Dr. Marvin Overby

Biography

Marvin Overby joined the faculty of Penn State Harrisburg in January 2020 as a Professor of Political Science. Originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, Overby earned his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College and his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. He was a fellow at the Carl Albert Congressional Research Studies Center and served as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow in various European cities. Prior to joining Penn State, Overby held faculty positions at Loyola University Chicago, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Missouri. At Ole Miss, he was the founding co-director of the Social Science Research Laboratory, and at Mizzou, he served as interim department chair and on the core faculty of the Kinder Institute for Constitutional Democracy. Overby has also held distinguished positions such as the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Hungary and the Fei Yi-ming Visiting Professor of Comparative Politics at Johns Hopkins University. His research interests span American and comparative politics, with recent projects on legislative retirements, constitutional amendments, and public attitudes towards homosexuality. He has provided expert analysis featured in major media outlets such as Time, NPR, and the Washington Post, and has received multiple teaching awards from the University of Mississippi and the University of Missouri for his excellence in instruction and mentorship.

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Awards