Rob Glover

Associate Professor of Political Science and Honors
113B N. Stevens Hall
207.581.1880
robert.glover@maine.edu

B.A. University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (2003)
M.A. and Ph.D. University of Connecticut (2010)

Rob Glover earned his B.A. in Political Science from UMass Dartmouth and went on to complete his M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Connecticut. He teaches in the Honors College because of its rich interdisciplinarity, the opportunity to work with exceptional students, and the chance to mentor and advocate for UMaine’s most engaged scholars.

Rob’s current research explores shifting public attitudes toward drug policy and the development of alternatives to punitive approaches for individuals with substance use disorders. This work has led to growing partnerships in Portugal, a country internationally recognized for its innovative, health-centered drug policy reforms. He helps organized an annual faculty-led study abroad to Lisbon, Portugal where students can learn more about this approach alongside practitioners and architects of this path-defining policy model.

He also does work on election administration and restoring faith in our American election system. Since 2016, he has co-lead UMaine UVote, an award-winning, campus wide effort to help students register to vote, educate themselves to make an informed choice, and turn out on election day.

Scholarly Interests: Public policy, democratic engagement, the politics of immigration, and drug policy reform

Why I Teach in Honors:
Honors teaching enables me to engage with young minds that think about their world in interesting and innovative ways. It lets me play a hand in the students’ intellectual development, but also to learn from them and with them. The true gift of teaching in Honors is that no one who truly engages with the curriculum, be they first year students or greying professors, ever truly stops learning. As someone who finds intellectual exchange exhilarating and deeply gratifying, the Honors College is a wonderful place to be.

Publications:

I’ve recently co-authored multiple publications on the factors driving changing drug policy attitudes in the Journal of Drug Issues (and closer to home in the Maine Policy Review). I’m also the co-author of a new book called “ENACTing Change: A Handbook for Teaching Advocacy and Civic Engagement” with Brandeis University Press. https://brandeisuniversitypress.com/title/enacting-change-a-handbook-for-teaching-advocacy-and-civic-engagement/

Honors Involvement:

I teach courses in the first and second years of Honors on illicit drugs and drug policy. I’ve also developed a Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing that focuses on the role that writing can play in political empowerment and policy change. I was part of the team that worked to overhaul the Honors four year curriculum from 2024-2025.