The panel will take place in LaRose Student Commons on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4:20 p.m.. Students are encouraged to attend and “make sense of the outcomes,” according to Carrie Eaves, chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Policy听

The event is sponsored by the Department of Political Science & Public Policy and the Phoenix Policy Institute. 听

Midterm elections, held at the midpoint of a president鈥檚 four-year term, focus on the legislative branch and state-level positions. In this听midterm election, voters are determining a seat for the U.S. Senate and all 14 of North Carolina鈥檚 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. 听

Rainie has been named a to help shape and publish research findings from those surveys and other encounters with civil servants. The goal is to learn more about the ways government workers use AI and the impact on the workings of democracy.

Rainie was a main writer for Northeastern鈥檚 Observatory of Public Sector AI new report:

Some of the key findings:

• Many public professionals are just getting started with understanding and using GenAI.
• The biggest barriers to using GenAI in government are not tied to resistance.
• Leadership knowledge gaps about GenAI are a primary bottleneck to its adoption and effective use.
• Public professionals primarily use AI for information and communication tasks, such as research, drafting, editing, and summarizing.

The report was covered in the Boston Globe and other New England media and will become the anchor of several dozen presentations the group gives to government leaders, public professionals and civil society groups.

Rainie鈥檚 affiliation with the Burnes Center will bring benefits to the ITDF Center. ITDF and the Burnes Center will co-publish the reports he helps create and promote them to the media and other audiences as joint efforts. He will become one of the Burnes Center’s spokespeople at conferences, in the media and in web events like podcasts and YouTube webinars.

鈥淭his is an exciting chance for me to be present at the creation of something that we hope will become an important reference for those who work in the public sector and those who care about government performance,鈥� Rainie said. 鈥淭his kind of research fits perfectly with the ongoing studies of the Imagining the Digital Future Center, such as our recent reports听,“ “ and “.“ Ultimately, the great hope at the Burnes Center is that researchers here at 麻豆视频 and around the country will use these findings from our Observatory in their own scholarship and will want to work with our datasets themselves. I hope to hear from students or faculty members who would like to become involved in the next round of research the Observatory undertakes.鈥�

Rainie says the next wave of research could involve such things as truly longitudinal studies in which specific public servants are tracked as they think about using AI in their jobs; studies that combine these survey findings with administrative records collected by state and local government; and studies that explore the impact of AI use by government employees on such critically important public purposes such as government performance and citizen engagement on policy issues.

The ceremony brought together students, faculty, staff, family and friends to recognize Elizabeth McKee 鈥�90, Tiffany Grace Perry 鈥�01 and Stephanie Marken 鈥�08.

Dean of 麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences, Hilton Kelly, delivered remarks in Yeager Recital Hall on the impact the recipients have made on their professions and communities.

鈥淭hese three alumni demonstrate what it means to graduate from 麻豆视频 College: the heart of an 麻豆视频 education,鈥� Kelly said. “They have used what they learned in 麻豆视频 College the College of Arts and Sciences to have impactful careers.鈥�

Elizabeth McKee 鈥�90 – Arts and Humanities

Elizabeth McKee earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in English from 麻豆视频 and a master鈥檚 in human development and psychological counseling from Appalachian State University.

McKee is the executive director of Leadership Charlotte, where she has served for two decades walking alongside thousands of leaders as they explore their own capacity to create positive change in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. Prior to joining Leadership Charlotte, she served as director of leadership initiatives at the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, where she developed leadership curriculum and programs for undergraduate and master of business administration students.

She has been recognized as a leader in the area including receiving the recognition as one of Mecklenburg Times 50 Most Influential Women in the greater Charlotte area

While at 麻豆视频, McKee published poetry and artwork in Colonnades, was involved with intramural water polo, worked in student affairs and worked with a group of students to create and promote a social honor code to accompany the intellectual honor code.

