Faculty and Staff Weigh in on Election Topics

Several University faculty and staff have weighed in on the 2020 presidential election over the past several months. They offered their expertise in local and national news outlets about Pennsylvania as a battleground state and, in particular, the city of Scranton as a focus of national attention during the election.

Iordanis Petsas, Ph.D., chair of the Economic and Finance Department, was recently interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer on trade policies and agreements that have been supported by Joe Biden on their effects on Pennsylvania and specifically the city of Scranton. Read the article here.

Mike Allison, Ph.D., University political science professor, said that President Donald Trump is focused on winning Biden’s state. Read the article in ABC 27 News here. He also appeared on WNEP TV to discuss teaching political science during this election cycle, which you can read here.

A July article in The Washington Post, which details past and present candidates’ connection to Scranton, called it “the best-known small city in America” because of the national attention it has garnered during the election season. Meghan Rich, Ph.D. a professor in the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department, said that for a small city, it has “a large presence in people’s imaginations.”

Read The Washington Post article here.

Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president of University Community Engagement and Government Affairs, said the NEPA region remains important in the election because there has been “movement and change as far as political party registration and in voting patterns” since 2016.

Read more in Pennsylvania Capital-Star, here. She also weighed in on the city of Scranton’s “story” in another Pennsylvania Capital-Star article here.

 Political science professor Jean Harris, Ph.D. said that voters are being more critical than they were four years ago. Read Harris’ comments in The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Wyoming County Press Examiner.

Pennsylvania Cable Network’s (PCN) Election College Panel program, recorded via Zoom at The University of Scranton, will air on Constitution Day, Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. on PCN’s cable channel and streaming services. Read more here.

Are you a faculty member who was also quoted in the local or national news about the election? Email us at royalnews@scranton.edu.