Rate My Professor Laura Schneider

Laura Schneider is an Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at Grand Valley State University, where she joined in the fall of 2008. She earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Purdue University in 2008, with her dissertation titled 'Works and Plays Well with Others? An Analysis of the United States Forest Service and Deliberative Democracy,' focusing on deliberative democracy in public policy processes; a Master of Arts in Political Science from Purdue University in 2004; and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Skidmore College in 2002. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Schneider's research interests encompass public policy, with primary emphasis on environmental policy, policy impacts on women and families, and pedagogical research in political science education. She contributes to the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program and teaches courses including PLS 102: Introduction to American Government, PLS 205: The Policy Process, PLS/ENS 303: Introduction to Environmental Policy, PLS/WGS 302: Women, Politics, and Public Policy, WGS 335: Women, Health, and the Environment, and ENS 201: Introduction to Environmental Studies.

Schneider's scholarly record includes refereed journal articles such as 'Speak Up! Oral Examinations and Political Science' (co-authored with M.J. Buehler, Journal of Political Science Education, 5(4): 315-331, 2009) and 'Personal Moral Norms and Attitudes Toward Endangered Species Policy on Private Land' (co-authored with L.S. Raymond, Conservation and Society, 12(1): 1-15, 2014). She authored the textbook Introduction to American Government (Cognella, 1st edition, 2018) and has a forthcoming book chapter, 'Climate Change Education Solutions Network: empowering communities through place-based public education' (with Elena Lioubimtseva et al., Climate Management Handbook, Springer). Her ongoing work includes 'Michigan’s Climate Legislation: The Pursuit of a Sustainable Future' (revise and resubmit, Sustainability). Schneider has secured grants such as the Laker Extramural Proposal Development Support Grant ($2,000, 2019) for 'Understanding the State of Climate Awareness in West Michigan' and multiple CSCE Dissemination Grants (2012-2024). She has been nominated for the Faculty Excellence Award (2019) and PEW Teaching Excellence Award (2022). In service, she serves as Internship Coordinator (2024-present), chaired the Faculty Awards Committee (2018-2019) and Student Awards Committee (2019-2021), mentored McNair Scholars and Honors Thesis students, developed new courses, and presented at conferences including American Political Science Association and Western Political Science Association meetings. She has provided expert commentary in media outlets like Michigan Public NPR on Gen Z and abortion access (2024) and PBS-WGVU on environmental justice (2024).