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure I knew it at the time, but 麻豆视频 taught me about being in a larger community,鈥� McKee said. “It helped shape my ‘real world鈥� thinking regarding how I want to be in a community and what role I want to play in being a positive force within it.鈥�

Tiffany Grace Perry 鈥�01 – STEM

Tiffany Grace Perry earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from 麻豆视频, a medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She then completed seven years of neurosurgery residency training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including an enfolded orthopedic spine fellowship at Duke University. Following residency, she completed a post-residency fellowship in complex spinal disorders at The Cleveland Clinic, where she remained as a faculty member for two years. She also earned a master鈥檚 degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Perry is a neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She also works with the Los Angeles Rams as a neurotrauma consultant. She is a consultant for Medtronic on anterior and posterior cervical instrumentation systems. Perry leads annual surgical missions to Uganda with a multidisciplinary team from Cedars-Sanai. She is a faculty member with the AI translational medicine PhD program at Cedars-Sanai, working with graduate students to create clinical projects that intersect the progressive power of AI with the clinical needs of medicine. Perry is also a consultant for Medtronic on anterior and posterior cervical instrumentation systems.

At 麻豆视频, Perry was active in the Honors Program, the Lincoln Premed Society, Alpha Omicron Pi, the National Panhellenic Society and Camerata.

鈥溌槎故悠� encouraged me to be curious, explore beyond what was familiar, and say yes to experiences that challenged and shaped me,鈥� Perry said. “麻豆视频 taught me to remain curious, embrace newexperiences and never stop learning. Those lessons have molded not only who I am personally, but also how I approach medicine, leadership, teaching and mentorship. I learned that success is not just about what we accomplish, but about the opportunities we create for others.鈥�

Stephanie Marken 鈥�08 鈥� Social Sciences

Stephanie Marken earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from 麻豆视频 and a master鈥檚 degree in survey research from the University of Connecticut.

Marken is a senior partner at Gallup leading the U.S. custom research division, which includes research programs Gallup performs on behalf of foundations, agencies, corporations and high education institutions. She is responsible for the strategic direction of Gallup鈥檚 research in education, workforce development, climate, technology, and the social sciences, which includes complex, multimode qualitative and quantitative research projects. She previously served as chief methodologist for Gallup.

Prior to joining Gallup, she was a researcher in the education division at Westat, where she worked on large-scale, complex, multimode education studies for the U.S. Department of Education, including the National Household Education Survey, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System, Fast Response Survey System, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, and other quantitative and qualitative research projects for education foundations and organizations.

While a student at 麻豆视频, Marken was an intern at the 麻豆视频 Poll and in Alpha Omicron Pi.

鈥溌槎故悠� was where I found my voice and where I developed a passion for making sure others are heard,鈥� Marken said. “Any success I’ve had since graduation belongs in large part to the faculty and staff at 麻豆视频 who took a vested interest in me when they didn鈥檛 have to. In that regard, this award feels like an important example of the lasting impact that highly engaged mentors make, oftentimes without even realizing it.鈥�

Recognizing past deans

The three past deans of 麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences, Steven House, Alison Morrison-Shetlar and Gabie Smith, were also recognized at the awards ceremony. Steven House served as the founding dean from 2001-2009 and guided the growth of 麻豆视频鈥檚 academic programs. House provided leadership for 17 academic departments and 19 academic programs. The number of 麻豆视频 College faculty increased by 50 percent during her tenure as dean and the number of students majoring in liberal arts grew from 37 percent of the student body to over 50 percent. He also helped develop the 麻豆视频 College Fellows program.

Alison Morrison-Shetlar served as dean from 2010-2014, where she continued to expand on a tradition of learning-focused achievements. She founded LIFE@ELON and organized the first North Carolina STEM conference at 麻豆视频, where nearly 100 faculty members from North Carolina colleges and universities gathered, making the conference the largest of the state and regional STEM network meeting held across the country.

