Public opinion pollster J. Ann Selzer will discuss the roller coaster U.S. presidential campaign during a free event at Drake University on April 5. “Behind the Numbers: Polling in Campaign 2016” will begin at 7 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room, 2725 University Ave. in Des Moines.
The conversation, which is free and open to the public, will include time for audience questions.
Selzer, president of the public opinion research firm Selzer & Company that runs The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll, will discuss the current chaotic political climate and what the polls have taught us this presidential campaign season. The conversation will be facilitated by Professor Jennifer Glover Konfrst, who leads Drake’s new Strategic Political Communication program.
“Ann is uniquely qualified to cut through the media noise and provide some valuable perspective on what is going on in this country right now,” said Kathleen Richardson, dean of the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “This will be a great opportunity for our students and members of the community to engage with a recognized expert in the polling field.”
In the past year, Selzer has been interviewed by dozens of national media outlets. In January, the popular news and analysis website FiveThirtyEight dubbed Selzer “the best pollster in Iowa.” Her appearance at Drake University is sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Drake’s new multidisciplinary Data Analytics program.
Situated in the state capital, and serving as the epicenter of the American political universe during the Iowa Caucus season, Drake University is proud to offer exceptional opportunities for student and community engagement. Drake faculty are frequently sought out as data-informed experts on political communications, electoral and presidential politics, and public policy.
For more information, contact Kathleen Richardson, dean of the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication, at 515-271-2295 or kathleen.richardson@drake.edu.