Faculty Bio

Franchesca V. Nestor

Associate Professor in the Department of Politics & Government; Department Chair; Fellowships Director

Education

• Ph.D., Political Science, West Virginia University
• M.A., Political Science, West Virginia University
• M.P.P., Public Policy, University of Chicago
• B.A., Political Science, West Virginia University

Areas of Interest

Dr. Nestor teaches Equality and American Politics, the American Presidency, Congress and Legislative Process, Women and Politics, Food Politics and Policy, Environmental Public Policy, the Conduct of Political Inquiry, and Power and American Politics.

Publications 

Dr. Nestor's research interests include racial and ethnic politics, Congress, congressional committees, food policy, and increasing citizen interest in and understanding of regulatory policy.

• "Assessing Outcomes on an Antiracism Unit in a Required First-Year Seminar at a PWI." With Paul Dean. The Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. [Supplementary Materials]
• "Congressional Committee Demographics and Racially Salient Representation." Politics, Groups, and Identities. 
• "Media Coverage of Female Candidates' Traits in the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary." With Erin Cassese, Meredith Conroy, and Dhrumil Mehta. Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy.
• Contemporary Regulatory Policy, 3rd edition. With Marc Eisner, Jeff Worsham and Evan Ringquist. 
• "America Competes at 5 Years: An Analysis of RCR Training Plans." With Trisha Phillips, Elizabeth Heitman, and Gillian Beach. Science and Engineering Ethics.

Recipient of the 2022 Sherwood Dodge Shankland Award for Encouragement of Teachers