Susan Herbst

Susan Herbst is a Professor of Political Science and President Emeritus at the University of Connecticut. She previously served as the 15th President of UConn (2010–2019), returning to the faculty afterward. Her academic career includes roles as Executive Vice Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, Provost at the University at Albany (SUNY), and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Duke University (1984) and a Ph.D. in Communication Theory from USC’s Annenberg School (1989).

Her research focuses on public opinion, media, and American politics, with five authored books and numerous articles. She co-edits the University of Chicago Press’s Studies in American Politics series. Notable works include A Troubled Birth: The 1930s and American Public Opinion (2021) and President in the Maelstrom: FDR as Public Opinion Theorist (2021). Her scholarship bridges historical analysis with contemporary democratic theory, emphasizing media’s role in shaping public discourse.

Herbst teaches at UConn’s Stamford campus, focusing on political communication and leadership. Her career reflects deep engagement with academic governance, institutional leadership, and scholarly contributions to understanding public opinion dynamics in American democracy.