Meet Mary R. Anderson
Professor, Political Science
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Phone: (813) 257-1804
Email: mranderson@ut.edu
Address: 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33606
Mailbox: 100F
Building:
KBB
Room: 110
Education
1994 University of Central Florida, B.A.
1996 University of Central Florida, M.A.
2005 Florida State University, Ph.D.
Courses Taught
Honors Seminar: Women of the White House
Introduction to American Government
Political Psychology
Campaigns and Elections
Public Opinion
Career Specialties
Mary Anderson specializes in community engagement, political behavior and academic/student affairs collaboration.
Professional and Community Activities
Mary Anderson is a Professor of Political Science and serves as the faculty director of The University of Tampa Democracy Coalition. Anderson has published numerous academic articles and is the author/co-author of five books. Her scholarship is interdisciplinary and lies at the intersection of political behavior and psychology with an emphasis on civic engagement. Her research has appeared in The American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, Political Psychology, Political Behavior, Journal of Human Rights and Women and Politics and Policy. Her recent research examines the role of women in politics. Her current project centers around the role of U.S. First Ladies as policy actors. She is a member of the Southern Political Science Association and the Midwest Political Science Association. Anderson is the vice president elect and the 2025 program chair for the Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting. She was selected to participate in the HERS Leadership Institute, a leadership development program for women in higher education. She regularly appears as a panel expert during election season on local television outlets.
Honors and Awards
Anderson has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards including from the National Science Foundation. In 2022, she was honored with the Linda Devine Outstanding Contribution to Student Life Award, the highest honor awarded by the University to a faculty or staff member who has made a significant contribution to student life outside the classroom through co-curricular experiences. She has been honored as a 2019 University of Tampa Unsung Hero and the 2021 Advisor of the Year. She has also received honors from the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education. In 2021 she received the Richard Piper Outstanding Service Award and she was honored with the Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Research in 2011.