Dean, College of Arts and Science
Gertrude Conway Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science
Professor of Public Policy and Education
Co-Director, Vanderbilt Poll
John G. Geer is currently Dean of the College of Arts and Science. Geer earned his PhD from Princeton University (1986), securing his BA from Franklin and Marshall College (1980). Geer has published 5 books and over 20 articles on presidential politics and elections, and recently served as Editor of The Journal of Politics (2005-2009). His most recent book is In Defense of Negativity: Attacks Ads in Presidential Campaigns published by the University of Chicago Press, which won the Goldsmith Book prize from Harvard University (2008). He has provided extensive commentary in the news media on politics, including live nation wide interviews for FOX, CNN, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, ABC, and NPR. Geer has also written op-ed pieces for Politico, The Washington Post, LA Times, USA Today, and Chicago Tribune. His lecturing has earned him a number of awards at Vanderbilt, including the “Squirrel Award,” the 2004 Birkby Prize, the 2005 Jeffrey Nordhaus Award, and the 2009 Ellen Greg Ingalls Award for teaching excellence. Geer is currently working on a series of projects that looks at the news media’s coverage of attack advertising and how negativity may help voters make better choices.