Curriculum Vitae

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Department of Politics, University of Virginia · Charlottesville, VA 22904 · leblang@virginia.edu

Education

1993 — Ph.D., Political Science, Vanderbilt University
1988 — B.S., Political Science and Philosophy, Florida State University
2018 — Management and Leadership in Higher Education Program, Harvard University

Academic Appointments

2024–present — Professor of Data Science (courtesy), School of Data Science, University of Virginia
2020–present — Affiliated Faculty, Program in Jewish Studies, University of Virginia
2019–present — Randolph P. Compton Professor of Public Affairs, Miller Center, University of Virginia
2018–present — Ambassador Henry Taylor Professor of Politics, University of Virginia
2015–present — Affiliated Faculty, Data Science Institute / School of Data Science, University of Virginia
2009–present — Professor of Public Policy, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy, University of Virginia
2018–2019 — Dorothy Danforth Compton Professor of Public Affairs, Miller Center
2008–2018 — J. Wilson Newman Professor of Governance; Professor of Politics, University of Virginia
2006–2009 — Professor of Political Science, University of Colorado
2002–2006 — Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Colorado
2000–2002 — Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Colorado
1995–2000 — Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of North Texas
1992–1995 — Visiting Assistant Professor of Government, College of William & Mary

Administrative Appointments

2023–2024 — Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate Experience and Strategic Initiatives, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia
2020–2022 — Special Advisor to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia
2017–present — Director, Miller Center of Public Affairs Fellows Program, University of Virginia
2015–2023 — Founding Director, Global Policy Center, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
2010–2017 — Chair, Department of Politics, University of Virginia
2004–2006 — Director, Social Science Data Lab, University of Colorado
2005 — Acting Department Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Colorado
2002–2006 — Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Colorado

Selected administrative achievements

Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate Experience & Strategic Initiatives, College of Arts and Sciences (2023–2024). Oversaw 14 General Faculty serving as Association Deans; developed processes for annual review, promotion rubrics, and governance. Led teams responsible for undergraduate course-requirement policy, curriculum planning and enrollment forecasting, summer orientation redesign, and a new communications strategy. Scaled the first-year curricular experience for 3,000+ students and redesigned advising for 12,000+ undergraduates, including a 20-person transitional-advising model budgeted at $3M/year.

Chair, Department of Politics (2010–2017). Led the largest department in the College: 43 tenure-track faculty, 900 majors, ~75 graduate students. Managed a $4M salary budget plus $250K/year in discretionary funds. Created the department’s annual peer-review process; rewrote all promotion and tenure procedures; oversaw RPT for 16 faculty; built MOUs for joint appointments; created the Faculty Guides mentoring program. Led the redesign of undergraduate requirements; implemented a new graduate track in political methodology; raised funds for the Power, Violence, and Inequality and the Race and Politics programs. Founded the Department of Politics Alumni Advisory Board.

Founding Director, Global Policy Center, Batten School (2015–2023). Hired two Professors of Practice and administrative staff; recruited and managed 20+ affiliates. Built the Center’s strategic focus on humanitarian policy (displacement, early childhood development, data analytics). Raised over $1.5M in contracts and grants on a $40K/year operating budget; employs 20+ undergraduate, MA, and PhD students annually.

Director, Miller Center Policy Research Program (2017–present). Created and directs the Center’s Senior Fellows Program, enhancing the demographic, academic, and political diversity of the Center. Recruits and manages 40+ Faculty Senior Fellows, 10+ non-resident Senior Faculty Fellows, and 12 Practitioner Senior Fellows.

Honors & Awards

2019 — UVA Provost Award for Collaborative Excellence in Public Service (with Bob Bruner, Julia Mahoney, Petros Matos, and David Smith)
2016 — SWIPE (Society for Women in International Political Economy) Mentoring Award, International Studies Association
2015 — UVA Provost Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award
2006 — Outstanding Faculty Mentor, Department of Political Science, University of Colorado
2004 — Franklin L. Burdett Pi Sigma Alpha Award for best paper at the American Political Science Annual Meeting

Grants & Contracts

External

2022–2023 — Scientific Systems Company (DOD Framework for Analysis of Diverse Data subcontract), $68,500
2020–2023 — “MDI–UVA Predictive Displacement Innovation Partnership,” Save the Children International, $25,000
2020 — “COVID-19 and Supply Chain Risk,” Interos.ai, $50,000
2017–2018 — “Modeling International Migrant Flows,” Department of Homeland Security, $447,000
2008 — “A Referendum on Debt: Public Opinion and Icesave,” NSF, $86,500
2002–2005 — “Political Economy of Exchange Rate Regimes,” NSF, $216,534
2000–2001 — “To Defend or Devalue,” NSF, $48,600

