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Welcome to the in the Eberly College of Arts & Sciences |
Kevin M. Leyden Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Political Science at West Virginia University and Director of the Institute for Public Affairs. Dr. Leyden’s current research examines how the built environment affects individuals socially, politically, and physically. His recent work on the relationship between neighborhood design and social capital was published in the American Journal of Public Health (September, 2003). He also serves as a partner with the World Health Organization’s Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES) and is currently completing a study of the relationship between community design, housing quality and health. His preliminary findings on this subject were recently presented at the 2nd Annual WHO Housing and Health Symposium in Vilnius, Lithuania, The American Public Health Association, in Washington DC and the 1st International New Urbanism and Beyond conference in Stockholm, Sweden. In addition, Dr. Leyden is also a member of a research team currently examining the transportation system of Ireland for that country’s Environmental Protection Agency. He also serves on the CDC’s Environmental Subcommittee of the Healthy Aging Network which is examining how the built environment affects physical activity among older Americans.
Dr. Leyden’s additional teaching and research interests focus on public opinion, elections, interest groups, social capital, and the politics of land-use planning. His research has appeared in the American Journal of Public Health, the British Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, Legislative Studies Quarterly, American Politics Quarterly, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and Policy Studies Quarterly among others.
Under Dr. Leyden’s direction, the Institute for Public Affairs promotes research focusing on the public policy problems faced by the State of West Virginia and other states in the region. The Institute also organizes statewide training conferences and educational workshops designed to assist West Virginia’s public officials in their efforts to address pressing public policy and governance issues.
Curriculum Vitae (PDF Format)
