Taneisha N. Means

Taneisha N. Means is an Assistant Professor of Political Science on the Class of 1951 Chair at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. She holds a BA from John Carroll University, and both an MA and PhD from Duke University. Her research focuses on Racial and Ethnic Politics, Judicial Politics, and Political Behavior, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. She examines the political identities and behaviors of 21st-century Black US judges, with a particular emphasis on intersections of race and judicial systems.

Means has received significant recognition, including the Class of 1951 Endowed Assistant Professorship (2018–present) and fellowships such as the SRI Fellow at Rutgers University-Newark (2018). Her work has been featured in outlets like The Washington Post and The 19th, where she discusses judicial diversity and Black women’s representation in federal roles.

Her grants include funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Hewlett Foundation’s US Democracy program, and Vassar College’s Ford Scholars Program. She actively engages in public discourse, speaking on topics like Black judicial pioneers, diversity in policing, and the historic significance of figures like Jane Bolin, the first Black female judge in the U.S.

• Key Awards:
  • Class of 1951 Endowed Assistant Professorship (2018–present)
  • National Science Foundation Law and Social Sciences Grant ($149,731, 2018)
• Media Contributions:
  • Quoted in USA Today on diversity in Supreme Court nominations
  • Contributed analysis to The Washington Post on barriers faced by Black women in federal roles