Laurel Elder’s teaching is guided by several principles: an emphasis on helping students become informed and engaged citizens, the meaningful integration of issues of diversity and an intersectional lens into all of her courses, and helping her students learn about politics by doing politics. She has won multiple college-wide teaching awards.

She has published about her innovative work integrating diversity and political activism in her courses as well as about the transformative experience of having students work on presidential primary campaigns in New Hampshire.

Laurel Elder is the long serving faculty advisor to Hartwick College’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, which has won six national best chapter awards under her leadership for its civic engagement programming. She serves on the Executive Committee of Pi Sigma Alpha’s National Board of Directors.

Professor Elder teaches the following courses:

• Careers in Law and Policy

• Congress & the Presidency

• Courts and the Judicial Process

• Diversity and Democracy

• Gender and Politics

• Health Policy and Politics

• Media and Politics

• Parties and Elections

• Politics in Action: Internship and Reflection

• Political Science Research Methods 

• Public Opinion and Voting

• Senior Thesis Methods and Advising

• The Presidential Nomination Process

• The Politics of Race and Ethnicity

• U.S. Government and Politics