PROFILE

Ray Block, Ph.D. is the Brown-McCourtney Career Development Professor in the McCourtney Institute and professor of political science and African American studies at Penn State University.

He earned his bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and political science from Howard University and master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from Ohio State.

His research interests include racial, ethnic, and gender differences in civic involvement; the formation and mutability of social identity; campaigns and elections; and other topics. His recent work explores how the COVID-19 pandemic both reflects and contributes to ongoing social inequality in the United States.

Block is also a senior analyst for the African American Research Collaborative, a group of community-engaged pollsters, scholars, researchers, and commentators committed to bringing an accurate understanding of African American civic engagement to the public discourse.

From 2023 to 2028, Ray will also be working at the RAND Corporation as the Michael D. Rich Distinguished Chair for Countering Truth Decay.