Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz

Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz is a professor in the School of Public Policy. She joined the School after spending 12 years at the University of Rhode Island, where she was a professor of political science and director of the Social Science Institute for Research, Education and Policy. She is the founder and director of the Stern Civic Engagement Lab at the School of Public Policy, where she examines how civic engagement shapes public policy and works with governments and communities to design and evaluate policies grounded in real-world needs. Through hands-on, community-based research, the Lab connects students, policymakers and residents, producing actionable insights while preparing students to navigate the intersection of research, public service and democratic governance. Pearson-Merkowitz is also an affiliate professor with the UMD Department of Government and Politics.

Pearson-Merkowitz’s research and teaching interests focus on land use and housing policy, public opinion, political polarization, racial and economic inequality, and state and local government. She greatly enjoys involving students in the research process and has developed programs in which students help public officials understand the policy environment of social issues and the drawbacks and benefits of different policy choices. She also has run several election exit polls, as well as polling projects in which hundreds of students engage the community to gauge land use preferences.

Pearson-Merkowitz’s research has been funded by the Russell Sage Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Rhode Island Foundation, and the Rhode Island State Government. 

Pearson-Merkowitz co-authored a new book, "The Power of Partisanship," which uncovers the negative consequences of partisanship on various aspects of American life and how political polarization seeps into personal decisions, social interactions and attitudes toward public policies.