Steph Saxton, PhD

Welcome! I received my PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 2024, with concentrations in American Politics and Law. I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in American Public Law at Dickinson College, with research interests in American political violence, law enforcement, and state building. 

I have received awards for my teaching, and my research has been supported by grants from Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and the American Political Science Association. I have collaborated on public-facing, community-engaged grant projects which brought together academics, organizers, lawyers, and artists who are working towards a more democratic world. I am presently working on my first book, Gold, Coal, and Oysters: The Development of American Police.

Outside the academy, I spend my time thinking about Bruce Springsteen, railroads, and anti-poverty organizing. I can be found around my neighborhood association meetings, oyster farms, oyster bars, and small music venues listening to punk.