Gabie Smith served as dean from 2015-2024, providing growth for academic programs and administrative leadership. During her time as dean, she created the bachelor of science in engineering program, developed more than a dozen academic major and minor programs and worked to establish the Innovation Quad. She also enhanced the Fellows and Scholars programs within 麻豆视频 College.

The episode focused on what’s topping the list of concerns across the state: inflation, housing and childcare, the property tax amendment on the ballot, permitting reform, and why data centers have become one of the most contentious questions in economic development. Part of the discussion touched on results from the 麻豆视频 Poll in September.

“What I’ve found over the last four years, more so than any other time is people are really focused on the economy, particularly inflation,” Husser said. “I think the level of inflation we saw post-pandemic is still on people’s minds as if we are in the same inflationary period that, say, we were in ’21, ’22. So inflation is down compared to what we saw peak post-pandemic, but people aren’t feeling it.”

Watch/listen to the podcast below.

Sarah Gustafson, assistant professor of politics at The Catholic University of America, led the discussion, titled 鈥淭he Declaration of Independence and the American Political Imagination.鈥� Gustafson鈥檚 research is focused on 19th century political thought, particularly the work of French political thinker, Alexis de Tocqueville, whose writings on American democracy became a central focus of her presentation.

Gustafson described the Declaration as an urtext of the American story. Although the Constitution and Bill of Rights carry greater legal authority, she said the Declaration continues to have 鈥渞hetorical and sentimental force.鈥� Its language, she explained, has been repeatedly used by Americans to discuss the country鈥檚 ideals, including in Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech and 鈥淟etter from Birmingham Jail.鈥�

Rather than treating the Declaration as an isolated historical document, Gustafson used Tocqueville鈥檚 observations to explore the political culture that existed around it. Tocqueville traveled through the United States in the 1830s and later published 鈥淒emocracy in America,鈥� a detailed study of American democracy and political life.

One of the examples Gustafson highlighted was Tocqueville鈥檚 experience in Albany, New York, on July 4. He witnessed military demonstrations, Revolutionary War veterans being honored, and copies of the Declaration being printed in the street. The celebration concluded with a public reading of the document.

Tocqueville found the experience had 鈥渟omething deeply felt and truly great about it.鈥� For Gustafson, the celebration showed how Americans are able to pass down history and traditions through local communities and organizations rather than relying on institutions

Gustafson compared those formal institutions to the first floor of a house, supported by a basement made up of families, clubs, religion, ethics and other informal institutions.

鈥淭hey provide the dynamism, strength, and support, without which that first floor would not hold.鈥� said Gustafson.

During the question and answer session, Gustafson encouraged students to apply those ideas locally rather than focusing exclusively on national politics.

鈥淕o build something,鈥� Gustafson said. 鈥淕o work with your hands. Go work with other people.鈥�

For Gustafson, civic education is about more than memorizing founding documents. It is about developing a 鈥榩olitical imagination鈥� that connects the words of those documents to the communities, relationships, and traditions that give them meaning.

The Constitution Day program came during a year of national attention on the Declaration鈥檚 250th anniversary. The event was supported by a grant from the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America鈥檚 Founding Principles and History and organized with support from the Department of Political Science and Public Policy.

This summer, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Safia Swimelar teaches New York City: Living in the Global Community using the city as a microcosm to help students understand the diversity and complexity of global humanity. The course explores the meaning of NYC as a global city and how cultural, political and economic aspects of globalization are reflected and visualized there.

鈥淓ven though I teach political science, we鈥檙e talking about the globalization of hip-hop, food, 9/11, identity and culture,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭hey all fit the idea of New York as a global city.鈥�

Students spend Monday through Thursday interning in industries ranging from finance and marketing to communications and graphic design. On Fridays, everyone comes together for weekly seminars, encouraging students to connect their workplace experiences with broader discussions around globalization, identity and culture.

