2014 – 2015, former APSA President

Rodney E. Hero is Professor of Political Science and Haas Chair in Diversity and Democracy at the University of California, Berkeley.

His research and teaching focus on American democracy and politics, especially as viewed through the analytical lenses of Latino Politics, Racial/Ethnic Politics, State & Urban Politics, and Federalism. His book, Latinos and the U.S. Political System: Two-tiered Pluralism, received the APSA's Ralph J. Bunche Award (1993). He also authored Faces of Inequality: Social Diversity in American Politics (selected for the APSA's Woodrow Wilson Award, 1999), and Racial Diversity and Social Capital: Equality and Community in America (2007). He is also co-author of Black-Latino Relations in U.S. National Politics: Beyond Conflict or Cooperation (2013), MultiEthnic Moments: The Politics of Urban Education Reform (2006), Newcomers, Insiders and Outsiders: Immigrants and American Racial Politics in the Early 21st Century (2009), Latino Lives in America (2010); and Latinos in the New Millennium: An Almanac (2012).

His work has also appeared in various scholarly journals including the American Journal of Political Science, Perspectives on Politics, Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly and others. He was one of six co-principal investigators on the Latino National Survey(completed in 2006). He has also served on the Editorial Boards of several political science journals, among them are: APSR (2001-07 and 2013-present), AJPS (1994-97), JOP (2001-04, 1991-93), PRQ(2000-06, 1994-96), Urban Affairs Review (1998-2000), and Political Behavior (2005-09).

He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and MA and PhD from Purdue University. Before joining the Berkeley faculty he held positions at the University of Notre Dame (2000-10), at the University of Colorado at Boulder (1989-2000), and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (1980-88).

He served as President of the Midwest Political Science Association (2007-08), on the Executive Council (1995-97) and as Vice President of the APSA (2003-04), President of the Western Political Science Association (1999-2000), and President of the Latino Caucus of the APSA (2010-11).

He has served on numerous APSA committees: Siting and Engagement (2009-12), Development (2003-2005), Committee to select editor(s) of the APSR (for editorship during 2007-2011); Nominations Committee (2001and 2002, Chair in 2001), Committee on International Programs (1993-95), James Madison Award committee (Spring 2008), Charles Merriam Award Committee (1996-97), and the William Anderson Award Committee (1993, Chair), among others.