titled "Science and Democracy in American Elections." The event will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Commonwealth Brewing Company, 2444 Pleasure House Rd., in Virginia Beach.
The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is encouraged. Trivia will begin at 6 p.m., and Richman's talk will begin at 6:30. The first 20 attendees will receive a free beverage.
Science Pubs ODU offers an opportunity for the community to engage with University researchers in an informal setting. A curious mind is all that is needed to take part in the lively discussions. The locations and topics change with each event.
Last year's Science Pubs series dealt with the issue of sea level rise and recurrent flooding. This year, its range has been broadened, with discussions about physics, politics and the humanities, along with a series of rapid-fire talks by some of Old Dominion's accomplished graduate student researchers.
"Dr. Richman is an ideal person to speak about the science behind elections, given his diverse and innovative research agenda," said Michelle Covi, assistant professor of practice with the Office of Research, which is co-sponsoring Science Pubs with the University's Office of Community Engagement.
Richman, a frequent media pundit on national, state and local politics, has studied election campaigns for more than two decades. He has published more than 20 scholarly articles on topics including polling, voter turnout and legislative bodies. His research has been featured in leading scholarly journals, as well as The New York Times and Washington Post.
He earned his Ph.D. in political science from Carnegie Mellon University and is an alumnus of the National Science Foundation's Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models program. He served as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in 2011 and 2012.
At Old Dominion, Richman teaches courses in American politics about elections, political thought and Congress, as well as courses on methodology. He is the former faculty director of the University's Social Science Research Center and contributed a chapter on the 2016 presidential election to the center's Life in Hampton Roads survey this year.