About Our Guest

David B. Cohen is a professor of political science and Assistant Director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron. Professor Cohen earned a B.A. in political science and international relations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. in political science at the University of Tennessee, and a Ph.D. in political science at the University of South Carolina.

Among others, he teaches courses on the American presidency, Congress, and homeland security. He is co-author of Buckeye Battleground: Ohio, Campaigns, and Elections in the Twenty-First Century (2011) and is currently co-authoring a manuscript to be published by University Press of Kansas titled The President’s Chief of Staff: Evolution of a White House Institution. He has published numerous scholarly articles on the American presidency as well as in the area of homeland security. Professor Cohen’s primary areas of research specialization are the American presidency, Congress, campaigns/elections, and homeland security.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Professor Cohen is a frequent media contributor and guest speaker on national and Ohio politics. Professor Cohen has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Akron Press Club since 2007 and is the former Vice President for Programs.

Where We Meet

The Friday Public Affairs Lunch convenes each Friday when classes are in session, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Our programs are open to all and no registration is required. We usually meet in the Dampeer Room of Kelvin Smith Library.

* Kelvin Smith Library requires all entrants to show identification when entering the building, unless they have a university i.d. that they can magnetically scan. We are sorry if that seems like a hassle, but it has been Library policy for a while in response to security concerns. Please do not complain to the library staff at the entrance, who are just doing their jobs.

The Dampeer Room is on the second floor of the library. If you get off the elevators, turn right, pass the first bank of tables, and turn right again. Occasionally we need to use a different room; that will always be announced in the weekly e-mails.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level (labeled as for the Thwing Center); it is less than 50 yards from that exit to the library entrance. You can get from the Severance garage to the library without going outside. Near the entry gates - just to the right if you were driving out - there is a door into a corridor. Walk down the corridor and there will be another door. Beyond that door you'll find the entrance to an elevator which goes up to an entrance right inside the doors to Kelvin Smith Library.

Schedule of Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

January 26: From Bill Clinton to Harvey Weinstein: The Limits of Social Discourse Around Sexual Assault. With Brian Clites Ph.D., Associate Director of the Baker-Nord Center and Instructor in Religious Studies.

February 2: Health Care Education in a Rapidly Changing Landscape. With Jerry Goldberg DDS, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dean Emeritus, CWRU School of Dental Medicine.

February 9: From Guestworkers to Refugees: How a Non-immigrant Nation Became the World's Most Welcoming Refugee State. With Girma Parris, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science.

February 16: Environmental Policy in the Pruitt EPA. With Catherine J. LaCroix J.D., Adjunct Professor of Law

February 23: Gill v. Whitford: The Supreme Court and Partisan Redistricting. With Jonathan L. Entin J.D., David L. Brennan Professor Emeritus of Law and Adjunct Professor of Political Science. ***Alternate Location: TBA***

March 2: The Past and Future of Net Neutrality. With Aaron Perzanowski J.D., Professor of Law

March 9: Law Enforcement and the Opioid Crisis. With Daniel Flannery Ph.D., Professor and Director, Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education.

March 16: Spring Break

March 23: Alzheimer's: From Care to Cure and Back. With Peter Whitehouse, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurology. ***Alternate Location: TBA***

March 30: Panama and Paradise: What Have We Learned from the "Papers," and Will It Make Any Difference? With Richard Gordon J.D., Professor of Law and Director, Financial Integrity Institute.

April 6: Income Inequality Among Seniors, At Home and Abroad. With Terry Hokenstad Jr. Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, and Emily Campbell M.A., Associate Director, Center for Community Solutions.

April 13: TBA

April 20: People and Property. With Peter Gerhart J.D., Professor and Dean Emeritus, School of Law

April 27: Two Sides of Brexit. With Elliot Posner Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science, and Luke Reader Ph.D., SAGES Lecturer