Jeffrey N. Carroll, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Center for Data & Society (D&S), a faculty collaboration among the computer, mathematical, and social sciences whose mission is to investigate how data and information can be best used to understand the communities in which we live. D&S’s programs are comprised of 9 distinct major programs and 13 minor programs that include the Bachelor Science in Data Science, Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics and the Minor in Data Studies for Social Good (DSSG). Jeffrey was recently appointed President of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association after several years of serving as Vice President and on the executive council.
Jeffrey’s scholarly interests lie in American political institutions and their intersection with urban affairs, social geography, economics, and civic health. He has been an invited speaker nationally and internationally with his most recent work focusing on voting and inequality. Other projects delve into the political geography of Philadelphia’s voters, PA state and local public policy, and the (under)development of American democratic institutions with his long-time colleague, historian Dr. David Contosta. Jeffrey’s work has been published in Journal of Political Science Education, Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, Commonwealth: Journal of Pennsylvania Politics and Policy, Pennsylvania Geographer, Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal and has been featured in national media outlets such as The New York Times and Newsweek and numerous regional outlets like the Philadelphia Citizen and Philadelphia Hall Monitor. He is currently working on a book manuscript on the legacy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Other recent public facing activities include “Beatlab” (Philadelphia’s first hip-hop centric music studio that fosters messages of social justice), a political affairs podcast, a student-led radio show on politics and mental health, and numerous initiatives that seek to bolster inclusion and belonging in civic spaces.
Prior to joining Chestnut Hill College, Jeffrey attended graduate school and then was a part-time faculty member in the Political Science and Geography & Urban Studies Departments at Temple University. He was a graduate fellow in the Information Technology & Society Research Group (ITSRG) and was instrumental in founding the Philadelphia Apps & Maps program, a youth program that taught the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Also while at Temple, Jeffrey was the teaching assistant to former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street, which included coordinating his administrative affairs at the university.
Last, Jeffrey co-founded Urbicus LLC, a Philadelphia-based non-partisan government relations firm that specializes in research, public relations, training for current and aspiring elected officials, and helping communities navigate local government. Jeffrey played a key role in political campaigns for several state and local offices including: PA House and Senate, Philadelphia City Council, Court of Common Pleas, and City Commissioner.