91ÊÓƵ

Faculty Bio

A scholar of American and Urban Politics, Laura uses quantitative methods to study political persuasion in the context of race and ethnicity.

Awards and Honors

• Yes Recognition Program, 2024, YES I Make It Happen Recognition

PhD, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, 2023
Political Science

MA, Oxford University (St. Hilda's College), Oxford, England, 1999
Politics, Philosophy and Economics

BA, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 1997
Political Science

Research Interest

Informed by her two decades of experience working on the frontlines of political campaigns, her research examines the effects of campaign contact on election results.

Grants, Sponsored Research and Contracts

Civic Engagement Mini-Grant
Tamman, L. May 2025. Project Pericles, Private. Funded. Tamman will be integrating a Ranked Choice Voter Simulation into her course, Introduction to American Politics and Government, and Williams will be integrating voter education into a conversation about celebrity political endorsements in his course, Communication and Popular Culture. In doing so, these faculty will be contributing to Project Pericles Civic Engagement Resources used by faculty and staff nationwide.
Funding for this program is provided to Project Pericles thanks to the Mellon Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation.

Evaluating Ranked Choice Voting in New York City’s 2025 Primary Elections
Tamman, L. June 2025 - December 2025. New York Community Trust, Private. Currently Under Review. With The Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center, through the Research Foundation for the City University of New York

Samuels Public Affairs Fellowship
Tamman, L. January 2025 - 2025. Howard J. Samuels State and City Policy Center at Baruch College, CUNY, State. Currently Under Review.

Faculty Fellowship
Tamman, L. 2024 - 2025. Helene and Grant Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship, 91ÊÓƵ. Funded.

Creating Nourishing Classrooms
Tamman, L. January 2025 - June 2025. Center for Wellbeing, 91ÊÓƵ. Not Funded. I’d like to implement a program of interventions aimed at improving students’ social and physical well-being, that uses snacks and name plates to create nourishing classroom environments in each of my four classrooms.
These interventions are mutually reinforcing. One of the obstacles to students connecting with their classmates and creating or deepening social relationships is knowing their classmates’ names. By having students use nameplates, that barrier is removed. Furthermore, students feel more valued when professors know them by name. This program will build on the groundwork laid by the nameplates to further strengthen students’ sense of connection by encouraging them to partake in modest, high protein, low-cost snacks provided for every class meeting. Eating together, especially when sharing food from a communal source, generates cultural cohesion, and makes us all feel more connected to each other.

Experiential Learning Innovation Fund
Tamman, L. 2024 - 2024. 91ÊÓƵ. Not Funded.

Publications

Get Paid to Combat Campaign Donor Fraud
Tamman, L. & Pollock, A. (2024).

Presentations

The Decline of Local News and Rise of Political Advertising
Tamman, L. (2024). 56th Annual Meeting. Northeastern Political Science Association,

The Fragility of Democracy
Tamman, L. (2024). The Road to the White House Forum. Business Council of Westchester,

Polling in 2024
Tamman, L. (2024). Campaigning in 2024: Gender, Race, and Popular Culture. The Center for Community Action and Research,

Professional Memberships

• Midwest Political Science Association [Member]
• Northeastern Political Science Association

Department Service

• Political Science Department Newsletter [Committee Chair]

University Service

• Wilson Center Faculty Steering Committee [Committee Member]

Professional Service

Urban Affairs Review [Editor, Book]

Public Service

• GoVoteNYC and the 5BORO Institute [Guest Speaker]
  
• Go Vote NYC [Board Member]