Faculty experts made headlines in 2023
RESEARCH & INNOVATION
The political landscape
Political science professor Ernest McGowen is an expert on elections, campaigns, and voter behavior. McGowen is a go-to resource for political reporters, especially during election season. The national political site The Hill featured McGowen in November, sharing his insights on projected voter turnout for the 2024 presidential election.
Voters seeing ‘perceived differences’ between the candidates is key to driving turnout. Voters might be likely to take less interest in the race if it were a contest between an incumbent and a lesser-known challenger, but both Trump and Biden have clear, established records to run on that differentiate themselves to voters. Yes, they both have negatives, but at the same time, they are both really well-known commodities.
Retail trends
Finance professor Tom Arnold keeps a close watch on consumer spending, which caught the attention of business reporters who shared his insights with readers.
Retailers may be more worried this season about consumers’ continued ability to spend on non-essential items. While a much-feared recession has yet to materialize, a long run of expensive times may have shoppers feeling the pressure to step back.”
Indigenous rights
Leadership studies professor David Wilkins, a citizen of the Lumbee Nation of North Carolina, is often quoted by media as a subject matter expert on Native American policy and Indigenous politics and governance.
Many thousands of people have been disenrolled or otherwise spurned by 80-plus tribes since the mid-1990s, when casino revenues surged. Each instance is different with personal and political strife sometimes more important.”
