Aaron S. King

Dr. Aaron S. King is the Associate Director of the Honors College and a Professor of Political Science within the Department of Public & International Affairs.

Within the Honors College, Dr. King works with faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as community partners, to facilitate enriching opportunities for students inside and outside of the classroom. As the primary contact for developing the schedule of Honors courses, Dr. King loves working with faculty to help them turn their "dream course" into a reality. He also coordinates the Honors First Year Seminar (HON 110) working alongside faculty and student mentors to help new Seahawks successfully transition to UNCW and the Honors College. Dr. King also helps facilitate the annual Lyceum in Washington, D.C. every fall.

As a scholar of American politics, Dr. King has taught classes on political institutions and research methods. Throughout his academic career, Dr. King has published research on a variety of topics, including representation, competition, and political ambition. He has also studied social media, political parties, congressional politics, gender, political behavior, and pedagogy. His work has appeared in in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, such as the American Political Science Review, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and Public Understanding of Science. He has also published a book on the strategic timing of candidacy decisions. His current focus is public-facing political science and the importance of effective communication between academics, the media, and the public. He is also the founder of UNCW's Washington D. Seahawks Program.

Education

B.A. in Political Science and Geography, Honors College, Michigan State University
M.A. in American Politics and Political Methodology, Duke University
Ph.D. in American Politics and Political Methodology, Duke University.

Specialization in Teaching

American Politics
Congress
Political Parties
The Presidency
Research Methods

Research Interests

American Politics
Public-Facing Political Science
Ambition, Competition, and Representation
Congressional Politics
Social Media
Political Behavior

Professional Service

Dr. King is active in providing service to his department, the Honors College and the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts (CHSSA), the University, the discipline of political science as well as the community. At UNCW, he has contributed on numerous committees and served for five years as the coordinator for the undergraduate program in Political Science. For the discipline, one highlight is his 13 years of service on the Executive Board of the North Carolina Political Science Association, including hosting the 2023 annual conference at UNCW and serving as its President (2023-2024).

Community Engagement

As an academic and an administrator, Dr. King is always eager to engage with the community. Some frequent collaborators include UNCW's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Center for Social Impact. Due to his expertise on American politics, he is often asked to provide insights on current events by journalists from local, statewide, and national outlets.

Honors & Awards

Dr. King has been recognized for his teaching, research, mentorship, and leadership. For example, at UNCW, he has received numerous Discere Aude awards for his teaching and mentorship, and he has been selected as a NextUp Leadership Fellow and an Information Literacy Fellow. He has also received a number of internal grants and his Washington D. Seahawks Program was recently endowed. He has also been elected to numerous leadership positions within the North Carolina Political Science Association.