jdarr (at) lsu (dot) edu​

​I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in Mass Communication and Political Science at LSU.

I teach undergraduate courses on political research methods, campaigns and elections, and political journalism, and graduate seminars in political behavior, public opinion, and the interaction of political and media institutions.

I have also advised several honors thesis projects at LSU, for which I won a Tiger Athletic Foundation Teaching Award from the Ogden Honors College in 2018.

​I aim to help students understand the dynamic interaction of politics and media, and empower them to pursue further study or work in these exciting fields after they graduate.

Undergraduate

MC 3510: Political Communication Research

A project-centered course in which students research, design, conduct, and analyze an original survey experiment, using analysis and design tools such as SPSS and Qualtrics.

POLI 4026: Campaigns and Elections

An overview of history of American elections and the tools and trade of modern campaigns, focused on project-oriented assignments about contemporary candidates.
MC 2971: Media and the 2020 Election
An exploration of media and campaigns through the lens of the 2020 election, featuring guest speakers from the world of campaigns, advocacy groups, media, and academia.
Graduate

MC 7004: News Media and Governance

​How do the institutions of media interact with government to shape the formation of public policy? Economic, political, and sociological theories of news and news values help to explain this complicated yet crucial relationship.
POLI 7930: Seminar in Political Behavior
An overview of social scientific research on American political behavior, focusing on groups, identities, and civic engagement, and featuring books and articles published exclusively in the past five years.
MC 7005: Public Opinion and Public Affairs
An introduction to classic and contemporary work in American public opinion: measurement, definition, policy impact, and interaction with today's changing media environment.

Teaching Experience

Louisiana State University
  • POLI 7930: Seminar in Political Behavior (graduate; F2016, S2018, S2021)
  • MC 7005: Public Opinion and Public Affairs (graduate; F2017, F2018, S2020, F2020, S2021)
  • MC 7004: News Media and Governance (graduate; S2017, S2018, S2019, F2021)
  • MC 2971: Media and the 2020 Election (F2020)
  • HNRS 2020: Political Participation and the 2018 Midterm Elections (Ogden Honors College; F2018)
  • MC 3510: Political Communication Research (F2015, S2016, F2017)
  • MC 3505: Media and Policy Processes (F2015, S2017, LSU Online: F2021)
  • POLI 4026: Campaigns and Elections (S2016; S2019)
  • MC 4515: Case Studies in Campaigns and Media (F2016)
  • MC 2002: Sports and Mass Communication [co-taught] (F2018, S2020)

University of Pennsylvania
(as teaching assistant)​​
  • Introduction to American Politics – Prof. John DiIulio (F2010), Prof. Marc Meredith (F2011)
  • Civil Rights & Civil Liberties – Prof. Rogers Smith (S2011)
  • American Foreign Policy – Prof. Michael Horowitz (S2012)