Sunshine Hillygus Named Director of Duke’s Social Science Research Institute

Duke University faculty member Sunshine Hillygus, professor of political science and public policy, has been chosen to serve as director of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) for a five-year term.

Hillygus has published widely on the topics of American political behavior, campaigns and elections, survey methods, public opinion, and information technology and politics. She is the co-author of “Making Young Voters: Converting Civic Attitudes into Civic Action” (Cambridge University Press, 2020), “The Persuadable Voter: Wedge Issues in Political Campaigns” (Princeton University Press, 2008) and “The Hard Count: The Social and Political Challenges of the 2000 Census” (Russell Sage Foundation, 2006).

She is also the founding director of the Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology and co-director of the Polarization Lab. Recognized for her excellence in teaching, she received the Howard D. Johnson Distinguished Teaching Award from Trinity College of Arts & Sciences in 2019. In 2009, the American Political Science Association bestowed the Robert E. Lane Award for her book “The Persuadable Voter.”

SSRI brings together researchers with interests in problems that cross the social and behavioral sciences, including problems that connect with the humanities and natural sciences. Established in 2003, the institute promotes interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars as they work on vital social issues. It is among 11 university institutes, initiatives and centers that complement and amplify the widespread interdisciplinarity found in every school at Duke.

Hillygus begins serving as director on May 1, following a stint as interim director since January 2025.

“Sunshine Hillygus has done an excellent job as SSRI’s interim director, and I’m excited to see this institute move forward under her leadership,” said Provost Alec Gallimore. “Building on an impressive legacy, she will further strengthen SSRI’s mission to use the best methods, data and tools to deeply understand society and address its most complex challenges.”

“A robust social research institute is a distinguishing hallmark of leading universities,” Hillygus said. “I look forward to leading a dynamic, collaborative and forward‑looking institute that amplifies the impact of social and behavioral research at Duke and globally.”

Originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Hillygus earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University. From 2003-2009, she taught at Harvard University, where she was the Frederick S. Danziger Associate Professor of Government and founding director of the Program on Survey Research. She has been part of the Duke community since 2009. 

“I’ve been impressed by Sunshine’s strong vision and skillful leadership as interim director, and I’m confident that she’s the right person to continue guiding this vital institute,” said Edward Balleisen, senior vice provost for interdisciplinary programs and initiatives. “I also want to thank Tim Johnson for chairing the search committee and all the committee members for contributing to this successful conclusion.” 

For over 20 years, SSRI has played an important role in facilitating broad engagement with social and behavioral research methodologies, overseen a collection of centers and initiatives, and helped spark innovative interdisciplinary collaborations. It also provides crucial intellectual leadership for the highly successful Master in Interdisciplinary Data Sciences program, a joint venture with the Rhodes Information Initiative. Among the new SSRI initiatives under development is an undergraduate scholars program, which will offer training and support for senior theses in the social and behavioral sciences.

Last year, SSRI supported survey and behavioral research for over 50 faculty and student research projects, primarily through the work of the Duke Initiative on Survey Methods and the Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Center. Faculty who drew on federal data through SSRI’s Triangle Research Data Center published papers in fields ranging from accounting and finance to psychiatry and population studies, and informed the EPA’s Energy Star efficiency benchmarks. SSRI also supported faculty and students in program evaluation, participatory research and survey design for community-facing projects.