Barbara A Trish
Professor of Political Science, with a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, Ms. Trish is a generalist in U.S. politics, with political parties, electoral politics and technology frequently at the intersection of her teaching and scholarship. Her book Inside the Bubble (with Bill Menner, Routledge) explores presidential nomination politics through the eyes of campaign staff; it was released in fall ’21.
Big Data under Obama and Trump, published in Politics and Governance, explores the data fueled U.S. presidency. As a member of the Diversity Scholars Network at the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID), she contributed to the series Voting and Equity in the United States. Additionally, her comments and analyses of contemporary politics (examples below) have been published in a variety of media outlets.
Congress isn't paying its interns enough in The Washington Post, September 2, 2018
Ms. Trish’s courses, in one way or another, expose students to the methods of empirical and quantitative political science. She liked data before it became fashionable! Most of her courses involve a research project in which students collect and analyze data, and students also experiment with different writing formats.
While at Grinnell, Ms. Trish has had a variety of involvements outside her department, including serving as the Director of the Rosenfield Program from 2017 to 2024. She has also directed the college's Program in Practical Political Education (PPPE) and has been active in efforts to enhance quantitative literacy. Grinnell's long-standing relationship with Nanjing University is one of her special interests.
Education and Degrees
Ph.D., Ohio State University
B.A. University of St. Thomas
In the News
Salon / June 23, 2016
Don't Bend the Rules for Johnson
U.S. News / September 16, 2016
U.S. News / February 24, 2017
What Trump Still Doesn't Get After 100 Days in Office
Fortune / April 30, 2017
America can move past the toxic politics of the Trump era - but it won't be easy
Co-written with Eliza Willis / Salon / August 9, 2017
Why politicians are so eager to claim the outsider mantle
Washington Post, Made by History / March 26, 2018