Darren W. Davis

Darren W. Davis serves as the Snyder Family Mission Professor at the University of Notre Dame, with office location in Jenkins and Nanovic Halls. His active faculty role encompasses research leadership and administrative responsibilities, including recent completion of two terms as Associate Vice President for Research overseeing research compliance and ethical conduct.

Professor Davis specializes in the social psychological foundations of political attitudes, with core expertise in public opinion, political behavior, and racial politics. His research examines political tolerance, implicit racial attitudes, threat/anxiety dynamics in political behavior, and African American political behavior, consistently linking psychological motivations to real-world political phenomena. Additional contributions span methodology, media communications, and the measurement of political attitudes.

Recent publications reveal a pronounced focus on racial resentment's political manifestations, particularly examining how events like the January 6th insurrection trigger racial resentment among African Americans and exploring the psychological mechanisms underlying racial attitudes in American politics.

His scholarly recognition includes:

• Emerging Scholar Award by Public Opinion and Elections Section of the American Political Science Association

Professor Davis has served on editorial boards of premier journals including American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and Journal of Politics, while his administrative leadership in research compliance demonstrates institutional impact beyond traditional academic roles.