Hunter Bacot has been named director of the Elon University Poll and the Center for Public Opinion Polling. He will direct the efforts of the non-partisan poll, which conducts statewide scientific telephone polls on issues of importance to North Carolinians. He will also serve as associate professor in the department of political science and public administration.
Bacot joins the Elon faculty after teaching at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte since 1997. Previously, he taught at Valdosta State (Ga.) University from 1995 to 1997 and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from 1991 to 1995, where he also directed the political science internship program.
Bacot has been active as a researcher and government consultant. He served as director of a public opinion survey for Huntersville, N.C., and was a research consultant with the city of Charlotte’s Community Economic Development Division. He helped the city of Valdosta, Ga., conduct employee and citizen satisfaction surveys and was a consultant with the Lowndes County, Ga., Parks and Recreation steering committee.
He has served as a political analyst and contributor for several media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, the Raleigh News & Observer, WBT radio and WCCB television in Charlotte. He has published several book chapters and journal articles on policy development, airport administration, state environmental policies and news coverage of environmental issues.
Bacot has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a doctorate in political science from the University of Tennessee.
Polls this fall are scheduled for Oct. 24-28 and Nov. 14-18.
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