Internal

2026–2027 — “The AI Shock and American Democracy: Labor Displacement, Political Geography, and the Redistribution of Democratic Power,” Digital Technology and Democracy Grand Challenge Grant, $50,000
2026–2027 — “The Relative Role of Environmental Change in Out-migration from Central America to the United States: Implications for Politics and Policy” (with Kiril Zhirkov and Kathleen Schiro), 3Cavaliers 3.1 Initiative, $80,000
2025–2026 — “Internal Migration and Housing,” McIntire Real Estate Center, $30,000
2021–2022 — “COVID-19 and Supply Chain Risk” (with Sonal Pandya), Bankard Fund for Political Economy, $48,000
2020–2023 — “Humanitarian Research Collaborative” (with Lucy Bassett and Kirsten Gelsdorf), UVA Strategic Investment Fund, $600,000
2019–2020 — “Network-based Mobility Modeling for Complex Humanitarian Emergencies” (with Bryan Lewis), UVA Global Infectious Disease Institute
2017–2018 — “Modeling Refugee Flows,” UVA Bankard Fund for Political Economy, $27,900
2015–2016 — “How to Deter Unauthorized Migration,” UVA Bankard Fund for Political Economy, $26,500
2013–2014 — “Migrant Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets,” Batten Institute, Darden Business School, $12,000
2013–2014 — “The Political Economy of Migrant Remittances: Dual Citizenship and External Voting Rights,” Bankard Fund for Political Economy, $29,000
2011–2013 — “Migrant Entrepreneurs, Remittances and Venture Capital in Emerging Markets,” Batten Institute, $22,500
2011–2012 — “Occupational Licensing and the Migration of Skilled Professionals” (with Sonal Pandya), Bankard Fund, $49,500
2010–2011 — “Another Link in the Chain: Migrant Networks and International Investment,” Bankard Fund, $25,000

Publications

Invited Academic Lectures and Seminars (last five years)

2026 — University of Wisconsin · Syracuse University
2024 — Rice University · University of Houston
2023 — University of Wisconsin · New York University
2022 — Free University of Berlin · University of Alabama · European University Institute
2020 — University of Maryland
2019 — World Bank Conference on Migration and Development · Université Laval · University of South Carolina
2018 — University of Colorado · University of Oxford

University and Professional Service

Intra-mural service — University of Virginia

2025 — Member, Search Committee for 9th President of the University of Virginia
2022 — Member, Dean Search Committee, School of Continuing and Professional Studies
2021–2022 — Co-chair, Ad Hoc Working Group on Teaching Innovations, UVA Office of the Provost
2021 — Member, Executive Director of Federal Relations and Special Assistant to the President Search Committee
2020–2022 — Member, School of Data Science Promotion and Tenure Committee
2019–2021 — Member, College of Arts and Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committee
2019–2023 — Associate Director, Global Infectious Disease Institute
2018–2020 — Member, Executive Advisory Board, Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
2018–2021 — Member, Applied Research Institute Advisory Committee
2019–2020 — Member, Organizational Excellence Research Council
2017–2018 — Member, Presidential Task Force on Naming Policies
2017–2018 — Member, Vice Provost for Global Strategy Search Committee
2016–2018 — Chair, General Faculty Promotion Committee
2016–2019 — Member, Global Infectious Disease Steering Committee
2016–2018 — Member, Curriculum Committee, Batten School
2015–2016 — Chair, Senior Associate Dean for Administration and Finance Search Committee, College of Arts and Sciences
2013–2016 — Member, Data Science Institute Steering Committee
2013–2014 — Member, Dean Search Committee, Batten School
2012–2014 — Member, Presidential Strategic Planning Subcommittee on Streamlining
2012–2013 — Member, College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Priorities and Resources
2011–2013 — Member, University Libraries Committee
2009–2013 — Member, Quantitative Collaborative Steering Committee
2008–2015 — Director, Caplin Conference on the US in the World Economy, Miller Center
2008–2010 — Member, Chair’s Advisory Committee
2008–2010 — Member, Graduate Studies and Admissions Committee

Intra-mural service — University of Colorado

2004–2006 — Director, Social Science Data Lab
2005 — Acting Department Chair, Department of Political Science
2002–2006 — Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Political Science

Extra-mural service

2016–present — Editorial Board, World Politics
2013–2021 — Editor, SSRN Political Economy eMigration Newsletter
2013 — Co-Organizer, Society for Political Methodology Annual Conference
2012 — Co-Organizer, International Political Economy Society Annual Conference
2009–2015 — Editorial Board, Pi Sigma Alpha Journal of Politics
2008–2014 — Member, Steering Committee, International Political Economy Society
2008–2010 — Member, Political Science Panel, National Science Foundation
2007–2010 — Secretary/Treasurer, Political Economy Section, APSA
2005 — Chair, Political Economy Section’s Best Paper Award Committee
2004–2007 — Member, Carl Beck Award Committee, International Studies Association
2004–2007 — Member, Best Paper Award Committee, Southwest Political Science Association
2003–2006 — Editorial Board, International Organization
2001–2006 — Editorial Board, Political Research Quarterly
2001 — Program Coordinator, Section on IPE, Midwest Political Science Association
2001 — Program Coordinator, Section on Comparative and IPE, SWPSA

Selected Courses Taught, University of Virginia

Lectures. Pandemics Beyond the Headlines: COVID-19; Capitalism and Democracy; The Financial Crisis of 2007–08: Ten Years Later; Introduction to International Relations; Economics of Public Policy: Global Economic Policy; Research Design; Saving Lives with Data I.

Seminars. Migration (undergraduate); Global Migration (undergraduate); Political Economy of Financial Markets (undergraduate); Political Economy of Global Migration (graduate); Saving Lives with Data II (graduate); Seminar on International Political Economy (graduate); Quantitative Methods II (graduate).

David Leblang