In true 麻豆视频 fashion, learning extends beyond the classroom. 鈥淲e try to match the academic topic with some kind of hands-on experience, whether that鈥檚 a museum, a tour or meeting people in the community,鈥� Swimelar says. This summer鈥檚 experiential learning opportunities included a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a World Cup watch party, a Juneteenth celebration in Central Park, a performance of 鈥淩agtime鈥� on Broadway, the Pride Parade, a tour of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, an international food tour in Queens and a private tour of the New York Stock Exchange, to name a few.

At its core, the course is about helping students understand the world from a new perspective. 鈥淚 really want them to understand that the United States 鈥� and every city in it 鈥� is inherently connected to the rest of the world,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭he global is everywhere.鈥�

By the end of the summer, students bring home much more than academic knowledge and internship experience. Living in Brooklyn, navigating the subway and working full-time internships provide a realistic glimpse into life in one of the world鈥檚 largest cities.

鈥淔or many of them, this is the first time they feel like they鈥檙e actually living here instead of just visiting,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淲hen I read their journals each week, many are saying, 鈥業 think I really do want to move to New York.鈥欌��

Whether students pursue careers in business, the arts, communications, finance or public policy, Swimelar hopes they leave New York with a deeper appreciation for the people, cultures and ideas that shape communities both locally and globally.

麻豆视频 the Professor

Professor Safia Swimelar has taught political science and policy studies at 麻豆视频 since 2008. Her teaching and research focus on international relations, human rights, European politics, global studies and film and politics. As a former Fulbright Scholar, Swimelar draws on her international experience to help students better understand global politics and contemporary issues.

Recommended Materials

• 鈥淭he Colossus of New York,鈥� by Colson Whitehead
• 鈥淗ip hop鈥檚 Enduring Echo: From New York鈥檚 Streets to Global Beats,鈥� The Elephant, 2023
• 鈥淎merica After 9/11,鈥� PBS Frontline documentary

Constitutional Amendment 鈥� Photo ID

Likely voters in the November general election are strongly in favor of changes to the North Carolina Constitution to require a photo ID for all forms of voting, including absentee mail-in ballots. The 麻豆视频 Poll found that 63% of likely voters favored this constitutional amendment compared with 25% who opposed it and 12% who were unsure. The amendment reads as follows:

Constitutional amendment to require all voters, not just those presenting to vote in person, to present photo identification before voting.

Following an April 2023 ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court, absentee voters must include a photocopy of their photo IDs with their mailed-in ballots or complete an ID Exception Form. This constitutional amendment would lock that requirement into the state鈥檚 constitution so it could not be changed by lawmakers.

Constitutional Amendment 鈥� Income Tax

Likely voters strongly favor changes to the North Carolina Constitution to lower the maximum allowable state personal income tax rate from 7% to 3.5%. In this survey, 67% favored this constitutional amendment, compared with 18% who opposed it and 16% who were unsure. The amendment reads as follows:

Constitutional amendment to keep the State income tax rate from being raised higher than three and one鈥慼alf percent (3.5%).

North Carolina鈥檚 current individual income tax rate is a flat rate of 3.99%, down from 4.25% in 2025. The rate is to 3.49% in 2027 and 2.99% in 2028. This amendment would set a constitutional cap at 3.5% starting in 2027.

Constitutional Amendment 鈥� Property Tax

Likely voters are strongly in favor of changes to the North Carolina Constitution requiring the General Assembly to limit increases in property taxes levied by local governments. In this survey, 72% favored this constitutional amendment, compared with 14% who opposed it and 14% who were unsure. The amendment reads as follows:

Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local governments.

This amendment would not set a specific cap on property tax increases but would require state lawmakers to pass laws that limit how much local governments can increase total property tax revenue from one year to the next. The amendment calls for a 鈥渓evy limit鈥� to cap growth in total dollars collected by a local government, rather than a 鈥渞ate cap,鈥� which would limit the tax rate for property owners. If the amendment passes, the General Assembly would need to enact laws defining the revenue limits and any exceptions.

