Dr. Skinner received her PhD. in Government and Public Policy from the University of Arizona. Dr. Skinner's expertise is in American Politics, political behavior, and public opinion. Her research interests include immigration and refugee issues, race and ethnicity politics, and political psychology topics including attitude formation and the reception of political communication. Her work has been published in American Political Science Review, Public Opinion Quarterly, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, and Politics Groups and Identities. At UIS, Dr. Skinner teaches graduate and undergraduate courses including Deconstructing Citizenship, American Closing Seminar, US-Mexico Border Politics, African Americans and American Politics, and Women and Politics.
Recent Publications:
Skinner, Isabel Williams. (2025). How security framing creates disagreement in public opinion: evidence from US refugee policy. Politics, Groups, and Identities, 1芒驴驴20.
Skinner, Isabel Williams. "How Characterizations of Refugees Shape Attitudes Toward Refugee Restrictions: A Study of Christian and Muslim Americans." International Journal of Public Opinion Research 34, no. 3 (2022): edac022.
Williams, Isabel, Timothy B. Gravelle, and Samara Klar. "The competing influence of policy content and political cues: cross-border evidence from the United States and Canada." American Political Science Review 116, no. 4 (2022):
Public Facing Scholarship:
Skinner, Isabel. "Tracking Mass Deportation by the Numbers, Not Smoke and Mirrors." The Fulcrum. February 22nd, 2024.
Skinner, Isabel. "We Need Human Policies for Homeless People and Asylum Seekers." The Opinion Pages. December 10th, 2024.
Skinner, Isabel. "Preserving our Union" Illinois Times. November 21st, 2024.
Skinner, Isabel. "Feeling Sold Out by Your Own Country Isn't New for Many Americans." Ms. Magazine. November 15th, 2024.
Skinner, Isabel. "Enemies Within. Trump's Authoritarian and Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric." Visible Magazine. October 29th, 2024.
Skinner, Isabel. "Opinion: Chicago needs a shelter plan for migrants before temperatures drop". The Chicago Tribune. September 26th, 2024. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/26/opinion-chicago-immigrants-winter-shelter/?share=an6rc4ignhsoiohant2t
Skinner, Isabel, Brooke Depenbusch. "The Development of US Immigration Policy". NPR Illinois.
Skinner, Isabel, Sophia Doran. "An Existential Threat to the Indian Child Welfare Act". The Capitol Connection.(blog).
Media Appearances:
Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Post-election panel discussion set at UIS". NPR Illinois 91.9 with Sean Crawford. November 11th, 2024.
Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Aftermath: How Trump secured the presidency once more". The 21st Show. NPR Illinois Public Media will. November 6th, 2024.
Television News Interviewee. "2024 Presidential Debate" ABC Newschannel 20. September 10th, 2024
Podcast Interviewee, "Sexism in Elections with Dr. Isabel Skinner." The Progressive American with Conor Kelly. October 25th, 2024.
Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Unpacking the vice presidential debate." The 21st Show. NPR Illinois Public Media will. October 2nd, 2024.
Podcast Interviewee. "SPIA Podcast 4. Meeting the Faculty -Isabel Skinner." UIS Political Science Youtube Channel. September 20th, 2024.
Television News Interviewee. "Trump conviction could impact elections." by Doug Wolfe, WAND TV, May 31st, 2024.
Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Dr. Isabel Skinner." Kudzu Vine. Subject: US-Mexico border issues. November 19th, 2023.
Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Dr. Isabel Skinner." Kudzu Vine. Subject: Chicago mayoral race, immigration issues. March 5th, 2023.
Television Interviewee, "Gov. Pritzker calls on College Board after criticism to AP African American studies course." by Julia Rosier, ABC News Channel 20, February 6th, 2023.