Wendy Schiller
Wendy Schiller is the Howard R. Swearer Interim Director of the Thomas J. Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, a Professor of Political Science, and the Director of the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy at Brown University. With experience on the staffs of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Governor Mario Cuomo, Schiller earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Rochester and joined Brown in 1994. She teaches courses on topics such as the American presidency, the political process, and Congress.
Schiller has authored several influential books, including Inequality Across State Lines and Electing the Senate, and her research has been published in the American Journal of Political Science, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and the Journal of Politics. She frequently provides political commentary on networks like MSNBC, NPR, and WJAR10, the NBC affiliate in Providence, and contributes insights to publications such as CNN.com and the Providence Journal.
Richard A. Arenberg
Richard Arenberg brings over 34 years of experience on Capitol Hill, having served in senior staff roles for Majority Leader Senator George Mitchell, Senator Carl Levin, and Senator Paul Tsongas. He was involved in major legislative achievements, including co-negotiating the landmark Alaska Lands Act and contributing to the Senate Iran-contra Committee’s investigation. Arenberg is the author of Congressional Procedure: A Practical Guide to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress and co-author of Defending the Filibuster: Soul of the Senate, which received critical acclaim
Marques Zárate
Marques Zárate is an Assistant Professor in Brown University’s Department of Political Science, specializing in the influence of race and identity on political attitudes and behaviors in the United States. His research examines issues like the impact of candidates’ Spanish-language appeals on Hispanic voters and the ways perceptions of policy racial relevance shape attitudes toward policy. Zárate’s work has been published in the American Political Science Review and Political Communication. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University before joining Brown, where he continues to explore the intersections of race, identity, and political behavior.
Paul Testa
Paul Testa is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Brown University, whose research applies principles of design-based inference to explore the politics of race and the criminal justice system. His work investigates how interactions with criminal justice institutions influence political behavior and public perceptions of justice and fairness. Testa’s research has appeared in leading journals, including the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, and Political Research Quarterly. He is also affiliated with the Taubman Center for American Politics and serves on its Poll Advisory Board.
