Experience Rochester

Co-hosted by the
University of Rochester Alumni Board
and Dartmouth Alumni

featuring
Gretchen Helmke
Professor of Political Science, University of Rochester

and
Brendan Nyhan
Professor of Government, Dartmouth College

moderated by
Lea Thome '22
Double major in Political Science and International Relations with a minor in Chinese


Thursday, October 29, 2020
Noon - 1 p.m. (ET)

With the presidential election imminent, join Professor Gretchen Helmke, University of Rochester political science professor, and Professor Brendan Nyhan, Dartmouth College government professor, as they share new research from Bright Line Watch, a non-partisan watchdog group that they co-founded. Their research and discussion will cover topics such as the state of American democracy and how it compares to other countries around the world.

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A link to join the lecture will be sent prior to the start of the session.

Speaker bios:

Gretchen Helmke
Gretchen Helmke is a professor of political science and former department chair at the University of Rochester whose research focuses on democratic political institutions, rule of law, and Latin American politics. She is the author of Institutions on the Edge: The Origins and Consequences of Institutional Instability in Latin America and a co-founder of Bright Line Watch, a non-partisan organization that brings together leading political scientists to monitor U.S. democratic practices. Helmke has received fellowships from the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame, the Weatherhead Center at Harvard University, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Brendan Nyhan
Brendan Nyhan is a Professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College whose research focuses on misperceptions about politics and health care. He has been named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and a Belfer Fellow by the Anti-Defamation League and is a co-founder of Bright Line Watch, a non-partisan group monitoring the state of American democracy, and a contributor to The Upshot at The New York Times. Nyhan received his Ph.D. from Duke University and previously served as Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He also co-authored All the President’s Spin, a New York Times bestseller, and served as a media critic for Columbia Journalism Review.

Lea Thome '22
Lea Thome is a junior majoring in political science and international relations with a minor in Chinese. She currently serves as the president of the Undergraduate Political Science and International Relations Council, a senator for the Students' Association Government, a tour guide, and as a speaking fellow. She has worked with the Slovak parliament, a 2020 US Senate candidate in Maine, and a New York State Senate candidate, which made her discover her passion for elections and democracy.

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