David Wiltse

Dr. David Wiltse is a Professor of Political Science at the School of American and Global Studies, South Dakota State University (SDSU). He serves as director of The South Dakota Polling Project. Previously, he held roles such as Assistant Professor at Briar Cliff University and Visiting Assistant Professor at TOBB University in Turkey. His research focuses on public health (particularly vaccine hesitancy), political parties, elections, and campaign finance.

Education:

• B.A. in Political Science, Montana State University (1993)
• M.A. in Political Science, California State University Fullerton (1996)
• Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2006)

Research Interests: Dr. Wiltse’s work bridges public health and political science, analyzing vaccine hesitancy, pandemic mitigation behaviors, and the intersection of partisanship with health policy. He collaborates frequently with researchers like Dr. Filip Viskupič, producing interdisciplinary studies in journals spanning political science, public health, and medical disciplines.

Awards:

• 2022 Award for Outstanding Researcher of the Year in Social Science (CAHSS)
• 2020 Sewrey Faculty Colloquium on Research

Advising & Grants: Supervised undergraduate researcher Zachary Liebl. His work is supported by collaborations across disciplines, though specific grants are not explicitly listed.

Labs/Teams: Director of The South Dakota Polling Project, which provides data for studies in public health, political science, and related fields.