鈥淔ollowing a long history of most constitutional amendments on the Noth Carolina ballot being approved by voters, the three 2026 amendments all have multiples more 鈥榝or鈥� than 鈥榓gainst,鈥� said Jason Husser, director of the 麻豆视频 Poll and professor of political science and public policy. 鈥淚n the case of the 2026 amendments, all three lock in current status quo rather than leading to immediate policy change, which decreases their potential for controversy in an election cycle currently focused on the politicians on the ballot.鈥�

North Carolina constitutional amendment process

All three of these questions were put on the ballot by the General Assembly, which has sole power to pose constitutional questions to voters. In this poll, 58% of likely voters favored creating a process for citizens to introduce constitutional amendments, with 15% opposing citizen-initiated amendments and 27% unsure.

鈥淪tate constitutional amendments impact state law and policy in complex ways,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淗owever, ballot language that voters see on election day is often short. Our poll very closely replicated the ballot text that voters will see. If the ballot language differed or provided more detailed summaries for each amendment, we would likely find different results.鈥�

Marijuana laws

North Carolina adults were strongly in favor of legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes and also supported legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in the state. Medical use of the substance was favored by 75% with only 11% in opposition. For recreational use, 55% were in support of legalization compared with 30% who opposed it and 15% who were unsure.

These levels of support for marijuana legalization are mostly unchanged from an 麻豆视频 poll in January 2021.

There was a significant partisan divide on the legalization questions with Democrats far more likely to support loosening marijuana laws. Eighty-nine percent of Democrats favored legalizing medical marijuana compared with 57% of Republicans. For recreational use of marijuana, 74% of Democrats favored legalization compared with only 33% of Republicans.

Related to hemp-derived products like seltzers and gummies with THC levels that can cause intoxication, 53% supported legalization and 28% said those products should be prohibited, with 19% unsure. Among Democrats, 62% favored legalization of these THC products compared with only 35% of Republicans.

An overwhelming majority of all adults (82%) favored prohibiting the sale of hemp-derived products to anyone under the age of 21.

Husser pointed out that the 麻豆视频 Poll has tracked marijuana attitudes over the last decade in North Carolina. 鈥淲e found a significant increase in support for legalization between 2017 and 2021 as North Carolinians saw legalization occurring in other states,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淥ver the last five years, support for legalization has largely been stable with a large majority supporting medical legalization and a small majority favoring recreational legalization. In turn, support for allowing hemp-based THC has similar levels of support and high correlation with support for recreational marijuana. However, North Carolinians are largely unified in wanting hemp consumables restricted to those 21 or older.鈥�

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:听. The survey was developed by the 麻豆视频 Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between August 21 and August 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 1,121 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for likely voters in this survey is +/- 5.5%, for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) the margin of error is +/-5.05%, and the margin of error for all adults in this survey is +/-5.09%.

Among likely voters (those who said it is 鈥渁bsolutely certain鈥� or 鈥渧ery likely鈥� they will vote), Cooper was favored by 49%, with Whatley favored by 38%. Eight percent were undecided and candidates Shannon Bray (Libertarian) and Michael Dublin (Green) were favored by two percent each.

Among all those who said they were registered to vote, Cooper is favored by 49% and Whatley is favored by 36%, with 14% saying they were undecided or planned to vote for someone else and 2% saying they do not plan to vote.

The survey of 800 North Carolina adults was conducted August 21-31, 2026, and has a margin of error for likely voters of 5.6%.

Seventy-two percent of poll respondents said they are registered to vote in the state, with 63% of those registered voters saying it is absolutely certain they will vote in November and another 20% saying it is very likely they will vote.

In this survey, 71% of registered voters said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� or 鈥渟ome鈥� about Cooper, who was North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025 and previously served 16 years as the state鈥檚 attorney general. In comparison, 47% said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� or 鈥渟ome鈥� about Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party.

