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D. Sunshine Hillygus

Professor of Political Science
Political Science
Box 90204, Durham, NC 27708-0204
140 Science Drive, 203 Gross H, Box 90204, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Professor Hillygus has published widely on the topics of American political behavior, campaigns and elections, survey methods, public opinion, and information technology and politics.  She is co-author of Making Young Voters:  Converting Civic Attitudes into Civic Action (Cambridge University Press, 2020), The Persuadable Voter: Wedge Issues in Political Campaigns (Princeton University Press, 2008) and The Hard Count: The Social and Political Challenges of the 2000 Census (Russell Sage Foundation, 2006). She is director of the Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology (https://dism.duke.edu/) and co-director of the Polarization Lab (https://www.polarizationlab.com/).

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Political Science · 2015 - Present Political Science, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Director of the Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology · 2010 - Present Social Science Research Institute, University Institutes and Centers
Interim Director of the Social Science Research Institute · 2025 - Present Social Science Research Institute, University Institutes and Centers
Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy · 2016 - Present Sanford School of Public Policy

In the News


Published November 8, 2024
Post Election Panel: Duke Experts Talk About What Happened in the Election
Published October 29, 2024
Squishy Polls, Changing Demographics: Election Factors to Watch in NC
Published March 5, 2024
‘People Are Exhausted by Politics’: Faculty Assess the 2024 Election at Briefing for International Journalists

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Recent Grants


Redesigning Social Media to Reduce Partisan Animosity

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Carnegie Corporation of New York · 2024 - 2026

The 2024 American National Election Studies (ANES)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Michigan · 2018 - 2026

Designing Social Media to Promote Intellectual Humility

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by John Templeton Foundation · 2022 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


Stanford University · 2003 Ph.D.
Stanford University · 2000 M.A.