Meet the Team: Sean Greene
Get to know our new associate director
We're back with a new introduction for a new Election Lab team member! Sean Greene is our new associate director, and we're thrilled to welcome him on board. Read on to learn more about Sean and his journey in the election world:
How long have you been at the Lab? What do you do?
I started at the Lab as associate director on August 7. At a high level, my role is to help the team chart the strategic direction of MEDSL in the coming years. More specifically, one of the projects I have begun to help manage is the Mapping Election Administration and Election Science project. This research focuses on many of the major areas related to election administration. The goals are to establish where there is general agreement about best practices, to assess where there are gaps in the field, and to create a clear path for next steps to address these gaps.
What were you working on before you joined MEDSL?
Before joining MEDSL I lived in Rome, Italy for five years with my family, working on our Italian and eating amazing food! At the same time, I consulted for a variety of organizations on issues related to election administration, staying connected to a field I care deeply about. Prior to living in Rome, I was the director of research at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) where, among other tasks, I oversaw the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS). Prior to the EAC I worked at the Pew Charitable Trusts as part of their Election Initiatives team for nearly a decade.
How did you become interested in elections?
I become interested in election administration after the 2000 presidential election. At the time I was working as a researcher at an organization called the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate focusing on voter turnout in the U.S. After the 2000 election, like many other people not directly involved in the elections process, I learned how interesting, complex, challenging, and vital election administration is and in 2003 I started a new job at electionline.org. That job really gave me my first taste of the many components of the election process, especially after the microscope the field was put under (and has more or less stayed under) after the 2000 election. And I loved it and still do!
What's your favorite fun fact?
In Rome, the 2,000 year old Acqua Vergine aqueduct still supplies water to many of the fountains in Rome, including the Trevi Fountain.
What MEDSL project are you most excited about?
The Mapping Elections project is very exciting to me. One of its goals is to make academic work and research relevant and practical for election officials. Our hope is that this work will lead to more sustained and deeper relationships between election officials and researchers, with a focus on how research can practically support and enhance the voting experience for American voters.
