The University of Oklahoma, Office off the Senior Vice President and Provost is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrea Benjamin as Director of the Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program.
Dr. Andrea Benjamin is an Associate Professor in the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies at the University of Oklahoma. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2010. Her research interests include race and politics, local elections and voting behavior, and public opinion. Her first book, Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections: Elite Cues and Cross-Ethnic Voting, explores the potential for Black and Latino coalitions in local elections. Using the Co-Ethnic Elite Cues Theory, the book shows that Blacks and Latinos rely on endorsements from co-ethnic leaders when casting their ballots. This is especially true when race and ethnicity are salient in the campaign. This book was published by Cambridge University Press in 2017. Dr. Benjamin is currently working on a project about race and representation in local politics.
Dr. Benjamin lives in Oklahoma City, and she currently serves on the boards of Sally’s List, North East Oklahoma City Renaissance, and the Oklahoma ACLU. She is also a co-chair of the Human Rights Commission Task Force in Oklahoma City.
Dr. Benjamin is excited to step into this new role because it allows her to serve students at all the public and private universities in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program (OSLEP) brings together the best parts of her job: engaging students and exposing them to cutting edge research ideas. She hopes to bring the very best and brightest scholars to Oklahoma and expose students—statewide—to their work.