Mitchell Brown

Professor of Political Science, Auburn University

Mitchell Brown, Ph.D., is the Curtis O. Liles III Professor in the Department of Political Science at Auburn University and is a founding editor of the Journal of Election Administration Research & Practice. Her work as a researcher, evaluator, trainer and consultant focuses on applied projects around the country centering on election administration and community-based problem solving. She is the author of numerous books, research articles, and reports. Recent titles include How We Vote: Innovations in American Elections (with Kathleen Hale, Georgetown University Press) and the Elgar Publishing handbooks Teaching Undergraduate Political Methodology and Teaching Graduate Political Methodology (both with Shane Nordyke and Cameron Thies). From 2015-2018 she served as the Director of Auburn University PhD Program in Public Administration and Public Policy and currently co-directs the Election Administration Initiative with Kathleen Hale. She also serves as curricular faculty for the National Association of Election Officials and is a member of their board of directors.

Brown is the recipient of the Meredith College 2023 Career Achievement Award; 2023 Distinguished Service Award from the  Political Science Education Section of the American Political Science Association; the 2021 Glenn Howze Academic Freedom Award; 2016 & 2013 SGA Outstanding Faculty Awards for the College of Liberal Arts; the 2009 Distinguished Diversity Researcher Award through the Research Initiative for the Study of Diversity under the Office of the Vice President for Research at Auburn University; an Outstanding Service Award in 1998 from the Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA, NIH, DHHS) for her work developing a housing fidelity instrument; among others. Brown holds and has held board and leadership positions at the university, in state government, and in non-profit organizations.