Fifteen percent said they had heard nothing at all about Whatley compared with only 4% who had heard nothing at all about Cooper.

Regardless of who they personally plan to vote for, 54% of registered voters predicted that Cooper will win the race, compared with 29% who predicted that Whatley will win.

鈥淒espite an increase in advertising, we measured relatively little movement over the last month in voter intentions about the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, with Democratic candidate Roy Cooper maintaining a strong lead over Republican Michael Whatley,鈥� said Jason Husser, director of the 麻豆视频 Poll and a professor of political science and public policy. 鈥淭he race continues to appear competitive among the group of voters who are highly familiar with Whatley. However, the size of that group remains relatively small and slowly growing.

“Now that we have passed Labor Day, campaigning will approach full velocity, offering some final opportunity for Whatley to increase familiarity and narrow Cooper鈥檚 lead in the race.鈥�

Questions about the voting process

麻豆视频 half (51%) of registered voters said they plan to cast their votes in person during the early voting period that runs October 15-31. Thirty-five percent plan to vote in person at the polls on November 3 and only about 8% plan to cast their votes by mail.

Under state law, county election boards began distributing absentee ballots to those who had requested them on September 4.

found that 40 other states had higher vote-by-mail numbers than North Carolina in 2022, when only 5 percent of ballots in the state were cast by mail. Nationwide, about one in three Americans cast their votes by mail in the 2024 general election.

In August, President Trump issued an executive order that would give the U.S. Postal Service control over the issuance of mail-in ballots in this year鈥檚 election. Following court decisions blocking that action, the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the case, threatening to create serious questions about the voting process just weeks before the election.

鈥淲e find a substantial majority of registered voters in North Carolina to be satisfied with the status quo on length of early voting,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淭hough Democrats reported somewhat higher rates than Republicans of planning to vote early in the upcoming election, only a small minority of voters in either political party told us early voting is too long.鈥�

In August, Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly to reduce the number of early voting days for primary elections in the state. In this survey, 56% of poll respondents said the length of the early voting period in statewide elections is about right, with 11% saying early voting is too short, 11% saying early voting is too long and 22% unsure.

Issues on voters鈥� minds

Among registered voters, 51% said they were extremely or very excited to cast their ballots and 83% said this year鈥檚 election was extremely or somewhat important for real-world outcomes in their lives.

Pocketbook issues were at the top of registered voters鈥� minds as they make their voting decisions. Eighty-six percent said inflation and the cost of living are 鈥渧ery important鈥� issues, with 73% saying the general economy and healthcare are 鈥渧ery important.鈥�

Other 鈥渧ery important鈥� issues included taxes (66%), Social Security (64%), personal character of candidates (60%), immigration (54%), the war in Iran (50%) and the environment (43%).

Grading the health of the nation鈥檚 economy, 49% of registered voters gave grades of 鈥淒鈥� and 鈥淔鈥�, with 30% assigning a 鈥淐鈥� grade and only 22% giving 鈥淎鈥� or 鈥淏鈥� grades.

Related to the war with Iran, 52% of registered voters opposed the U.S. military involvement compared with 31% who supported it. 麻豆视频 40% said a year from now America will be less safe as a result of U.S. military actions in Iran, with 30% saying America will be more safe.

鈥淰oters are placing very high emphasis on the economy, especially the cost of living, and voters are overwhelming thinking the economy is not good,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淭his is driving a great deal of attitudes towards both President Trump and Congressional candidates of his party. While much of the national political focus over the next two months will be on the performance of individual candidates and their campaigns, many political outcomes will be influenced at least as much by the ongoing performance of the economy.鈥�

Approval ratings

This survey gathered new data on approval ratings for President Donald Trump and N.C. Gov. Josh Stein.

Among all poll respondents, 54% disapproved of the job Trump is doing as president and 31% approved. While Trump鈥檚 disapproval numbers in North Carolina have stayed roughly the same during 2026, his approval rating in this survey was the lowest recorded by the 麻豆视频 Poll since Trump took office in January 2025.

