Michael Parkin

Michael Parkin serves as the Erwin N. Griswold Professor of Politics and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oberlin College, where he is a core faculty member in the Politics Department. He teaches undergraduate courses covering American politics, political psychology, media and mass political behavior, campaigns and elections, and quantitative research methods.

Education:

• BA (Hons), University of British Columbia, 1996
• MA, University of Toronto, 1997
• PhD, University of Minnesota, 2006

Parkin's research critically examines the triangular relationship between political candidates, media ecosystems, and voter decision-making in the United States. He specializes in how candidates strategically deploy new media platforms—including internet-based channels and entertainment television—to shape voter perceptions, with particular attention to digital campaign tactics and their psychological impacts. His work bridges traditional political communication theory with contemporary technological shifts in electoral politics.

Parkin actively mentors high school students globally through Oberlin's partnership with Pioneer Academics, supervising advanced research projects on American media and politics. He also contributes to the Cole Scholars Program under Oberlin's Initiative in Electoral Politics, which prepares undergraduates for careers in political research and practice through fieldwork opportunities like the Kamala Harris 2020 campaign study in Iowa.