CPOR Faculty and Staff

David Hill, Co-Director of CPOR

David Hill joined the faculty in 2007 after teaching at Valdosta State University and Bridgewater State College. He has published in leading political science journals and is the author of American Voter Turnout: An Institutional Perspective (Westview Press), which examines how governmental and electoral institutions influence voter turnout in the U.S.

  • PhD, political science, University of Florida
  • MA, political science, University of Florida
  • BA, political science, Stetson University

Kelly Smith, Co-Director of CPOR

Kelly Smith’s, PhD, areas of specialty include state politics and public policy. Research focuses on American politics with a particular emphasis on the relationship among state legislative politics, bureaucratic politics, and democratic governance.

  • PhD, political science, Brown University
  • MA, political science, Brown University
  • BA, political science, Providence College

Liam Leider, CPOR Manager

Liam Leider joined the CPOR staff as a full-time manager after completing his B.A. in Political Science at Stetson in 2023. During his time as an undergrad at Stetson, he focused his research on welfare attitudes and is currently working towards an MBA with a concentration in data analytics. 

  • MBA, Stetson University (in progress)
  • BA, political science and philosophy, Stetson University

Robert Askew, Associate Professor of Psychology

Robert Askew, PhD, is a quantitative psychologist and epidemiologist whose research focuses on the measurement of distinct facets of physical and mental health through the application of latent variable modeling techniques.

  • PhD, psychology, University of Washington
  • M.P.H., epidemiology, University of Texas School of Public Health
  • BA, international studies and art history, Southwestern University

Catherine Wright, Administrative Support

Before working with CPOR and the Political Science & Economics Department in 2023, Catherine Wright worked for 1.5 years with the Sociology Department at Stetson University. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 2007 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Stetson.

  • MS, Marriage and Family Therapy, Stetson University (in progress)
  • BA, communication studies, Louisiana State University