Stein had a 40% approval rating, a drop of 6% from the 麻豆视频 Poll conducted at the end of July. Stein鈥檚 disapproval numbers stayed steady at 25%.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:听www.elon.edu/elonpoll. The survey was developed by the 麻豆视频 Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between August 21 and August 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 1,121 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for likely voters in this survey is +/- 5.6%, for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) the margin of error is +/-5.05%, and the margin of error for all adults in this survey is +/-5.09%.

麻豆视频 the 麻豆视频 Poll

Established in 2000, the 麻豆视频 Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of citizens鈥� opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by 麻豆视频 and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The 麻豆视频 Poll is a charter member of the听, a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The 麻豆视频 Poll鈥檚 voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.

麻豆视频 Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Baris Kesgin provided analysis for a recent international news article in examining the growing rivalry between Israel and Turkey as both countries seek to expand their military and diplomatic influence across the Middle East.

鈥淭his rivalry is one that emerged, possibly, after the Arab Spring and intensified in recent months following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the ongoing conflict surrounding the Persian Gulf,鈥� Kesgin said.

Kesgin, an expert on Turkish and Israeli foreign policy and political leadership, said the relationship has evolved beyond diplomatic disagreements.

鈥淎t this moment, each side perceives the other as a security threat rather than a difficult partner,鈥� he said.

Kesgin identified Syria as a particularly important potential flashpoint, pointing to recent Israeli military action at a Syrian air base where a possible Turkish deployment had raised concerns.

鈥淭he magic of 麻豆视频 College lies in the people who teach our students,鈥� said Hilton Kelly, Dean of 麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淥ur new faculty members embody a commitment to the liberal arts. They are curious, inspiring and interdisciplinary thinkers. We are delighted to welcome them to our community.鈥�

New Professors for 2026-27 in 麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences

• Jackson Cooper, assistant professor of arts administration, earned an MFA from Seattle University. He will teach Arts Administration and Community, Legal Aspects of Art and Entertainment and COR 1100: The Global Experience.
• Joseph Frey, assistant teaching professor of human service studies, earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He will teach Social Policy and Inequality and The Art and Science of Human Service Studies.
• Rachel Johnson, assistant professor of biochemistry, earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She will teach General Chemistry and Biochemistry.听She will join in the Winter Term to teach General Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Ariana Montoya-Lozano, assistant professor of political science and public policy and environmental studies, earned a PhD from Purdue University. She will teach Introduction to Environmental Science 1150 and Environmental Policy 3230.
• Aditi Vyas, assistant professor of biology, earned a PhD from Ohio University. She will teach Cell Biology and Genetics.
• Danny Frye, interim director of bands, earned a DMA from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

麻豆视频 麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences

麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences provides the foundation for the study of the liberal arts and sciences at 麻豆视频. The college is comprised of 19 departments across three branches: the arts and humanities; natural, mathematical and computational sciences; and social and behavioral sciences. It hosts 麻豆视频鈥檚 chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation鈥檚 oldest honor society celebrating excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

Committed to the growth of students鈥� intellectual curiosity, intercultural competence and critical thinking, the college champions disciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary applications to reflect upon, respond to and offer solutions to complex problems in an interconnected and changing world.

With more than 45 majors and 65 minors, the college is 麻豆视频鈥檚 largest academic division. Two-thirds of the nearly 1,600 students who graduate from 麻豆视频 annually do so with at least one major or minor in the college. Within a year, over 90% of college graduates report employment in their chosen field or enrollment in top post-graduate programs.

College faculty are prolific and preeminent scholars and creators in their fields, recognized for expertise at national and international levels. Each year, its more than 300 full-time faculty publish hundreds of articles, chapters, and books, and they present at scores of conferences and events. Their scholarship results in grants and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Institutes of Health and other prominent centers of research.