Caleb Griffin, MS, MA caleb4@illinois.edu

Education

PhD, Political Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2019-Current

Courses Taught

• Intro to Political Science, 2021
• Intro to Political Science Discussion Sections, 2023
• Race and Ethnic Politics, 2024

Teaching Assistantships

• The U.S. Constitution, 2019
• Politics & Media, 2020
• Intro to Political Science, 2023

Research Assistantships

• Cara Wong, 2021-2022

Departmental Service

• President of the Political Science Graduate Student Association, 2023-2024
• Faculty Search Committee: 2022
• Co-Social Chair for Political Science Graduate Student Association, 2021-2022
• Project lead: Brownbag faculty & student lunches, 2021-2022
• Project co-lead: Mentorship program, 2021-2022
• Visits Committee: 2020-2022
• Peer Mentor: 2020-2023

Discipline Service

• Reviewer for Critique Magazine
• Panel Chair: Illinois State Political Science Student Conference, 2021

MA, Political Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2019-2021

MS, Applied Community & Economic Development
Illinois State University
2015-2017

BA, Political Science
Brigham Young University
2009-2014

Published Work

Conference Presentations

• Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa Conference: What do we mean by Sharia Government? (2023)

• Borders and Boundaries Conference: The Boundaries of Regions (2023)

• MPSA: Where in the World is Morocco? (2023)

• UC School of Public and International Affairs Symposium:  Liberal Pluralism +(2022)

• Illinois EU Studies Conference:  Changing Regions, Changing Minds? (2021)

• ISU Political Science Student Conference:
  Helping Strangers: How Language Acquisition Makes Individuals More Willing to Help Outgroup Members (2016)

• ISU Graduate Research Symposium:
  Blowing the Language Whistle: Using Referees to Test the Effects of Shared Identity (2016)

Fellowships

• Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship (2024): $49,302
• University of Illinois Dissertation Research Award (2024): $500
• ASMEA (Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa) Research Fellowship (2023): $2,500
• Policy & Legislative Research Fellowship (2022-2023): $20,000
• ASREC (Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, & Culture) Workshop Fellowship: $1,000
• Charles M. Kneier Fellowship (2021-2022): $2,052
• Samuel K. Gove Fellowship (2020): $549

Awards

• Rita & Leonard Ogren Prize for Academic Achievement (2022)
• Pass with Distinction on UIUC Politics Specialized Exam (2022)
• Pass with Distinction on UIUC Politics General Exam (2021)
• James L. Fisher Outstanding Thesis Nominee (2018)

Honour Societies

• Phi Kappa Phi

• Golden Key International

Languages

• Programming & Markup: R, LaTeX, Markdown

• Human: Español, الدارجة

Other Professional Experience

Legislative Fellow
The Center for Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Illinois
2022-2023

I worked in the office of an Illinois state legislator (51st district) on a year-long project involving best practices in state recruitment of police officers.

Writing Instructor
The University of Utah
2019

I taught academic writing for the U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water. My work included lecturing, grading, editing, curriculum-development, and other activities designed to help graduate engineering students complete excellent master’s theses. I also designed and taught academic writing workshops for students and faculty, which I carried out in Mehran University in Pakistan.

Research Assistant
Social Research Institute
2019

My role included database management, program evaluation, statistical analysis, and conducting literature reviews for three non-profits that contracted with the Social Research Institute (a research branch of the University of Utah College of Social Work).

Youth Development Specialist
United States Peace Corps 
2016-2018

I served in the community of Imouzzer Kandar, working with the Greenside Development Foundation, an NGO which helps young people and women in Morocco obtain the skills necessary to find stable employment. My work included grant writing, project design, teaching, and many other activities. I also taught English at the Women’s Empowerment Center in Imouzzer.

Legislative Research Assistant
Utah State Legislature
2016

Assisted policy analysts and state legislators in various capacities. This included creating presentations for interim committees, preparing reports and memos, and conducting research.

Research Coordinator
Teens Act
2014-2015

Directed evaluation projects including conducting, compiling, and analyzing survey data for students and mentors. Created quarterly and annual reports for school administrators and the board of directors. Maintained a student database and carried out several large research projects. Drafted partnership proposals for Utah Valley University and the BYU Psychology department. Collaborated on a cohort project with the BYU Sociology department. Managed three interns and directed research assignments for them.

Congressional Intern
U.S. House of Representatives
2013

Interned in Washington D.C. for the Arizona 8th District. My work included constituent relations, proofreading, research, and clerical work.