I am an assistant professor of political science at the College of Charleston.  I earned my PhD from Rutgers University in 2008.  My teaching and research interests include American national institutions, interest group politics, lobbying, legislative behavior, agenda setting, public policy processes, political psychology, and research methods.  Working with Beth Leech, I was awarded a National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant for my project, “Is it Who Says It, or What They Say? An Experimental Study of Lobbying Influence and Agenda Setting in Congress.”

I spent one year directing the Leadership Program at the American University School of Public Affairs before joining the faculty at CofC.  As I was completing my dissertation on lobbying influence, I also worked as a researcher and database editor at the Center for Responsive Politics, where I designed and maintained both their Lobbying and Revolving Door databases.  I continue to work with these data in my current research.

Katie and I married in May 2008, and moved down to Charleston, SC soon after.  I finished my PhD during the summer and started my first tenure-track faculty job at CofC in the Fall.  The week I started we found out that we’d be bringing our little cutie into the world.  Amelia Ruby LaPira was born on April 28, 2009 at 4:14 in the afternoon, and my life hasn’t been the same since.