The Institute for Social Research has announced Pauline Jones as the next director of the Center for Political Studies. With extensive experience in political science, Jones is set to bring her expertise to CPS. She is currently a research professor at CPS and holds a prominent role in the Michigan in Washington Program. Additionally, she is the founder and director of the Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum.
Jones is recognized for her research on religious repression in Muslim-majority nations and the dynamics of autocratic regimes, particularly in the former Soviet Union regions like Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine. Her previous leadership roles include directing U-M’s Islamic Studies Program from 2011 to 2014 and the International Institute from 2014 to 2020.
After her sabbatical in the 2025-26 academic year as a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Jones will officially step into her new role. Meanwhile, Michael Traugott will serve as interim director for CPS starting September 1. Traugott, a research professor emeritus, has held various leadership roles at ISR, including a previous term as CPS director from 2014 to 2015, and is noted for his studies on campaigns, elections, voting behavior, and survey methodology.
Ken Kollman concludes his decade-long tenure as CPS director, having established CPS as a leading independent research center for political and societal studies. He will continue his association with CPS as faculty emeritus.
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