Politics Department Chair Jennifer Lawless, an expert on women in electoral politics, has been sought out by journalists covering the incoming Biden administration this past week. In an article on Vice President Kamala Harris published in The Guardian, Dr. Lawless explained that, unlike many vice presidents, Harris will wield "real power" both within the White House and in the Senate, where she holds the deciding vote in an evenly divided chamber. For a piece in the Irish Times on Dr. Jill Biden, Professor Lawless spoke about the First Lady's unprecedented decision to continue teaching community college classes during her spouse's term as President.