More than 25 College of Charleston students will present their research as part of the third annual William V. Moore Student Research Conference on March 29, 2013. The student researchers are divided into six panels focusing on the following topics: American Politics and Processes, Global Politics and Spaces, and the Politics of Ideas; with papers on topics from the Tea Party to Chinese politics in Tibet; from the port of Charleston to children’s environmental literature; from campaign finance to human trafficking. All panels will be moderated by political science faculty. Watch a video from the 2011 conference.

The event will be held in the Stern Center with the student research panels from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The event  is free and  open to the public.

The conference will also include a keynote speech from Scott Huffmon, professor of political science and director of the Social & Behavioral Research Laboratory at Winthrop University.

In addition to the participation of College of Charleston students, five seniors from Academic Magnet High School in Charleston County will also present their research. Their research focuses on religious beliefs and environmental attitudes, the politics of dance, news coverage of African wars, protest politics, and the economic impact of the Tea Party.

Keynote speaker Scott Huffmon is professor of political science as well as the founder and director of the Social & Behavioral Research Laboratory at Winthrop University.  His teaching and research interests include:  American politics, public opinion, Southern politics, Electoral politics, religion and politics, voting behavior, political psychology, survey research, methodology, political parties, campaigns and elections, and state and local politics.  His research has appeared in a range of outlets including Political Research Quarterly, the Journal of Political Science, and Athletic Insight.  Huffmon also directs the Winthrop Poll initiative.  His commentary on poll results, South Carolina Politics, and southern and national politics has been featured in national and international news outlets including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NBC Nightly News, ABC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the LA Times, The Miami Herald, Politico.com, News Hour (PBS), NPR, BBC, AFP (Agence France-Presse), and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

Funding for the conference comes from the Department of Political Science, donors to the William V. Moore Memorial Fund, and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The conference is named for late political science professor Bill Moore.