Scholars@Duke

As an Associate Professor of the Practice, Asher teaches core courses on politics and policy analysis in the Sanford School’s Master of Public Policy program.  He also leads a graduate seminar on legislative advocacy, teaching students how to navigate and influence Congress. His academic interests include American politics, legislative institutions, civic participation and advocacy, democracy reform, and U.S. foreign policy.

Prior to joining the Sanford faculty, Asher served for nearly 15 years in Congress and on political campaigns, holding senior leadership roles as Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative David Price (D-NC) and as Director of Policy and Research for President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign in North Carolina.  He has also worked for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems in Beirut, Lebanon, and for two foreign policy think tanks in Washington, DC.

Asher holds an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill.  He previously held appointments as an adjunct faculty member at the Sanford School and in the Department of Public Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill. He lives with his wife Blakely and son Rowan in Durham, where he serves on the boards of various local and statewide organizations.